Daughter of deep silence
Carrie Ryan
Daughter of deep silence
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Carrie Ryan
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 parents were taken from you by something terrible, and the only way to find peace was to face the person you love the most? Imagine surviving a disaster where almost everyone is gone, and the truth is more dangerous than anyone knows. Now, what happens when the lines between friend, enemy, and love start to blur?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Daughter of Deep Silence is a middle-grade thriller about Frances Mace, who seeks revenge after losing her parents in a tragic event. The story explores themes of loss, identity, and complicated relationships, including young romance and moral dilemmas. Suitable for ages 9-12, it contains emotional intensity and suspense that may prompt discussions about grief and choices.
Why we rated Daughter of deep silence 12ME
Daughter of deep silence is written at a Level 7 reading level across 378 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Daughter of deep silence works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Daughter of deep silence 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.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Daughter of deep silence explores orphans, revenge, romance, friendship, and identity & self-discovery — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about orphans, revenge, romance.
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 — 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
1/10A 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
- 9780525426509
- Pages
- 378
- Publisher
- Penguin
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction