A Woman Is Warning Parents About Super Spicy Books Their Tween Might Bring Home
“I'm gonna show you the books that look innocent but are actually pure smut...”
Parents typically don’t want to discourage their kids from reading. Anytime I catch my kid with a book in their hand, I’m filled with a sense of pride.
First, because those few moments of reading definitely cancel out the three hours of tablet time, and second, because I, myself, am an avid reader. I’d love to see my child follow in my nerdy footsteps.
If my child came up to me in Target or Walmart, begging me to buy them a book, how could I refuse?
Thankfully, I am pretty well-versed in the world of books, so I have a good idea on what would be age-appropriate for her to read.
However, if your kid loves to read, and you’re not well-versed in BookTok — or books at all for that matter — you might accidentally buy your kid some *spicy* reading material that might be a little too mature.
One BookToker wants to warn parents about some of the “super inappropriate” books their tween might want to read, noting that some of the cartoon covers of these books definitely give off YA energy leading parents to think they’re totally fine for kids.
“I have seen one too many preteen girls convincing their parents to let them buy super inappropriate books in the Target aisle,” TikToker @lucieslibrary begins in her video.
“So today, I'm gonna show you the books that look innocent but are actually pure smut and are not appropriate for young eyes.”
First up, Lucie recommends keeping tweens away from the books Icebreaker and Wildfire written by author Hannah Grace.
“These look so innocent. It's like cute, little cartoon covers. Like what could be in here that's not appropriate? Pure spice, okay? Pure spice! Not appropriate for little middle schoolers or elementary schoolers, God forbid,” she says.
Next, Lucie focuses on the A Court Of Thorns and Roses (also known by the popular acronym, ACOTAR) series by Sarah J. Maas.
“No — this entire series — not appropriate yet for little middle schoolers. They are super popular online. So, that may be why kids are wanting to pick it up because everyone's talking about it ... We're gonna wait on this one. This has lots of scenes, especially the further you go in the series that are full smut, all right? It is for adults. Great story, great adventure story. Perfect for you, the parent, to read. But for the kiddos, let's maybe pick some other options, okay?” she suggests.
Lucie also recommends parents hold off on allowing their kids to read the Twisted series by Ana Huang.
“I see this one in Target all the time. It is super easy to slip into the cart because it doesn't look, on the outside, super inappropriate. It is. It is for us adults who are looking for some great adult content. Otherwise, our little ones are gonna hold off on this until they're over 18,” she says.
Lucie also mentions the Things We Never Got Over series by Lucy Score — another mature content series with a deceiving cover.
“Back with another series that has super cute covers. I mean, they just look adorable. I'll give them that, but what could be in here that's so inappropriate? It looks so fine on the outside. Lots, lots is in here that's so inappropriate,” she says before moving onto another wildly popular book series with some spice that may not be suitable for tweens — The Fourth Wing series by Rebecca Yarros.
“If your kiddos are on BookTok or TikTok or Instagram, these books are everywhere. And great adventure stories, okay? But also great adult content. So we're not gonna pick these ones up for a little bit. Lots in here that may be a little too much for innocent eyes,” she mentions.
After she finishes up her list of books, Lucie clarifies that she is not trying to shame any parent for buying or allowing their kids to read these books. She just wants to make parents aware that some of these series contain some, if not a lot, of adult content.
She concluded, “If you're okay with your kiddos reading adult content like that, be my guest. I'm not gonna parent shame you. They're your kids. But if you're not, and you just didn't realize that some of these innocent-looking books actually have super mature content inside, I hope this was helpful for you.”
In a video update, as requested by TikTok users, Lucie lists off a handful more books that might be too adult for young readers including:
- Credence by Penelope Douglas
- Throne of the Fallen series by Kerri Maniscalco
- Flawless series by Elise Silver
- Dreamland Billionaire series by Lauren Asher
- Ravenhood series by Kate Stewart
- Archer’s Voice series by Mia Sheridan
- anything by Lily Gold
- anything by Emily Henry
- anything by Abby Jimenez
- anything by Tessa Bailey
After her videos went viral, several TikTokers thanked Lucie for her insight while others joked about what kinds of books they were reading when they were tweens.
“Um....all Gen Xers who read Flowers in the Attic at age 12, raise your hands,” one user joked.
“As long I was reading my parents gave 0 shits. I was reading 50 shades in 8th. They were just glad I was reading! 😂” another said.
Another echoed, “I was allowed to read whatever I wanted, and I did that with my own kids.”
One parent wrote, “I wish there were ratings for books like there are for movies 🤣 the way I have to Google EVERY BOOK my 10 yr old picks up 😂”
Another shared, “My mom is the one who was buying, reading, and then giving me books going “if you have any questions you can ask”
Love that! Like the OP said: Read what you want to read. Buy what you want to buy. You’re the parent. As long as there is open communication between parent and child where questions can be asked and answered with thought and consideration, maybe these books aren’t all bad.
If you’re looking for alternative YA books for your tween to dive into, Lucie made another video with tons of suggestions for parents.
