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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Some violence connected to the mysterious illness and its consequences
Language
Some
Some strong language in the literary thriller register
Sexual Content
Some
Some adult sexual content in the teen social landscape
Substance Use
Some
Teen substance use is part of the social scene depicted
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The hysteria and the loss of bodily control at the novel's center creates significant psychological unease
What this book is about
Megan Abbott's literary thriller follows a suburban family as a mysterious seizure illness spreads through teenage girls at the local high school. The novel explores the hysteria, social dynamics, and bodily autonomy questions that arise when adolescent girls' bodies become sites of public anxiety. Abbott writes with unusual psychological intelligence about female adolescence, and the atmosphere is genuinely unsettling. Some adult content and significant psychological intensity.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Mystery illness affecting only girls
Teen substance use depicted
Reader Verification
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