I've been playing around with a sci-fi plot for a while and the plot is going to revolve around a simulated dystopia. Problem is, the dystopia is Heaven. Everything is perfect there and after about one day that gets old. I'm sure this has been done at least once (in an episode of Twilight, I believe) and probably a zillion times. So, it's not a ground breaking idea by any means, but I want to kick it up a notch a little. Also, the dystopia is simulated. And, by having the hero chose to save the dystopia rather than just going back to the 'real world,' I want to explore the idea that realness is a perception. My question: I enjoy writing for a younger audience. Is this too complex for say 9-12 year-olds to grasp? I was impressively air-headed at that age, so I'm pretty sure that I'd be thinking, "wait a minute. Why am I rooting for the guy that's trying to destroy perfection? Why is the hero trying to fix something fake and live there as opposed to just living his real life?" What do you think?
I think the theme of the story itself is good to come up with, but I'm not sure if it is too complex for a younger audience who is 9-12. Actually, it isn't. I think the way you write it determines rather it is hard or not, because many 9-12 year olds know a little bit about dystopia and the difference between (Heaven) perfection, misery and realism is. Just limit the vocabulary to where the young reader can understand it. I can't gurantee you rather it is complex or not until you actually start writing about it and have people you want to choose from read it first. And then that might answer your question.
If you haven't already, you may want to read The Giver, by Lois Lowry. It deals with a dystopia aimed for children. I read it when it came out (I would have been 9 or 10) and took a lot away from it.
Another good kids' dystopian novel is "The City of Ember" and a decent YA one is "House of the Scorpion." To answer your question, kids are smarter than people give them credit for. They don't like being preached to or having things spelled out for them; they can pick up on stuff in books on their own. By the way, I read Orwell's "1984" when I was around 12 plus books like "Logan's Run" etc.