VC Andrews Series any readers ? Would you let a 12 yr old read?

[gm]

My 12 year old dd is getting bored of reading and I want to introduce her to a series which will keep her reading interest up. I remember when I was young VC Andrews Flowers in the Attic was popular but I do not even remember when i read it and know just the basics that 4 kids up in the attic story.

Do you think it is appropriate for a 12 year old to start reading the series of her books?

Also anything else except the twilight series you can recommend? I tried to get her to read Nancy Drew series but she is not the least interested in that

 

[moon]

IIRC, It's a story about incest, and the growing sexual attraction between a brother and a sister. Based on that, I wouldn't

 

[gm]

OMG I did not know that. Thanks for telling me. That is definitly out!!!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

I never read it, but most of my friends were reading it in 5th and 6th grade (when we weren't sneaking a peek at Forever). They all seemed fine, and almost all of my friends had brothers close in age (as do I).

Now...would I leave it out for DS to read? Not sure. But since I was reading things way beyond my age range (though again not that series) I would have a hard time saying absolutely not.

 

[SnootyBear]

I wouldnt, but thats just me, there seems to be quite a bit of sexual undertone in all of her "series" not just flowers.

 

[nmmom95]

I wouldn't let a 12 year old read them. IIRC, after the incest with her brother, the girl (when she's a little older), seduces her stepfather and her father was her mother's brother. Pretty disturbing. I'm sorry, I don't have any suggestions, but maybe let her browse the young adult section of a Borders or Barnes & Noble & see if anything jumps out. BTW, I loved Nancy Drew!

 

[OceanAnnie]

I loved Nancy Drew too.

 

[Christine]

I pretty sure that I was 12 when I read VC Andrews and, yep, it's about incest. If you are concerned about appropriateness and keeping things clean, then you won't like this book. Although, it has no real overt sexual scenes in it.

It's really hard when you have a voracious and well-read child. My mom was faced with the same thing but she allowed me to pretty much read anything I wanted besides erotica at a very young age. I read all of VC Andrews, The Exorcist, Jaws, etc when I was VERY young. I don't think it warped me in anyway and it did keep me reading which I do think is important.

If my kids asked to read that, I would let them because I do want them to read; however, I can certainly understand why a parent would not.

 

[stacy347]

I pretty sure that I was 12 when I read VC Andrews and, yep, it's about incest. If you are concerned about appropriateness and keeping things clean, then you won't like this book. Although, it has no real overt sexual scenes in it.

It's really hard when you have a voracious and well-read child. My mom was faced with the same thing but she allowed me to pretty much read anything I wanted besides erotica at a very young age. I read all of VC Andrews, The Exorcist, Jaws, etc when I was VERY young. I don't think it warped me in anyway and it did keep me reading which I do think is important.

If my kids asked to read that, I would let them because I do want them to read; however, I can certainly understand why a parent would not.

ITA!

I also read the series when I was about 12 not to mention every other series she published while I was in my teens. I can understand some 12 year olds not being ready for it though.
I was definitely over the kids books by around age 11 and already into Stephen King and the like (although I did read every Nancy Drew book I could get my hands on as well ).
My oldest DD was also reading adult type books by age 11 and was ready for them mentally and in regard to maturity. She is now 16 and reads the classics and anything recommended by her Lit teacher for fun, LOL (not to mention any other book she can get her hands on).

My youngest is now 11 and while she loves to read, there is no way I would hand her a V.C. Andrews book ~ she wouldn't know what to make of it.

I guess my point is, you really have to base it more on the child than the book itself.
BTW, I was just at Borders yesterday and picked up Peter and the Starcatchers. It is book one of a series and they got great reviews. They were listed as being appropriate for kids but they are written well enough that adults are loving them ~ maybe that would be a good series to try to get her into? Just a thought ~ good luck!

 

[Ohiodislover]

My 11 y.o recently finished "The Clique" series. May want to give those a try. You can get them really cheap on Amazon, or half.com.

I remember reading Flowers in the Attic when I was young. I couldn't have been much more than 14 or so. They really get dark in the 2nd and 3rd book

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I pretty sure that I was 12 when I read VC Andrews and, yep, it's about incest.

Yes me too. I was maybe a little younger. I think I was in 5th grade. All the girls were reading it. There were many books I read at a young age. I was reading Stephen King novels in 4th grade! My mom was so oblivious.

What was VC Andrews obsession with incest? I stop reading her series part way through the series after Flowers in the Attic, because I was tired of all the incest. Is incest in all her series?

 

[RitaE]

I'm another with a Mom who pretty much let her read anything as soon as I picked it out to read it myself.

I'm kind of ambivalent about sex in literature myself with my kids. I really don't think sex in books is all that different from what our kids see all around them - on tv, in music videos etc. I can remember my friends reading VC Andrews in Jr High, but I really never got into them. Incest is a very complicated and intense subject though. I don't think I'd suggest the books to a girl that age, but if she picked it out herself I probably wouldn't stop her. I'd talk to her first about it though.

Has she read the The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins? That's technically a YA book but many adults enjoy it. The 2nd book was released this past month but I haven't had a chance to read it yet.

At that age I also started reading what is really just adult popular fiction. Clan of the Cave Bear etc. Have you considered letting her read the Outlander Series? Yeah there are adult themes, but the stories are very captivating and I think most teen girls would latch onto the romance. How about the Stephanie Plum series? The adult scenes in that series aren't very descriptive.

I'm trying to think what else I've read lately that a she might enjoy. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is excellent. The Help by Katherine Stockton is really good too. Oh I know - The Book Thief by Mark Zusak.

 

[Renesmee]

My 13 year old is an avid reader. He can't read enough. He suggest the Shadow Children series. He doesn't know who the author is off the top of his head, but the first book the series is Among the Hidden.

James Patterson also has a series written for teens.

 

[princessesrule]

The Among the Hidden author is Margert Peterson Haddix. She has some wonderful books. Another series of great books are the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan. The first one is The Lightening Thief. Another popular book is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This is a great book.One other series that myster lovers will like is The 39 clues. It is a series of books by different authors. The reader can on line and find clues. Very interesting!

Hope this helps!

 

[kaseyC]

I pretty sure that I was 12 when I read VC Andrews and, yep, it's about incest. If you are concerned about appropriateness and keeping things clean, then you won't like this book. Although, it has no real overt sexual scenes in it.

It's really hard when you have a voracious and well-read child. My mom was faced with the same thing but she allowed me to pretty much read anything I wanted besides erotica at a very young age. I read all of VC Andrews, The Exorcist, Jaws, etc when I was VERY young. I don't think it warped me in anyway and it did keep me reading which I do think is important.

If my kids asked to read that, I would let them because I do want them to read; however, I can certainly understand why a parent would not.

That was pretty much me too. I'm sure I was about 12/13 when I read Flowers in the Attic. It was one of those books that was passed around like "Forever", "Go Ask Alice" and "Looking For Mr. Goodbar". I was about 11 when I started reading horror, it was John Saul's "Suffer the Children". I've read every single book he has written, purchased as soon as they're released.

I'm pretty free with my 13 yr old DD with her reading choices. She loves to read and like me devours books, all kinds. We try to discuss some of the more adult themes. She recently read Billie Letts "Where the Heart is", a book I read when she was about 2yrs old. We had an great conversation about it in the car while waiting for her sister to finish soccer practice.

 

[EveDallas]

What was VC Andrews obsession with incest? I stop reading her series part way through the series after Flowers in the Attic, because I was tired of all the incest. Is incest in all her series?

I loved the Flowers In The Attic series, but even as a young teen I noticed that incest was a BIG theme in almost all her books. I stopped reading her books because I was tired of the same running theme.

 

[mchames]

I was another one who read VC Andrews books around 11 or 12, too. I was a voracious reader with three older sisters and I read pretty much anything I could get my hands on at that time including my grandmother's Harlequin Romances. I was the girl that passed Judy Blume's Forever around my 5th grade class and discoverd Jackie Collins' Chances and other novels waaaay before most would deem appropriate!

With all that being said, I wouldn't hand a copy of those books to my DD11 (12 in November) and tell her to read them at this time. If she came home with one and started reading it on her own I probably wouldn't stop her, though.

The author that she really likes right now is Lauren Myracle. She is kind of a modern day Judy Blume. Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen are her most appropriate books for tween readers. My DD loves them. The new one Thirteen Plus One is coming out May 4th. She has several other critically acclaimed novels that have more mature themes and are geared towards highschool students... mostly dealing with social issues.

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

I pretty sure that I was 12 when I read VC Andrews and, yep, it's about incest. If you are concerned about appropriateness and keeping things clean, then you won't like this book. Although, it has no real overt sexual scenes in it.

It's really hard when you have a voracious and well-read child. My mom was faced with the same thing but she allowed me to pretty much read anything I wanted besides erotica at a very young age. I read all of VC Andrews, The Exorcist, Jaws, etc when I was VERY young. I don't think it warped me in anyway and it did keep me reading which I do think is important.

If my kids asked to read that, I would let them because I do want them to read; however, I can certainly understand why a parent would not.

Same here! Also, I read so much starting from a young age that I think my parents just gave up trying to keep track of what I was reading. I was reading V.C. Andrews, Stephen King, etc starting from the age of 11 and 12.

I don't think that I would go out of my way to recommend the V.C. Andrews books to my kid but if they found out about them on their own I would probably okay it. I'll echo what Christine said...they didn't warp me in any way.

 

[mjkacmom]

I was reading that series at that age, as well as Stephen King. Heck, I let dd13 read the Twilight series at 12, which is complete junk, but she's not a reader, and if it gets her to read... I don't censor what my children read (I had to get a signed letter from my parents to read Lady Chattery's Lover in HS - give me a break).

 

[kilee]

I too read it around age 13 along w/ all her others through my teen years. I didn't have a brother, but it didn't make me have any different interest in sex or incest. I think depending on your dd's maturity level would be my deciding factor. Every teen is different and depending on how you think she'd react and take reading about a situation like that would depend on how I'd handle it. In the book the one child is also posioned by her mother or grandmother (I can't remember now) until she dies.