Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

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Amazon

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, Fourth Wing is a cultural juggernaut that got millions of adults genuinely excited about reading fantasy again, and that's worth something. The dragon-bonding magic system is fun, the disability representation is surprisingly thoughtful, and the stakes feel real.

But let's be crystal clear: this is adult content. The sex scenes are explicit and frequent—multiple parent reviewers describe having to skip pages even as adults. The violence is graphic. Students die regularly. This isn't Percy Jackson with dragons; it's Game of Thrones at dragon college.

If you're an adult looking for escapist fantasy romance with genuine stakes and a smart protagonist, this delivers. It's not literary fiction, but it's compulsively readable and the 4.8 Amazon rating reflects genuine enthusiasm.

For parents: Do not let this near your teens just because it has dragons and a school setting. The 'New Adult' label exists for a reason, and this book exemplifies why. If your 17-year-old is reading it anyway (let's be real, they might be), at least you'll know what you're dealing with.

Age Fit

This is firmly adult reading, appropriate for ages 18+ due to explicit sexual content and graphic violence. Despite the fantasy dragon premise, it's New Adult fiction, not YA. Older teens (16-17) might read it, but parents should be aware of the pornographic sex scenes.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

35

While the book features themes of perseverance and found family, it's heavily weighted toward violence, death, and explicit sexual content. The war college setting is brutal by design—students routinely die during training, and the romance includes multiple graphic sex scenes that parent reviews describe as 'straight up porn.' The emotional tone skews dark and intense rather than emotionally healthy for younger audiences.

Imaginative

78

Dragon-bonding mechanics, war college world-building, and a magic system built around dragon riders create a richly imaginative fantasy world. The premise of fragile protagonist Violet defying physical limitations to bond with dragons is creative, and the political intrigue around failing protective wards adds depth. It's not groundbreaking fantasy, but it's engaging and well-constructed enough to capture millions of readers.

Safe

25

Multiple explicit sex scenes, graphic violence including student deaths, strong language, and dark themes around war and betrayal make this firmly adult content. Web sources consistently rate it 16-18+ and describe sexual content as pornographic. Parents on Common Sense Media note they had to skip scenes even as adults. This is New Adult fiction, not YA, and would be highly inappropriate for younger readers to encounter unexpectedly.

Enriching

62

For adult readers, it offers themes of resilience, disability representation (Violet's chronic condition), strategic thinking, and questioning authority when leadership hides truths. The protagonist's intelligence and wit drive survival rather than just physical strength. However, the enrichment is tempered by the heavy focus on romance and violence over deeper philosophical exploration. It's entertaining first, thought-provoking second.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Genuinely compelling disability representation—Violet's brittle bones and chronic condition don't disappear, she strategizes around them
Dragon-bonding world-building is imaginative and the war college setting creates real stakes (students actually die)
Massive cultural phenomenon that sparked genuine reading excitement in adults who don't typically read fantasy
Strong female protagonist who survives through intelligence and wit rather than sudden magical strength
Found family dynamics and questioning corrupt authority provide some emotional depth beyond the romance

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What to Watch For

Multiple explicit, detailed sex scenes—parent reviewers consistently call it pornographic, not fade-to-black romance
Graphic violence and student deaths throughout; the 'brutal' war college setting isn't metaphorical
Strong language peppered throughout
This is New Adult fiction marketed to 18+ readers, despite sometimes being shelved near YA fantasy
First book in a series, so expect cliffhangers and the need to continue

Conversation Starters

"Violet has a chronic condition that makes her physically fragile—how does she use strategy instead of strength to survive?"
"The leadership is hiding information about the war—when is it okay to question authority, and when does secrecy serve a purpose?"
"Dragons choose riders based on worthiness, not just physical capability—what do you think makes someone 'worthy'?"
"This book became a massive phenomenon on BookTok—what do you think makes a book go viral versus just being good?"

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