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Cover of The Black Tattoo

The Black Tattoo

Sam Enthoven (2006)

SubgenreEpic Fantasy
Age groupYA 12-17
Content ratingPG-13
Pages (Standard (250-400))
Setting
CSM age13
Goodreads3.48

Content levels

ViolenceModerate
Sexual contentNone
LanguageMild

Heroine archetypes

Warrior / Soldier

Synopsis

Demons, martial arts and vomiting bats combine to make a fabulous fiction debut from a HUGE new talent. .Jack doesn't know what he's got himself into. One minute he and his best friend Charlie were up in Chinatown having crispy duck with Charlie's dad (and Jack was having to listen to Charlie shouting at his dad for leaving his mum) - then next minute they were in a mysterious room above a theatre, with some of the strangest characters they'd ever encountered. And they were about to take The Test. . . and something very very weird was about to begin.The Test transforms Charlie - leaving him with the distinctive markings of the Black Tattoo - and with a temper that seems out of control. The boys' meeting with Esme, a young girl with the most impressive martial arts skills this side of Bruce Lee, her huge and hairy father Raymond, and the mysterious Nick seem to have swept Charlie and Jack into a world they had no idea existed. And it's only going to get stranger. . .This epic tale of good and evil, demons and hell, vomiting bats and huge battles marks the debut of an incredible new talent for children's books. Drawing on influences such as comic books, computer games and Eastern martial arts, The Black Tattoo is a book no self-respecting teenage boy will want to miss.

Is The Black Tattoo appropriate for my child?

Suitable for most readers 13 and up.

Parents should know this book features demonic possession, martial arts violence, and battles between good and evil forces. The protagonist undergoes a dark transformation with body horror elements (black tattoo markings), and there's conflict involving family separation and anger issues.

What to know going in

This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include possession, violence, and body horror.

Who'll love this

Teens will enjoy the fast-paced action combining martial arts, demons, and an epic battle between good and evil with ordinary kids thrust into an extraordinary supernatural world.

Tags

Urban FantasyMartial ArtsComic Book InfluenceVideo Game Influence