[Talisker]

Twelve is far too young to properly understand 1984. All it can possibly do is create exactly the kind of despair in a child he observed in his daughter.

[boop]

I read Animal Farm at about 16 yo.

I "got" it just fine.

I didn't have some leftist kook telling me what to believe.

Pretty stupid person who didn't understand it.

[Dr. Sivana]

Twelve is far too young to properly understand 1984

Besides that, there are a fair number of sex scenes that render the book more suitable for older readers. Animal Farm is fine for 12 year olds, even though its ending is quite melancholy and depressing as well.