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Crazy dangerous

Andrew Klavan

Cover of Crazy dangerous

Crazy dangerous

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Andrew Klavan

Reading Level 7 12ME Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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 your best chance to do right meant standing up to the very friends you trusted? Sam Hopkins is caught between the wrong crowd and a new, strange friendship with Jennifer, whose terrifying visions might just be warnings of a disaster no one else believes. Can Sam stop what’s coming before it’s too late?

Themes

Mental HealthFriendshipComing of AgeBullyingProphecyJuvenile Fiction

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows Sam, a good kid who must choose between loyalty to a troubled group and standing up against bullying. The story explores themes of mental illness, particularly schizophrenia, and the challenges of discerning reality from hallucination. Suitable for ages 9-12, it contains intense moments related to fear and mental health but presents these thoughtfully within a suspenseful narrative.

Why we rated Crazy dangerous 12ME

Crazy dangerous is written at a Level 7 reading level across 328 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Crazy dangerous works for readers up to grade 9.0.

We rate Crazy dangerous 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, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mental Illness, Bullying.

Thematically, Crazy dangerous explores mental health, friendship, coming of age, bullying, and prophecy — 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.
  • 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 mental health, friendship, coming of age.

Maybe not for

  • ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
  • ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.

For Parents

Content Intensity

12ME — Moderate — Emotional
Emotional
Moderate
Physical
Light
Social
Light
Thematic
Moderate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Content Flags

Mental Illness Bullying
Data confidence: standard

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

1/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

4/10

Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
6
Emotional Weight
6
Theme Richness
8
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

328 pages
ISBN
9781595547941
Pages
328
Publisher
Thomas Nelson
Published
2013
Type
Fiction

Subjects

PropheciesMental IllnessSchizophreniaConduct of LifeBullies