The Golden Compass book review

This book, actually has a decent storyline. Unfortunately, it was written by an athiest, which isn't always the problem with other books, but with the series as an entirety it is. Philip Pullman wrote the His Dark Materials series to go directly against C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. So, there are elements that stand against Christianity. I think even if you aren't a Christian the book is not a junior fiction book. Some of the subject matter goes beyond junior fiction and into the young adult/ adult territory. But, for teens with a strong understanding of religion it is a pretty good story if you can get past the religious things.

Summary: Lyra is the protagonist. Every human on her world has their soul living outside of them as an animal. The animals can shift between forms while the humans are young, but once they hit adolescence the daemons (the animal/soul's names) stay in one form. If the daemon is hurt, its human counterpart is hurt (vice-versa), and usually if the daemon is killed then its counterpart dies.

Language: a few hell and damn

Sexual content: one or two references to castration, a character's parents had her and were not married. A make out scene also happens, within it a man and a woman embrace, but their daemons, a monkey and a snow leopard also, embrace, which makes it pretty weird to read.

Violence content: I saw the Golden Compass film, before I read the book. I was a little surprised that a junior fiction novel had its movie counterpart rated PG-13, but then I realized why. In heart wrenching scene Lyra's Daemon (her soul) is almost seperated from her body. (That's sounds like a YA or even an adult book), but it doesn't end there. We find out that the adults have already done that to kids. It was hard to watch on screen, even though it wasn't shown. Also, there are some battles that aren't too bloody. Mrs. Coulter can be taken for a child abductor at some times, (she doesn't abuse the children).

Drugs and alcohol: A couple of drinks are consumed.

Other: Characters lie, a lot, although sometimes they are doing it to save a lot of people.

My rating:12/13+

Rating:PG-13 for fantasy violence and peril and for some thematic elements

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