City of Girls (2019) Parents Guide: Is the book OK for kids?

The book is centered on the protagonist’s sexual liberation and her discovery of agency within her own body. It includes numerous descriptions of varying intensity regarding casual encounters, heavy petting, and intercourse, though it leans more toward emotional and sensory description than graphic 'erotica.' Vivian Morris recounts her nights of 'going out' with Celia Ray, which frequently end in hotel rooms or parked cars. A pivotal plot point involves a public sexual scandal involving a married man, Arthur…

Violence is minimal and largely peripheral to the main social drama of the New York theater world. There are brief mentions of physical altercations between characters, such as a sharp slap or a shove during a heated backstage argument. The narrative eventually acknowledges the distant, harrowing reality of World War II, including the death of a character off-page in combat which introduces a somber tone to the final third of the novel. Some descriptions of the Blitz in London are relayed through letters…

The novel contains moderate to frequent use of profanity throughout, mirroring the grit and colloquialism of the 1940s New York stage. Readers will encounter uses of 'f--k,' 'sh-t,' 'bitch,' 'bastard,' and 'hell' in both dialogue and Vivian's internal monologue. There are various period-typical slurs or derogatory terms for women and gay men used by side characters to illustrate the era's prejudices. The language is conversational but becomes more intense during scenes of high emotional stress or when characters…

Heavy social drinking including gin, champagne, and various cocktails is pervasive throughout the Lily Playhouse setting. Characters like Peg and Olive are frequently depicted as intoxicated, hungover, or using alcohol as a necessary social lubricant for their bohemian lifestyle. Chain-smoking is constant and historically accurate for the 1940s, with the scent of tobacco described as a permanent fixture of the theater. There are scenes where characters drink to excess to cope with the stresses of failing shows or…

Major themes include female agency and the rejection of 1940s societal expectations regarding marriage and domesticity. The story explores the impact of regret and public shaming, specifically how a woman's reputation can be destroyed while a man's remains intact. It challenges the definition of a 'good life' by suggesting that fulfillment can be found outside of traditional morality or nuclear family structures. The late-novel transition into wartime New York adds themes of sacrifice, the randomness of death, and…