Bad call

Bad call is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 312 pages (approximately 63,652 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.7 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Bad call works for readers up to grade 6.7.

Read aloud, Bad call runs about 7.1 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Bad call as 9ME ("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 — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Physical Danger, Fear & Anxiety, Loss & Grief.

Thematically, Bad call explores survival, adventure, friendship, psychological thriller, and camping — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.