Let’s normalize content warnings for books!
Not every reader is going to be comfortable with every book or series, and that’s 100% okay.
Extension Squad looks at the world through the eyes of people who are mistreated, forgotten, and hurt. Consequently, it examines real-world issues as well as the issues unique to the story world. The series is “clean fiction” in that there’s no spice or vulgarity, but the topics still get messy. While the story always has healing and hope in mind as it explores natural consequences of various situations, factors like young age, past trauma, or sensitive reading preferences may make it too intense for some readers to be comfortable with.
Extension Squad generally follows the guidelines of a TV-14 rated show, so it’s recommended to readers ages 14+. If you’re okay with My Hero Academia, One Piece, or Fullmetal Alchemist, you’ll probably also be okay with Extension Squad.
The principle that guides the tougher content in the book is that it’s meant to help people who were unaware of those societal problems to be informed… and to help those who feel forgotten know that they are not alone.
Here’s a quick content overview for people who want to avoid spoilers. Keep scrolling for a detailed breakdown!
Content present:
Abuse, substance abuse, mild violence, execution attempts, romantic touch, mental health crisis depictions.
(Leaving some space before the detailed breakdown to make sure people who would like to avoid spoilers can do so.)
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Detailed breakdown:
Abuse: Contains many depictions of physical and mental/verbal abuse. Contains references (both implied and stated) to sexual abuse and explores the healing journey, but no depictions of sexual abuse happen on the page. Abuse is never glorified as healthy in a relationship.
Substance abuse: Contains references to poor choices, such as drinking and driving, that characters have made in the past. Contains depictions of characters getting drunk, using illicit substances, and manufacturing drugs.
Violence: Because the characters are essentially first responders, they deal with injuries on a regular basis and death occasionally. These injuries are written with a focus on realism, but not gore. Characters also fight each other and sometimes cause injury.
Executions: Seeing as the driving force of the series is how the characters are worried about being executed, that comes up a fair number of times. While some characters are executed, no successful executions are shown “on screen.”
Romantic touch: Characters kiss, hug, hold hands, etc. No sex scenes or fade-to-black scenes.
Mental health crisis depictions: Many times throughout the series, characters experience mental health crises, including acute psychosis, flashbacks, and thoughts of suicide. Characters also “act out” due to trauma responses. Some of the point-of-view characters have disparaging views of people in mental health crises at the beginning of the series. While those characters grow and develop a better approach toward people in crisis, this does not always happen within a single book.