A taste for monsters
Matthew J. Kirby
A taste for monsters
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Matthew J. Kirby
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Evelyn Fallow is no ordinary maid—her own scars tell a story of survival in a dangerous world. Working for Joseph Merrick, known as the Elephant Man, she faces not just fear but ghosts linked to the infamous Jack the Ripper. Can Evelyn solve the chilling mystery before the danger catches her too?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set in 1888 London, this middle-grade novel follows seventeen-year-old Evelyn Fallow, who is disfigured from working in a match factory and begins working for Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man. As the Jack the Ripper murders terrorize the city, Evelyn and Merrick encounter supernatural elements tied to the victims, drawing Evelyn into a suspenseful mystery. The book is suitable for ages 9-12 but contains themes of violence, disfigurement, and ghostly hauntings that may require parental guidance.
Why we rated A taste for monsters 12ME
A taste for monsters is written at a Level 7 reading level across 343 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, A taste for monsters works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate A taste for monsters as 12ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Disfigurement, Serial Murders, Ghosts.
Thematically, A taste for monsters explores ghost stories, disfigured persons, mystery, historical, and supernatural — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about ghost stories, disfigured persons, mystery.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780545817844
- Pages
- 343
- Publisher
- Scholastic Press
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction