Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
Closer
Roderick Gordon
Closer
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Roderick Gordon
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LP, means mild content, mostly physical.
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About This Book
The damp air smells of earth and mystery as Will Burrows listens to the distant echoes beneath the ground. Deep inside a secret world no one knows, danger creeps ever closer with every heartbeat. Somewhere above, friends race against time to unlock secrets that might change everything.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade adventure follows Will Burrows as he navigates a hidden world beneath the earth, pursued by relentless enemies known as the Styx. Parallel to his journey, allies on the surface uncover vital secrets that add urgency and depth to the story. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book includes themes of action, adventure, and historical elements with some suspenseful moments but no graphic content.
Why we rated Closer LP (Mild)
Closer is written at a Level 6-7 reading level across 527 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 8 and up can manage Closer on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.
We rate Closer as LP (Mild, mostly physical) because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Closer explores adventure, action & adventure, historical, science & nature, and friendship — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, action & adventure, historical.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
LP · Mild · PhysicalReading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate
Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780545201155
- Pages
- 527
- Publisher
- Chicken House
- Published
- 2011
- Type
- Fiction