Dead right
Peter Robinson
Dead right
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Peter Robinson
The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes.
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About This Book
After a teenager is discovered brutally beaten to death, investigators uncover a web of secrets tied to a dangerous white power group. As the case unfolds, the detectives must navigate a world filled with suspicion and hidden motives to find the truth. Tensions rise as they confront the dark forces behind the crime.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 5 book with intense content intensity. Content themes include realistic violence, physical danger, racial discrimination. Written for readers ages 13+.
Why we rated Dead right 10IP
Dead right is written at a Level 5 reading level across 320 pages (approximately 98,310 words). Strong independent readers around grade 6.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Dead right works for readers up to grade 7.0.
Read aloud, Dead right runs about 10.9 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate Dead right as 10IP ("Intense — Physical") because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from physical peril, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Realistic Violence, Physical Danger, Racial Discrimination.
Thematically, Dead right explores mystery, social justice, and crime — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about mystery, social justice, crime.
- ✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the Inspector Banks Mystery series.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 13+ — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.
For Parents
Content Intensity
10IP — Intense — PhysicalHeavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
4/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
More in the Inspector Banks Mystery Series
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0143012932
- Pages
- 320
- Publisher
- Penguin
- Published
- 2002
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 98,310
- Read-Aloud
- ~10h 55m
- Text Density
- Dense