Kaylee ,'Shindig'
There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."
Any worries I had for Father Material were unfounded, it's really good
Also, I ran into some, I dunno, DRM thing that wouldn't let me download the copy I got from the library and my internet at home is unreliable but apparently I pre-ordered it via Bookshop, which did put it in my library for me but didn't notify me, as far as I can tell. So I was able to return my library copy early and hopefully make someone in the queue happy
Just maybe some info on how other parents have made these decisions.
I may be a bit of an outlier, but I pretty much let my kids read anything they want. I'm more cautious with movies,* but I generally think books are the safest place to explore things you're curious about or encounter potentially upsetting content. You're limited to what your own brain can imagine or understand (though graphic novels are more of a gray area here), and it's super easy to skim/skip stuff you're not ready for, or put the book down if it's too much.
*Rose, age 14, wants to watch Pulp Fiction and my answer so far is no, mostly because of the rape scene -- but she also picked up Lolita on her own and I'm fine with her reading that.
That said, there's a difference between something my kids pick up on their own and something I actively provide for them. Jane (who is about the same age as ltc) is a strong and voracious reader and has read a number of YA books, but when I'm picking out books to recommend or bring home for her, I'm usually still getting middle-grade books, not YA. I do feel like YA as a genre has aged up quite a bit in the last 10-15 years, and it's harder to find YA titles that are really aimed at younger teens now, which is a problem.