Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Synopsis
"It’s July, 1964. In Kent, Winston Churchill is waking up. There’s a visitor in the room, someone he hasn’t seen for a while, watching him with tortured concentration. It’s Mr Chartwell. In Battersea, Esther Hammerhans, young, vulnerable and alone, goes to answer the door to her new lodger. Through the glass she sees a vast silhouette the size of a mattress. It’s Mr Chartwell. Mr Chartwell is charismatic and dangerously seductive, and Esther and Churchill are drawn together by his dark influence. But can they withstand his powerful charms and strong hold? For Mr Chartwell is a huge, black dog..."--Publisher description.
Is Mr. Chartwell appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
An allegorical fantasy about depression personified as a huge black dog, following Winston Churchill and a lonely young woman in 1964. Themes of mental illness, grief, and suicidal ideation are handled with literary care but may be emotionally heavy for younger teens.
What to know going in
This book has no graphic violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include grief, depression, and mental illness (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Older teens who appreciate thoughtful, literary fantasy exploring mental health through metaphor will find this quietly powerful.