Dickens & Rumi

book

The good fight

Age rating, content warnings & parent guide

Lia Matera · 1990

Is The good fight 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 The good fight by Lia Matera. This book is content notes include LGBTQIA characters, Death of a character, Frightening scenes; positive qualities include Courage & resilience, Good role models.

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10-second decision

Is this likely to fit your family?

Age guidanceNot listed
Strongest cautionsLGBTQIA characters 4/5 · Death of a character 3/5 · Frightening scenes 3/5
Strongest positivesCourage & resilience 4/5 · Good role models 3/5
Recommendation3/5

Courage & resilience; strongest caution: lgbtqia characters.

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: lgbtqia characters.

Readiness snapshotMain watch-out: LGBTQIA characters 4/5
Recommendation 3/5

Editorial rating

How this review was built

Dickens & Rumi editorial
Source checkedPublication method
16Scored categories
16Evidence 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 depth16 scored categories16 evidence notes
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At a glance

Recommended ageNot listed

Strongest cautions

  • LGBTQIA characters4/5
  • Death of a character3/5
  • Frightening scenes3/5

Strongest positives

  • Courage & resilience4/5
  • Good role models3/5
  • Positive messages3/5

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What’s in it?

Death of a character3/5
Why this rating?

The inciting incident is the murder of a character.

Graphic injury1/5
Why this rating?

Some descriptions of crime scenes and bodily harm, though not gratuitous.

Strong language2/5
Why this rating?

Occasional strong language typical of adult crime fiction.

LGBTQIA characters4/5
Why this rating?

The central character is a lesbian lawyer, making LGBTQIA representation prominent even if it is not the book's sole theme.

Romance2/5
Why this rating?

Minor romantic subplot relevant to character development.

Frightening scenes3/5
Why this rating?

Tense atmosphere throughout due to the protagonist being in danger.

Sexual content & nudity1/5
Why this rating?

Minimal sexual references typical of the hardboiled genre.

Alcohol or drugs2/5
Why this rating?

Social drinking appears to occur, without evidence that substance use is central, glamorized, or especially harmful.

Violence3/5
Why this rating?

Includes descriptions of physical threats and the aftermath of a murder.

What’s good in it?

Courage & resilience4/5
Why this rating?

The protagonist faces significant personal risk to uncover the truth.

Creativity & curiosity2/5
Why this rating?

Engages the reader through complex investigative puzzle solving.

Diverse representation2/5
Why this rating?

The book offers meaningful LGBTQIA representation, but available information does not establish broad diversity across many backgrounds or identities.

Educational value2/5
Why this rating?

Provides some insight into legal procedures and investigative work.

Kindness & empathy2/5
Why this rating?

Characters display empathy in personal relationships amidst danger.

Positive messages3/5
Why this rating?

Themes of justice, personal integrity, and systemic corruption.

Good role models3/5
Why this rating?

Willa Jansson acts with perseverance and a desire for truth.

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. How are identity and relationships presented, and how do they shape the characters’ experiences?
  3. Which choice in The good fight would you have made differently, and why?
  4. Who changed the most in The good fight, and what caused that change?
Discuss this title with other parents

Community perspective — separate from editorial ratings

What families noticed

Community signal

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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