11-22-63: A Novel – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

11-22-63: A Novel

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2011

91%

WISE Score

4.6

Amazon

A high school teacher finds a portal to 1958 and tries to stop the JFK assassination—but the past doesn't want to be changed.

11-22-63: A Novel

book

2011

91%

WISE Score

4.6

Amazon

A high school teacher finds a portal to 1958 and tries to stop the JFK assassination—but the past doesn't want to be changed.

4.6

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Screenwise Verdict

This is arguably Stephen King’s modern masterpiece. It’s not a horror novel in the 'clowns in sewers' sense, but it is a haunting, beautiful, and sometimes brutal look at fate.

For a teen who likes historical fiction or sci-fi, this is a top-tier recommendation. It’s long, but it’s the kind of book that makes you stay up until 2 AM because you're terrified of what happens when the clock hits November 22nd. Just be ready for some heavy conversations about the violence and the 'good old days' that weren't actually that good for everyone.

Age Fit

Best for 15 or 16 and up. While younger advanced readers might handle the prose, the domestic violence and the heavy 'life-is-complicated' themes are better suited for older teens and adults.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

While it features a deeply moving central romance and themes of sacrifice, the world it depicts is often grim, featuring domestic abuse and the darker undercurrents of 1950s/60s society.

Imaginative

King's 'the past is obdurate' time-travel mechanics are brilliant. The way the world pushes back against change creates a unique, living sense of history.

Safe

Contains visceral descriptions of violence, particularly a traumatic domestic assault scene early on, and period-accurate racial slurs that reflect the 1958 setting.

Enriching

It's a masterclass in historical immersion and the 'butterfly effect.' It forces readers to grapple with the ethics of intervention and the unintended consequences of 'doing the right thing.'

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Total immersion in the late 1950s—you can practically smell the root beer and the leaded gasoline.
It’s a 'history lesson' that actually feels like a high-stakes thriller.
The romance between Jake and Sadie is one of the most genuine and heartbreaking relationships King has ever written.
Explores the 'butterfly effect' in a way that makes you rethink every small decision you've ever made.

⚠

What to Watch For

The 'Dunning family' sequence early in the book is extremely violent and involves a hammer; it's a lot to handle.
The 1958 setting includes period-accurate racism and language that is jarring but used to show the reality of the era.
It’s a massive 800+ page commitment, though it rarely feels slow.

Conversation Starters

"If you could change one event in history, would the ripple effects be worth the risk?"
"Why do you think the book says 'the past is obdurate' (stubborn)? Should we be allowed to change it?"
"How does the 1958 in the book differ from how that era is usually shown in old movies?"
"Is Jake a hero for trying to save JFK, or is he being selfish by messing with billions of lives?"

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