Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts
William Hussey
Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by William Hussey
The text is written at a 8th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
What if you only had a month to make the coolest zombie movie ever and find someone to love you before a big surgery? Jesse Spark isn’t just racing against time—he’s battling fears about scars, self-worth, and what it means to be truly brave. Can he finish his film and find love before everything changes forever?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This young adult novel follows Jesse Spark, a teen facing heart surgery while trying to complete a zombie movie and find love. It explores themes of body image, self-acceptance, and LGBTQ+ romance with humor and warmth. Suitable for ages 13 and up, it contains mature topics handled in an accessible and lighthearted way.
Why we rated Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts 12ME
Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts is written at a Level 8 reading level across 400 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts as 12ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. The strongest signals come from emotional weight — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts explores family, friendship, love & romance, humor, and coming of age — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, friendship, love & romance.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12ME — Moderate — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" 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
- 9781803700038
- Pages
- 400
- Publisher
- Usborne
- Published
- 2023
- Type
- Fiction