The Love That Split the World

A recurring nightmare described several times involves a car crash; the car fills with blood, and blood pours from an open wound. Characters go to a movie about a girl sold into the sex trade. A teen driving drunk crashes and ends up in a coma for weeks. A story within the novel mentions murder, and another has a scary skeleton killing and eating a man with blood pouring from his body mentioned. A couple of fistfights result in injuries such as split lips and black eyes, with blood. Natalie and Matt discuss her fear that he might rape her when they were making out while he was drunk.

Lots of kissing, caressing, and some light making out described without detail. A story within the novel has a brother trying to sleep with his sister. Natalie and her counselor briefly talk about having sex and getting pregnant.

"Jesus" as an exclamation, "slut," "screw you," "piss," "butt," "pee," "ass," "crap," "bullsh--t," "bitch," "dick" (name-calling), and "f--king." A parent says "s--t" and the kids call her on it. "Merde" is not translated. "Sharting" used once but not explained.

Teens frequently drink beer and hard alcohol at parties, often to excess, and several important characters show alcoholic behavior. Natalie says half-jokingly that beer doesn't count as drinking. Teens are matter-of-fact about drinking and acquire alcohol so easily that no mention is needed of how they do. Negative consequences such as getting sick and having hangovers are usually mentioned, and the alcoholic teen crashes his car and ends up in a coma. Drinking makes travel between worlds easier for one character. Teens mention smoking joints at a party. A professor admits she was high while doing research. Addict parents steal and fight. Natalie's dad occasionally smokes in secret. Another adult is seen smoking.

Parents need to know that The Love That Split the World is a time-traveling fantasy romance with a strong heroine who's a great role model for adopted kids, especially Native American kids adopted into white families. Smart, strong, and lovingly supported by a family that encourages her to explore her biological heritage, protagonist Natalie will get kids thinking about wanting to fit in. There's a lot of teen drinking, and they're very matter-of-fact about it. Some teens show alcoholic tendencies, and the consequences of driving drunk are shown when one teen ends up in a coma. There's lots of kissing -- the novel is first and foremost a romance -- along with some light making out but no graphic descriptions. Blood's mentioned in a recurring nightmare and on injuries after a couple of fistfights. Many First Nation stories are told; a couple include mentions of murder or a scary skeleton that eats people, and they all provide food for thought about our place in the world and how we learn from hearing our people's stories. The book will encourage teens to think about time travel, multiple universes, our place in the world, love, loyalty, friendship, and more.