Theodore Boone: The Abduction

There is no overt violence, but readers' imaginations might fill in the blanks when imagining about what could have happened to the abducted girl. A body is found drowned in a local lake, and some presume it's the missing girl, murdered by her cousin.

April’s mother takes pills to check out of her life. Teens are at a college fraternity party where there are lots of cans of beer and smoking. Theo's mother, a successful lawyer, is often portrayed drinking coffee to lose weight. Uncle Ike uses coffee to keep himself awake while driving at night.

Parents need to know that this novel is more mature than the first book as it deals with a disturbing issue that's more immediate to a teen audience: a missing 13-year-old who may be dead. There are other mature aspects as well, including the discovery of a dead body, an escaped convict who wants to trade information for leniency, dysfunctional, divorcing parents, and teens at a college fraternity party. Theo is not always completely truthful when talking to the police and blatantly lies to his parents, but ultimately he is a heroic character who uses his skills to save his friend.