Short answer… Fuck yes, you should. It’s a goddamned book. In the age of kids addicted to tablets, video games, and porn, you should never stop a kid from picking up and reading a fucking book. What, are you mental?

Are there dirty words? Yes. And your kid, no matter how sheltered, has heard of these words. Reading a book with cuss words is part of the human experience. Tell you what… Would you rather have your kid read Dr. Davis’ cuss words or hear them for the first time from that little shit down the street?

Is there sex or LBTGQ+ themes? Grow up. Sex exists and being queer is human. But no, there’s very little sexuality at all in this book. The only sex mentioned is a couple of 15-year-olds talking about boobs. Regardless, sexuality doesn’t have to permeate everything in our society. You can enjoy a novel with super villains, machine guns, and stuff exploding every once in a while, without having to discuss who is nailing who.

Is there violence or malice? Yes. This is not Action Comics in 1934. In Project Sidekick, the most cringe moment is in the first chapter when a group of six peace officers beat up three Arab kids. I was trying to illustrate that the world has gone to shit. The people we charged with serving and protecting us have gone sour. (Don’t worry… our hero beats the tar out of them and saves the kids.) If you can get past the first chapter, you’ll be okay. There is violence, but our hero’s character arcs eventually lead them to change their ways about violence and death,

Last words…

If a person ever tells you NOT to read a book, you should check it out just in case. If a person tells you that you’re not allowed to read a book. Read that fucking book ASAP.