Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
Dead silence
Kimberly Derting
The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.
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About This Book
What if you could hear the last whispers of someone who's been hurt? Violet has a secret ability to feel the echoes of victims and the marks left by their killers. But when she gets an imprint of her own, everything she knows is about to change—what will she do next?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Violet, who can sense the echoes of murder victims and the imprints their killers leave behind, is pulled between a normal life and the demands of the organization that uses her gift to track down killers. The story includes gruesome murder scenes, serial killings, and a cult-like group, along with a suspense-driven plot and some romance. Parents should expect frequent violent content and dark subject matter, though romance stays relatively light.
Why we rated Dead silence ME (Moderate)
Dead silence is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 389 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.
We rate Dead silence as ME (Moderate, mostly 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, Dead silence explores mystery, psychic ability, suspense, coming of age, and friendship — 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, psychic ability, suspense.
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
ME · Moderate · EmotionalReading 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
Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780062082220
- Pages
- 389
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction