Well I waited until I'm almost 30 to read it, but here's what I thought. It is not for kids. I got the audiobook so my 8 year old brother can listen to it. After listening to it myself, I'm going to make him wait a few years. There's death. A lot of it. Brutal deaths too. There are issues that I wouldn't want the kid to read or listen about. Yes, there are pirates. Yes, they drink rum and are treacherous. The text is outdated too. But there is certainly adventure and excitement.