Michael (the main character) stealing comes up multiple times. He does it because he is anxious about Y2K and has his mother’s best interest in mind, creating one of these challenging moral situations (think of examples like Robin Hood or Aladdin).
This same pessimism and worry leads to a lot of thoughts or comments which may be a bit disturbing for some readers. Upon seeing a new teenager he begins to worry, "Sociopathic teenager burns down apartment complex” as a potential outcome. A few other examples: “what if he’s a killer or something?”, “whether they were a cat-murdering psychopath or not”, “what if Ridge wanted to get them alone so he could murder them”, “He thought of people in Turkey covered in dust and rubble” (after an earthquake).
Michael is often dishonest. He comments, “He hated lying, especially to his mother, but he knew it was the quickest way to change the subject”. He decides he will tell his babysitter “a small lie”. He remarks that “He’d already disobeyed his mother by leaving the apartment while she was at work. He didn’t want to press his luck”.
Michael also considers joining a football team just so girls will like him. He wishes he was bigger so he could shove a rude older boy “and maybe punch him in the nose. Not that he would. But it would be nice to have the option”. He is also insecure and jealous.
We always point out references to books, movies, shows, music, etc., but we will mention that the setting here led to the author including a lot of this. First off, and very sadly, the rock band “Red Hot Chili Peppers” is not only highlighted multiple times, but really shown in a very positive light. When Michael gets their CD he gets incredibly excited. Also, the following are referenced: Backstreet Boys, Britnee Spears, Ricky Martin, Raising Arizona, Hootie and the Blowfish, Niel Diamond, Back to the Future, Ricky Lake, Rage Against the Machine, Titanic, NSYNC.
Other things to consider:
A boy utters “a two-syllable swear word”. We also read idiot, oh my God, oh God, stupid, bad-A
Several times we read something like “Open the freaking door! Except he didn’t say freaking”.
A babysitter is said to have a "mischievous smile”.
A kind man checks in on Michael to “make sure Michael hadn’t been kidnapped by psychopaths".
Gibby reads a book called “Last Act”, which is brought up several times. She comments “the leading actress is actually murdered”. Later someone says about this book, “someone better get murdered soon”.
A device is said to read his, her or their thumbprint
Ridge has very poor interactions with his siblings. He calls one annoying, refers to them as “idiot brothers” and there is a lot of bickering. He also brags to them about something he does, which he is not allowed to do and “curses under his breath”.
A child calls an older man a prune.
Gibby’s not-great older brother has posters of women in bikinis on his wall.
Gibby makes light of her mom abandoning them, “because she left me with all the chores”.
We hear quite a bit of detail around an earthquake that killed thousands of people (a real event).
Future tech is said to be “another era of human evolution”.
When asked if there is school in the future, Ridge answers “unfortunately”.
We read a confused worldly spiritual comment (of the type we see all the time in secular books), when Michael’s mom “pressed her palms together and raised her chin to the ceiling as if Mr. Mosley’s spirit was floating above their apartment. Who knows. Maybe it was”.
When in a really bad place, Ridge says, “I just want to fall asleep and never wake up”.
A Stephen King book is mentioned by name.