The Carrie Diaries will appeal to older teen girls, who may or may not have seen Sex and the City (for the high school drama alone!), and their moms who are longtime fans. Young Carrie is a quirky, outspoken, and smart girl navigating her final year in high school, and working through a relationship that she senses is probably not right for her, but doesn't want to let go. There is a good lesson about not giving up who you are to please a boy, and there are musings about feminism that Carrie has been curious about since she was a child. The girls' behavior is a younger, somewhat cleaner version of what takes place on the TV show. Several girls lose their virginity, and there is much general discussion of "having sex," though no graphic descriptions. One male character comes out as gay, and is supported by his friends. There is plenty of underage drinking in bars (drinking age was eighteen at the time), and most of the teens smoke fairly regularly. Language is graphic (f-ck, b-tch, sh-t). Fans will enjoy the glimpses they see of the future Carrie, her trademark fashion sense and her passion for writing.
