Bad Witch Burning
Jessica Lewis
Bad Witch Burning
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Jessica Lewis
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is very intense with mature or graphic material.
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About This Book
What if you had the power to talk to the dead, but using it could bring danger closer every time? Katrell uses her spooky gift to help her family, but when she accidentally brings someone back to life, things get way more complicated. Can she handle the dark forces now coming after her, or will she lose everything?
Quick Assessment
Bad Witch Burning follows Katrell, a young girl with the ability to summon the dead, who uses her power to support her struggling family. The story explores serious themes such as child abuse, domestic violence, and loss, making it suitable for mature middle-grade readers aged 9-12 with parental guidance. The book contains intense content including death, animal abuse, and substance use, so parents should be aware of these elements before sharing it with children.
Why we rated Bad Witch Burning 12VE
Bad Witch Burning is written at a Level 7 reading level across 352 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Bad Witch Burning works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Bad Witch Burning as 12VE ("Vivid — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Very Intense" range — very intense or graphic content — peril, violence, trauma, or mature themes treated head-on. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Death, Animal Abuse, Substance Use, Physical Injury, Stalking.
Thematically, Bad Witch Burning explores fantasy world-building, coming of age, family, mystery, and social justice — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about fantasy world-building, coming of age, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 9-12 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12VE — Vivid — EmotionalGraphic or sustained depictions of trauma, violence, or mature content.
Content Flags
Was our "Very Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
5/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780593177402
- Pages
- 352
- Publisher
- National Geographic Books
- Published
- 2021
- Type
- Fiction