Ghostsmith
Nicki Pau Preto
Ghostsmith
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
The Thrilling Sequel to the Epic Sunday Times Bestseller Bonesmith
by Nicki Pau Preto
The text is written at a 8th 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
There's a secret world where the living and the undead collide, and Wren holds the key to their fate. Her friends stand by her side, but dark forces threaten everything they know. And that's only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
Ghostsmith is the thrilling conclusion to the House of the Dead Duology, featuring Wren and her friends as they confront both living enemies and the undead to protect their world. Suitable for middle-grade readers, it offers action-packed adventure with themes of friendship and bravery. Parents should note the presence of supernatural elements and mild peril.
Why we rated Ghostsmith 12ME
Ghostsmith is written at a Level 8 reading level across 448 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Ghostsmith works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate Ghostsmith 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 — 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, Ghostsmith explores friendship, adventure, and fantasy world-building — 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 friendship, adventure, fantasy world-building.
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
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781399722407
- Pages
- 448
- Publisher
- Hodderscape
- Published
- 2024
- Type
- Fiction