Content levels
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Synopsis
Seventeen-year-old Simon lies in a coma, finding his space and time overlapping with that of a man who was lynched over 200 years ago, while a member of the cheating ring he has been helping wonders if their actions have caused the plagues assaulting their New Jersey town.
Is Shades of Simon Gray appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 13 and up.
A teen lies comatose while experiencing the life of a lynching victim from 200 years ago, exploring themes of guilt, racial violence, and consequences. Contains historical racial violence and death but not graphically depicted.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include death, grief, and lynching (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will be drawn to the mysterious connection between Simon's modern moral failing and a historical injustice, and the supernatural plagues afflicting his town.