Carrie include scenes of strong violence, especially at its climax. Carrie's mother abuses her and locks her in a dark closet. A student is killed by a falling bucket. Carrie uses her psychic powers and causes deaths by fire, electrocution, car crash, and heart attack.
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Sue Snell has a sexual relationship with her boyfriend that's mostly gentle and respectful. Christine Hargensen and her boyfriend have sex in a scene that turns sadistic and a little twisted. Carrie's mother sees sex as an abomination and calls her daughter's breasts "dirty pillows."
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Carrie raises questions about high school bullying and why some people are turned into scapegoats.
Positive Messages
some
Everyone should be treated with kindness and compassion.
Positive Role Models
some
The characters in Carrie all tend to be flawed or troubled in some way. Although Carrie is sympathetic in the way she handles abuse from her crazed mother and the world at large, she responds to her ultimate humiliation with a murderous rage. Sue Snell tries to assuage the guilt she feels about having teased Carrie by having her boyfriend escort Carrie to the prom, but the results are disastrous.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Stephen King's Carrie is a classic novel of the supernatural, about a troubled teen with telekinetic powers who takes revenge on those who've bullied her. Carrie White is humiliated when she gets her first period in a high school shower, and the other girls throw tampons at her. Carrie's mother is a religious fanatic who spouts scripture while locking Carrie away in a closet. The language in the book can be rough. "F--k," "s--t," "c--t," and "c--ksucker" are used a few times each, as are "damn," "hell," and "bitch." The climax of the novel is especially violent, with scenes of high school kids being burned to death and electrocuted. Two sex scenes are notable: a gentle one between a longtime couple and a more violent one that turns sadistic. Chamberlain's "town drunk" witnesses the devastation at the novel's climax. Readers may want to check out the original 1976 film adaptation or the 2013 remake.
A lot of surprises even if you already know the premise.
Strong language, abuse, bullying, sex and death scenes.
If you know your child knows and has a positive relationship or view about sex and religion, and how to treat people with respect, they have enough maturity to read the book and not be influenced by the characters actions.
You get quite a few different points of view, which allows you to perceive things differently, and maybe cheer or pray for the downfall of characters you weren't expecting to feel like that towards when you read the first few pages.
What's the Story?
Everyone in the small Maine town of Chamberlain thinks Carrie White is odd, perhaps even worthy of their contempt. Her mother is a scary and abusive religious fanatic, and the teen has no friends. But Carrie is able to move objects with her mind, and after she's humiliated during gym class, her psychic powers ratchet up a notch or two. When she's invited to the prom by the most popular boy in school, she thinks it might be another joke on her. She and the residents of Chamberlain, however, have no idea what's in store for them on that fateful night.
A modern classic of the supernatural, this slim, straight-ahead thriller has served as a template for countless inferior imitations. It's still the real deal, though: sharply observed, solidly constructed, and suspenseful despite the narrative's sense of inevitability.
Author Stephen King employs (fictional) newspaper reports, court transcripts, and personal memoirs to lend a sense of realism to the outlandish proceedings, and that strategy, in addition to the author's ability to create credible, sympathetic characters, works splendidly.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it feels like to be a social outsider. Why are kids sometimes mean to others who are different from them? What is the meaning of the term "scapegoat"?
Why do you think Carrie is considered a horror classic? What other supernatural stories have you read and liked?
What can be done to prevent bullying? How should schools intervene when someone complains that he or she is being bullied?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
