Is Austenland Kid-Friendly?

"Is this book appropriate for kids?"

Because I published four young adult books before Austenland, I get this question often, so I'll do my best to answer it here.

If this book were a movie, I'd rate it PG. It is about a woman in her thirties and deals with issues that are relevant to a single adult woman, and so some younger readers just may not relate to the characters. There is some sensuality (but no sex), and six of the 53,000 words qualify as extremely minor swearing. Personally, I think it's far more kid friendly than most romantic comedy films and prime time sitcoms. I probably wouldn't give it to anyone under 14, but I think my teen self would've dug it. Really, it depends on the reader and on the parent. I've had some mothers let me know they thought it was inappropriate for their teenage daughters to read, and while this surprised me, I think it's important to acknowledge that this book won't be right for everyone.

For those concerned about the swearing, I did a search and here's the breakdown:
1 bast---
1 jack---
2 da--
2 he--

Return to main austenland page

Previous
Previous

The Austenland Limerick

Next
Next

Austenland: A Letter to the Janeites