Dead Time
Anne Cassidy
Dead Time
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
The Murder Notebooks
by Anne Cassidy
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
What would you do if your parents went out for dinner and never came home? Rose and Joshua's lives change forever when their moms and dads disappear without a trace. Then, just when they think the nightmare might be over, Rose finds herself caught up in not one, but two mysterious murders—what secrets are waiting to be uncovered?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This young adult thriller follows Rose and Joshua after their parents mysteriously vanish one evening. As police investigations stall, the teens face new challenges living apart and uncover dangerous secrets tied to the disappearance. Suitable for ages 13 and up, the story includes themes of suspense and crime but does not contain graphic content.
Why we rated Dead Time 12ME
Dead Time is written at a Level 7 reading level across 353 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Dead Time works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Dead Time 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, 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, Dead Time explores mystery, suspense, family, and coming of age — 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.
- ✓ 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 mystery, suspense, family.
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
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781408815502
- Pages
- 353
- Publisher
- A&C Black
- Published
- 2012
- Type
- Fiction