Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

What a wonderful book. But you've already read the professional reviews and you don't need me to tell you that. What I can tell you is that my daughter is 8, and I can't see her either benefiting from or wanting to read this book/have it read to her for at least another two years. The main action of this story happens when a girl is twelve/thirteen, when most girls physically change into adults. This book is for those girls, and absolutely should be read by every one of them. The book is interwoven with rising tension throughout the story. A sensitive young girl is likely to be too worried about what will happen to actually want to read it. In the end there is no physical violence, but emotional tension runs very high. By the time the confrontations happen you (the adult reader) are begging for them to happen. Begging for all the problems laid out to be resolved, but the young reader? Heck, my daughter freaked out the first time Moana went into the ocean (and only then). Like "The Witch's Boy" (by same author) there are disturbing scenes--here especially early in the book. On an emotional level, fairly devastating. There are also things that she might just not be ready to understand until that age. For example the two main heroines are wrapped up in a pattern of lying to each other--for all the best reasons. As an adult I understand and learned from this. But for an 8 year old? Heck, it is probably too subtle for a normal 10 year old. You should notice I have pitched this almost absolutely for young girls. Not to say that boys won't like it--exciting story it be--but it is absolutely for that target audience. Get it for your son as well; he'll understand a lot more about women when he's done with it. Adult readers? You should all read it. Now. It is a pitch perfect classic.