The main thing to know is that Alice is not exactly someone we would want our kids modeling from a behavior standpoint as this story gets going. She has several character flaws to be aware of. Alice starts the story as a thief/pickpocket and is often dishonest. She is involved with some gambling (playing card related games) in settings that are outlawed. She sneaks out and is dishonest about her whereabouts to get to places like this. Some of this is meant to be “understandable” given that since she was 6-year-old she has been raised by only an older sister. She certainly grows and improves, but good to know it is there.

Some parents will want to know there is a thread throughout most of the book focused on Alice’s budding crush on one of the other characters. While we don’t want to overexaggerate this, it does come up quite a bit as we read the book through Alice’s eyes. Eventually they do share a kiss, although it comes across as a sweet and simple short kiss.

School is not held in the best light by Alice (although this is a dystopian world so part of that is understandable).

There are a few more violent statements. She makes an exaggerated statement that some would “slit my throat” to get their hands on a rare device. We hear that young children were drowned in the river Thames and good people were murdered during one dark period.

A couple of passing times someone is pointed out as being drunk, like when she sees someone passed out from alcohol. There is a bad area where Alice sees whiskey, cigars, liquor, cigarettes and gambling. The word ‘idiots’ is used.

There is a mention of a fear of a burglar breaking into a home, which could may scare some more sensitive readers fearful of things like that. Alice also has a recurring dream with many doors where she describes hearing a monster “growling, hunting, waiting to devour”.