Cost of Living
Rachel Ward
Cost of Living
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Rachel Ward
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
What if someone you thought you knew did something terrible? Imagine Bea, a checkout girl, stepping up to solve a mystery that’s shaking her whole town. But as she digs deeper, danger lurks closer than she ever expected.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction follows Bea, a determined young girl who investigates a serious crime in her community. While the story involves themes of mystery and danger, it is suitable for ages 9-12 with some intense moments of suspense and mild peril. Parents should note the presence of a violent attack as a plot catalyst, but the narrative focuses mainly on courage and problem-solving.
Why we rated Cost of Living 12ME
Cost of Living is written at a Level 7 reading level across 326 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Cost of Living works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Cost of Living 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 — 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 moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Cost of Living explores adventure, mystery, courage, and community — 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, mystery, courage.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781910985830
- Pages
- 326
- Publisher
- Sandstone Press Limited
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction