Dickens & Rumi

book

Freaks like us

Age rating, content warnings & parent guide

Susan Vaught · 2012

Is Freaks like us appropriate for your child? See the reviewed age guidance, content cautions, positive themes, and supporting evidence below.

Explore the age guidance, content cautions, positive qualities, and supporting notes for Freaks like us by Susan Vaught. This book is content notes include Frightening scenes, Death of a character, Romance; positive qualities include Courage & resilience, Kindness & empathy.

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10-second decision

Is this likely to fit your family?

Age guidanceNot listed
Strongest cautionsFrightening scenes 3/5 · Death of a character 2/5 · Romance 2/5
Strongest positivesCourage & resilience 4/5 · Kindness & empathy 4/5
Recommendation3.8/5

Courage & resilience; strongest caution: frightening scenes.

This is the quick scan. Open the evidence and methodology below for the basis behind each rating.

Quick context

What parents should know

Courage & resilience; strongest caution: frightening scenes.

Readiness snapshotMain watch-out: Frightening scenes 3/5
Recommendation 3.8/5

Editorial rating

How this review was built

Dickens & Rumi editorial
Source checkedPublication method
12Scored categories
12Evidence notes
0Explicit 0/5 checks
Oct 23, 2026Last updated

Dickens & Rumi describes what is present; families decide what matters to them. Community reactions are kept separate from official content ratings.

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Review depth12 scored categories12 evidence notes
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At a glance

Recommended ageNot listed

Strongest cautions

  • Frightening scenes3/5
  • Death of a character2/5
  • Romance2/5

Strongest positives

  • Courage & resilience4/5
  • Kindness & empathy4/5
  • Positive messages4/5

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What’s in it?

Death of a character2/5
Why this rating?

The mystery revolves around a disappearance, with themes of loss.

Strong language2/5
Why this rating?

Some mild teen profanity and instances of verbal bullying.

Romance2/5
Why this rating?

Features age-appropriate crushes and romantic feelings.

Frightening scenes3/5
Why this rating?

Includes psychological tension and the anxiety of a missing person investigation.

Violence2/5
Why this rating?

Contains brief instances of physical conflict and bullying.

What’s good in it?

Courage & resilience4/5
Why this rating?

Jason exhibits great courage in navigating his world and helping his friend.

Creativity & curiosity3/5
Why this rating?

Encourages seeing the world from a different perspective.

Diverse representation3/5
Why this rating?

The story centers teens with different mental-health and developmental experiences, giving marginalized characters substantial agency and perspective.

Educational value2/5
Why this rating?

Offers insight into the experience of living with schizophrenia.

Kindness & empathy4/5
Why this rating?

Kindness and acceptance are major themes.

Positive messages4/5
Why this rating?

Strongly encourages empathy, loyalty, advocacy, and rejecting stigma while recognizing the humanity and agency of people with disabilities or mental illness.

Good role models3/5
Why this rating?

Protagonist shows resilience despite challenges.

Family discussion

Talk about it

Conversation starters based on this title’s published content notes.

  1. What did courage look like in this story? Was being brave always the same as being fearless?
  2. Which moment felt most tense or frightening? What helped the characters handle fear?
  3. Which choice in Freaks like us would you have made differently, and why?
  4. Who changed the most in Freaks like us, and what caused that change?
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Community perspective — separate from editorial ratings

What families noticed

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Community ratings and written reactions are a separate layer. They do not automatically change Dickens & Rumi’s official age guidance or content scores.

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