Face of Death
Kelly Hashway
Face of Death
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Kelly Hashway
The text is written at a 8th 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 if you were trapped in the underworld, punished by the very people you once condemned? Imagine facing endless torment while watching your friends suffer beside you. Now, Jodi must find a way to break free from Tartarus before it's too late—can she escape the grasp of Hades and save them all?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This young adult fantasy novel follows Jodi, a teenage girl trapped in Tartarus after a confrontation with Hades. The story explores themes of friendship, resilience, and Greek mythology with paranormal elements suitable for readers aged 13 and up. Parents should note the book includes depictions of magical punishment and dark mythological settings but handles these with a focus on adventure and emotional growth.
Why we rated Face of Death 12ME
Face of Death is written at a Level 8 reading level across 401 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Face of Death works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate Face of Death 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, Face of Death explores fantasy world-building, friendship, coming of age, paranormal fiction, and greek mythology — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about fantasy world-building, 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 — 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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781937053932
- Pages
- 401
- Publisher
- Spencer Hill Press
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction