Concerning & Potentially Concerning Content

The content below in this section will be shocking to many, especially given the format of this book and its outward appearance as a graphic novel for kids. Please make sure to read the short entry in the next section (Our Thoughts) for an important overview. — The language in this book is the strongest and most frequent we have seen in any book we have reviewed to date. The “F-word” is used multiple times, not including a variant of it (“fecking”), which is also used in several instances. The “S-word” is the most frequent swear word, occurring more than a dozen times. “G_ddammit” is used around a half-dozen times (both a swear word and an irreverent term). Also, damn, son of a b____, a__-hole, f_ggot and bastard are all used multiple times. There is at least one instance of crap, b_tch, brown-noser, wussie, shut-up, piss, bull_hit. The terms sl_t, wh_re, prostitute, hussy and tramp are all used as insults (note that we are inserting “_” in certain words, but the book does not). At one point an older student sees the author changing and starts telling everyone his chest hair is in the shape of a woman’s private area (book uses the word). A word for the female chest is used. The worst language for Christians will come in the form of using the Lord’s name in vain, something done many times. There are at least 8 occurrences. Grandpa uses a slogan for his valve ball business that is inappropriate. — With this being a graphic novel the content is made very visual, even for those who would otherwise not be able to visualize. This includes multiple frightening images that come when the author remembers having very vivid dreams of being pursued by scary monsters as a kid. These typically end with showing the child being captured, strangled, etc. by the swarm of monsters. Another instance, possibly more scary due to its “this worldly” setting, comes when he mentions his mom’s bad decisions and shows two men being let into the home by mom holding knives seemingly covered in blood so that they can discard evidence. There are also frightening looking comic book type drawings. One image shows a grim reaper. There is also a reference to a child being stabbed and killed at a school his grandparents don’t want to send him to. — Grandma and grandpa smoke constantly throughout. There are several instances where death is focused on (“unavoidable in the end”). — A partially obscured image shows a woman that appears to be either nude or scantily clad. When telling grandma and grandpa’s initial story of how they met shows a passionate looking kiss. When showing grandpa in the military with women in bikinis around him, the caption says that it seemed he “enjoyed his time” in Guam. Later when telling a similar story of his mom and dad, there is another passionate looking kiss that appears to be heading towards a car in a parking lot on the night they first met at the family bar (it mentions grandpa had a girlfriend at the time). Mom gets pregnant and his father and his previously mentioned girlfriend deny it is his, stating that mom “slept around”. The book confirms this is true, but that mom knew it was his baby because he was the only white man she had been with. When grandma finds out she calls her a string of extremely inappropriate names, which the book lists. Later as mom’s life declines due to drugs there is strong implication (with associated images) that there were many men in and out of the house. When the aunt gets pregnant right after high school grandma tells her she didn’t need to “keep it”. — As mom declines there is a lot of focus on her drug use and resulting legal issues. There are images that show stages of heroin use with a needle. Mom starts stealing everything she can to feed her addiction and is arrested for shoplifting. She is arrested again later. There is a reference to her overdosing and one character is said to be a former drug dealer. Eventually he is taken from his mom to live with his grandparents. The grandparents smoke constantly, drink and get drunk, curse and fight. — Mom and her failures will likely be fairly easy for a child or teenager to see as extremely wrong. This is true to a lesser extent of the shortcomings of the grandparents. But the immoral behavior by the author growing up is less clearly distinguished as wrong by someone who may not have encountered it. This includes sneaking out of the house to meet girls, drinking at a party, making out, lying, inappropriate drawings to be funny, inappropriate jokes (“that’s not what your mom said”), etc. There are even unfortunate things that Christian parents would not appreciate, such as a knock and run prank and a time when the author was dancing with a young girl from a distance until a friend pushes them directly against each other. Another example has a family member say that if someone doesn’t start sports by middle school they will be a total dork in high school, which the author thinks was confirmed, at least for himself. A party scene shows a keg stand, underage drinking, making out, references a fake id and ends with someone being jumped and beat up (with images shown for each). — The book somewhat glorifies comic books, which unfortunately remain very dark from a content perspective. There are also a handful of less desirable references, such as Wayne's World, Simpsons and Ren & Stimpy.