My friends' daughter is an almost-11-year old avid reader.    She frequently can finish a book in almost one sitting (which is scary to me).   She has read much of the young adult oeuvre - the Divergent series, Hunger Games series e.g. - but she has been wanting the Game of Thrones series.

I haven't read the books - but I watch the HBO series and it seems that every scene is punctuated by inappropriate (IMHO for an 11-year old) scenes of sex and violence.   Are the books as graphic?    I have been holding back in buying the series for her - but I'm not sure as I haven't read the books so I'm turning to you for some help.

Thanks!

what do her parents say?

Not the issue (parents) - they trust me implicitly with the choice of books I buy for their daughter - and I would not buy the series if it is as graphic as the TV show.   Question is whether the book is as sexually graphic as the TV show.

It;s graphic in a different way. There aren't like random naked prostitutes like in the show, but there is sex, violence, adult themes and casual cruelty. Also, the kids are younger (Dany is 13), so the adult things that happen to them are more disturbing IMO. That said, I'd probably let a kid read it if she could, but then, by the time I was 11, my parents had given up on controlling my reading. If I could check it out of the library, I could try to read it. I certainly read Clan of the Cave Bear, the VC Andrews books and other adult books with sex and violence and incest when I was around the same age.

I don't think the books are above her comprehension level, but there is definitely a view of women that I wouldn't be comfortable with her encountering at that age, and not all acts of love are consensual (I'm trying to be circumspect, how did I do?)

Also,  there is the relationship between Queen Cersei and Jamie Lancaster.

For that age, I'd see if she was interested in the Redwall series.  Many books.  More PG than Game.  

Thanks - I think I'll wait another year then.   She is brilliant (book-wise) but not so much street-wise.    

Again -  thanks for your input.

Imho, this series is too "adult" for 11-, 12-, 13- yrs. My daughter is 14 and I wouldn't want her to read them. Game of Thrones isn't for YA like Hunger Games and Divergent. But I do encourage you to read them- enthusiastically so.

+1 Bruce

I agree Redwall was/is a great series. My kids read those...Has she read the Anne of Green Gables series?