Stephen King books for a 14 year old.

[Oney Jones]

Tall Guy wants to read Stephen King books. I don't do Stephen King books. I have no idea if they are appropriate or not.

 

What say you oh Higher Than Larvae?

[Carrie12345]

It's been a while for me. I can't remember all of the details of all of the titles. I just know that I started reading them at 12. ;)

 

I think you should probably wiki some summaries to check for yourself. I don't trust my memory when it comes to adult themes. The scare factor doesn't concern me much. They can always shut the book if it's too much for them.

 

Says the person who thought Cujo was in her closet... (Making my opinion worth little!)

[Wheres Toto]

I started reading Stephen King stories as a young teen. They have very little sex in them but are scary and thought-provoking.

 

The Stand, Firestarter and IT are probably the ones I'd have a younger reader start with. Some of the short story compilations are very good and shouldn't be too hard for you to pre-read if that makes you more comfortable - Bachman Books, Different Seasons, Night Shift, Skeleton Crew (Night Shift and Skeleton Crew are some of his older works - the stories are pretty quick reads).

[Melinda in VT]

I haven't read a lot of Stephen King, but DH has.

 

We let our son read Eyes of a Dragon when he was 12 or so.

 

He's 14 now and we just handed him The Green Mile and Gunslinger.

[Jennifer in NH]

I read Salem's Lot whernI was about 14. I go to bed for months without making sure all the windows were drawn, but I loved it anyway and then read The Shining and Pet Cemetary soon after. ;) I have no idea about his newer ( after 1990) stuff. Very scary though, but I did love it.

[Tutor]

Eyes of the Dragon is not typical Stephen King but very good (more fantasy). The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is excellent and probably the first I am going to allow our 12yo read. I was 12 when I started reading King. I started with Pet Semetary... explains a lot. :)

 

The Green Mile, The Stand, and Needful Things I found very thought-provoking and inspired a lot of discussion. (The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon also prompted a lot of discussion but these three definitely jump right into the typical King gore/ scare.)

 

If your ds likes sci fi/ fantasy/ adventure type books, The Dark Tower series might be a good King intro for him. I really enjoyed the first 4; the last 3 not so much (although I am thinking of reading the entire series again and reevaluating since there was a long period of time between the release of books 4 and 5 that may have clouded my view a bit).

 

The short stories The Body, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, and 1408 would also be good. I listened to 1408 on audiobook when on a car trip by myself after my 3rd was born. I was on my way to a hotel for a conference and by the time I arrived I was completely creeped-out and slept with the light on that night... great story!

[Oney Jones]

I listened to 1408 on audiobook when on a car trip by myself after my 3rd was born. I was on my way to a hotel for a conference and by the time I arrived I was completely creeped-out and slept with the light on that night... great story!

 

 

Oh yeah. That sounds like a really good book. NOT!

 

:rofl:

 

 

OK-- I appreciate so much the suggestions. They seem like something he would like *shudder* and he's a reluctant reader so when he asked me about reading them I decided I was willing to do some research on SK. Thanks.

 

I have some credits a PBS so I think I'll request a few to have around and see what happens. :grouphug:

[jujsky]

Tall Guy wants to read Stephen King books. I don't do Stephen King books. I have no idea if they are appropriate or not.

 

What say you oh Higher Than Larvae?

 

It depends on how conservative you are. My mom was very liberal when it came to books. I was reading Stephen King at 12. He usually has a good message in many of his books, but there is almost always a lot of gore written about in a very descriptive manner.

[rwjx2khsmj]

I love Stephen King. He's one of my favorite authors and I think he's an excellent writer. That being said, his books tend to have all the things that would lead a rating of PG-13 and sometimes R. They tend to be very descriptively gory and inappropriate language is often an issue. Sex, not so much. His stories also have way of getting inside your head and playing around in there. If you have a child that has a hard time moving away from a story, you may want to procede carefully.

[Oney Jones]

They have very little sex in them but are scary and thought-provoking.

 

 

 

OK- this was a concern. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[Oney Jones]

 

Says the person who thought Cujo was in her closet... (Making my opinion worth little!)

 

 

:lol:

[dansamy]

I'm so glad my mother let me read whatever the heck I wanted. King and Clive Barker were not censored, but they probably should have been.

[Chris in VA]

OK- this was a concern. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

 

Hold on, there. :D

Some of them have very, very prominent sexual themes.

Gerald's Game has bondage and abuse. The main character's hubby dies during sex, leaving her tied to the bed.

The Green Mile is about death row inmates, and describes rape and murder of children--that's what one of the main character is on death row for (he didn't do it--he's actually a healer).

Some of the short stories (Bachman, in particular), while fantastic, contain sex acts--the Long Walk in particular.

Others address childhood abuse issues.

 

So, while there's not a ton of graphic descriptions of sexual acts, the themes are there in some of the books, so be careful.

 

Chris (who loves SK but won't hand over my collection until my kids are adults)

[lamarley]

Yes. And without giving away too much, two characters in The Stand have a strong (sometimes very descriptive) sexual relationship.

[Gooblink]

I read The Stand at 14 - I remember lots of adult language and explicit sex.

 

I've not read a King book (and I've read a lot of his work) that doesn't have strong language.

 

It just depends on what you want your kid exposed to, I guess.

[Oney Jones]

I'm looking at It, Firestarter, and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. I'll do my motherly duty, sacrifice my time :lol: and pre-read these before handing them over to him. I do love to read and I like thrillers...I am not into the gory stuff. The last James Patterson I read (Swimsuit??) totally turned my stomach. Just too graphic. So we'll see..........................................

 

I just want my guy to love to read...

[NanceXToo]

Yeah there's definitely some graphic gore, language and sometimes descriptions of sex or abuse in Stephen King's books.

 

With that said, would I let my kid read it at 14? Yes, probably, if I thought she could handle them without getting too distressed- and that will depend on her personality at that point I guess. I'll have to see how it goes when the time comes; she's only 9 1/2 now, so she won't be reading them today lol.

 

I was definitely reading them by your son's age though (probably from 12 or 13 on). My mom, too, was pretty liberal in what I was aloud to read, and I imagine I will be, too. I just want my kids to enjoy reading in general and don't want to censor them too much.

 

P.S. I may start with some over others, though, as some are definitely more appropriate for younger teens than others are. I think I remember firestarter being a relatively tame one, as were carrie, cujo, christine, etc.

Edited May 25, 2010 by NanceXToo
wanted to add my p.s.

[Food4Thought]

I remember reading a lot of Stephen King as a young teen too. IT absolutely terrified me, and there is a rather strange sex scene in it, but I remember just loving all the terror (which I can't stand now). There is language, but it didn't get to me then. Thinner was good, as was the short story collection Four Past Midnight. I loved that one.

 

What would your son think about Michael Crichton books? Jurassic Park, Terminal Man, the Andromeda Strain, Congo, Sphere and a whole lot more. He was my favorite author for a long time as a teen. All his books have this "could this actually happen?" element because Crichton is so descriptive with the science. Anyway, if your son is into science and psychological thrillers, he might like Crichton too.

[Remudamom]

There might be very little sex, but some of it's disgusting enough to make me stop reading a book or two. A teacher coming on to a young boy comes to mind, just off the top of my head.

 

Mine can read them when they're in college.

[KidsHappen]

It has a group sex scene amoung children.

 

Rose Madder has extremely violent sexual images. Although I really liked this book, I also really wish he had left that out.

 

Gerald's Game has sex, boundage and a graphic violent episode that I really wish I had never read.

 

Misery has some seriously disturbing violent images.

 

Those are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head.

 

If you are concerned about content, I would let him begin with the earlier books and short story collections. They are tamer than the later stuff.

[Orthodox6]

Do your own pre-reading and decide.

 

I don't read his books, from a complete lack of interest in modern fiction. The content is off-putting, too, for my personal world.

[Tutor]

LOL!

 

I forgot about The Talisman. It is an adventure/ fantasy/ scary story that I really enjoyed. Definitely more of a transitional book but with some classic King elements.

[RahRah]

I started reading Stephen King pretty early - around 12 if I remember correctly.....Pet Semetary scared the bejeebers out of me, but other stuff was a "good read" - intense stuff, but good nonetheless. Some of the newer stuff he's written has more sexual stuff to consider, but older books are more scary than anything else.

[mcconnellboys]

I started reading Stephen King as a teen, and continued in college. His books were so very scary to me (and my mom, too, who also read along with me) that neither of us has read him in years. I still can vividly recall all the books of his that I read and how much they scared me. I guess they were just a little TOO thought provoking for me, LOL. I have a younger son who has anxiety problems. I do NOT want him reading Stephen King, even in high school......

[Renee in NC]

I read "It" at 10. At 14, I read "The Talisman" in one marathon 12 hour night (couldn't put it down.) I *love* Stephen King's older books. His newer stuff is a little to weird for me.

 

If my 12yo wanted to read it, I would let him. My 17yo was reading it at 14.

[Nakia]

I read a few Stephen King books at a young age. My parents did not know or care what I read. :glare:

 

Anyway, Oney, I really wanted to post here and ask how your little boy got to be 14??? Time sure does fly!!!

[keptwoman]

I read quite a few as a teen. They put me off the horror/thriller genre for life.

[Oney Jones]

Anyway, Oney, I really wanted to post here and ask how your little boy got to be 14???!

 

Well, one day I happened to blink and ......

 

:mellow:

[Oney Jones]

OK-- well it seems that y'all have read SK at a young age and loved it but wouldn't let your kids do it. :lol:

 

 

Helpful bunch, aren't ya? ;)

 

 

 

I'm not concerned about the scare factor...but the sex stuff... I just don't think I want those images trying to make sense in his mind just yet.

 

Pre-reading is going to have to be the answer for now...on a book-by-book basis.

[Parrothead]

I'd let dd read some King as a teen. I don't remember it well, but I know I read Christine when I was 15. It scared the bejeezies out of me. Saw Cujo in the theater within the year and thought it was crap. Read Pet Semetary in that same year and was hooked for a while. I read most everything he put out until the Green Mile.

 

My favorite was Insomnia. I can't think of anything objectionable about that book. And maybe Needful Things. I'd give both a quick skimming to see if dd could read them as an early teen.

 

I wouldn't woory so much about inappropriate themes at that age. It would give me a good reason to discuss things with dd.

[hana]

I don't see that anyone has mentioned On Writing (sorry if I'm wrong)--great book. About 1/3 is autobiographical, 1/3 is about the nitty gritty of writing, and 1/3 about the profession of writing (well, actually, the autobiographical is woven throughout). Anyways, I used to use portions of the middle section about writing with my first-year comp. students. Great book, in which one can really get an appreciation for who is is as a writer. I see him as one of the greatest paragraph writers I've ever read--his paragraphs tend to be beautifully structured.

 

Okay, that is so NOT the book your son is hoping to read. Most of Stephen King's work is too scary for me now (that whole thing where it gets in your head and messes around in there!), though I have gone through periods when I absolutely loved it, including The Stand, Firestarter, and Bag of Bones.