Is Christine appropriate for 12 years?

[kephen sting]

and My son has recently gotten into stephen king he would like to read christine.
he has read Misery, Carrie, Cujo, Different Seasons, Night Shift, Skeleton Crew, The Eyes Of The Dragon, The Talisman, and IT
do you think it would be appropriate?

[ConstantReader1973]

Welcome to the SKMB!

If he's already read all those books you listed, then I think Christine would be perfectly fine. It's been a long time since I read it myself, but, if I remember right, it does have some language in it, but if you're okay with that, then I don't see where that book is any less appropriate than any of the others you listed.

Anyone else who has read Christine more recently and remembers something I've forgotten, please chime in here if I'm mistaken about this. I certainly wouldn't want to contribute to the delinquency of a 12-year-old!

[bobledrew]

Hey there Kephen and welcome to the board.

There is one scene of fairly graphic "heavy petting" to use the quaint term, in Christine, and some discussion of sexual activity. This shouldn't be a surprise, given that the main characters of the book are high school students.

There's also some profanity, as I remember.

So if you aren't comfortable with a 12-year-old boy reading that sort of thing... then perhaps you should ask him to wait. On the other hand, the descriptions are not appreciably more graphic than in stories like "The Raft" or "Apt Pupil" or "The Mist." So if you're comfortable with him reading those, then I doubt Christine would pose a big problem.

Speaking as someone who used to be 12 -- let him read to his taste.

[PatInTheHat]

If he's already read those, then yep, no reasons I can think of why he shouldn't.
Cool beans you have a twelve year old that loves to read, huge kudos & props to you!

[Spideyman]

Sounds like another "constant reader" in the making. There shouldn't be an issue with Christine especially if he's already read the ones you have listed.

[king family fan]

Iam thinking Christine would be ok. I mean hes already read several of kings book.Hes picking up and reading that is important at his age. King is awonderful author. I was about your sons age when I first read Carrie.

[GNTLGNT]

If he's read IT, I should think the "heavy petting" in Christine will be way tame...never deny them any reading...just be with them if they should have questions...at 12, he'll hear and see worse in the real world-then anything committed to the novel page....

[DeathStalker]

Like everyone else has said, if he's read those other books, he should do fine with Christine.

When he opens the book, he'll probably think that's the finest smell in the world except for what's for dinner tonight!

[btobey]

I agree with everyone else--I was going to say NO, but if you are okay with him reading all of those other books (are you sure that you were?), then I don't know why you are even asking about Christine!

[muskrat]

Any time a 12-year old wants to read a book, thank your Gods.

I believe the little naughty bits encourage the youngsters to read more. Maybe thay sounds warped, but come on; in this day and age, what with the constant influx of negative media, reading books is about the safest thing for kids. When I was twelve, I really dug those racy bits, and felt like I was getting away with something I shouldn't have. What I shunned most of all was anything labelled "Age-appropriate material". Ech, no. Once someone has the reading comprehension skills necessary to tackle books like Christine and It, they don't want to be written down to. They want meat, they want potatoes, bloody ink and four-letter words.

It's the illiterate lil punkos with their idle hands full of iPods and handguns ya wanna watch out for, not the kid toting a book.

I mean, if the kid isn't mature enough to handle the sort of themes found in King's books, chances are the kid doesn't read books at all.

Just one Muskie's opinion, anyhoo...