Originally a book written by Holly Jackson, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder spent a whopping 77 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list. Now a Netflix series, the story follows 17-year-old Pip as she investigates a murder that shook her town five years ago. Pip has doubts about the closed case and begins to uncover dark secrets — but someone in town wants those secrets to stay buried. If your kid wants to read the book or watch the show, you’re probably curious about A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder age rating and whether it’s appropriate for them. Read on for our guide.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is generally recommended for kids ages 14 and up. Some parents may find its adult themes more suitable for older teens.
Because age categories work a bit differently for books versus television, we’re going to break things down a bit.
The publisher’s website lists A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder as appropriate for readers 14 and up.
The TV Parental Guidelines rating for A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is TV-MA. This category is used for content that is suitable for mature audiences of 17 and older.
Common Sense Media disagrees and gives the show a rating of 14+.
When ratings diverge, it’s usually a signal to parents to proceed with some caution.
Instances of drug use, sexual assault, self-harm, and violence could bring up questions or strong emotions for kids. If you suspect these topics might be difficult for your child, consider watching the show together or reading the book yourself first.
The teens in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder talk like … well, teens. That means you can expect a good amount of profanity in both the book and the TV series, although it’s a bit more prevalent in the show than the book.
While there are discussions of nudity, none is shown on screen. In the book, there’s an instance of one teen being coerced into sending a nude photo. As you might expect, there’s teenage romance, but it’s limited to making out, along with descriptions of groping in the book. Underage sex is mentioned frequently, though.
Drugs and drug-dealing occur throughout the book and the show, including the depiction of ketamine use on screen. There’s also frequent underage drinking and the date-rape drug Rohypnol makes an appearance as a plot point.
Unsurprisingly, there is quite a bit of violence in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, including murder, discussions of suicide, instances of self-harm and self-induced vomiting, rape, and sexual assault.
While some violence is shown on the series (including a murder victim stumbling along with a bloodied head), much of the violence described in the book is not depicted on screen.
So, if you’ve read the book, don’t worry — the show accounts for what people can handle in print versus what they can stomach watching.
The main character, Pip, seeks justice for someone who has been wrongly accused. She’s a strong role model who encapsulates determination and the willingness to learn and grow from her mistakes.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a popular book that is now a Netflix series. As with any media, it’s wise for parents to consider both the content and their child’s temperament when deciding what’s appropriate.
If you’re concerned about what your child may be viewing, BrightCanary can help you supervise what they’re watching and other online activities. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is available on Netflix, which BrightCanary doesn’t cover. However, with BrightCanary monitoring, you’ll be able to see if your child is looking up content related to the show — and anything else concerning — on YouTube, Google, text messages, or social media. It’s a great way to get insights into what media your children are interested in, so you can get ahead of any potential red flags.
