Haunted
James Patterson
Haunted
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by James Patterson
The text is written at a 7th 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
Detective Michael Bennett is about to face a mystery that chills even the bravest hearts. A quiet town hides dark secrets, and only he can uncover the truth before more kids disappear. But can he solve the case when no one wants to talk—and danger lurks in every shadow?
Quick Assessment
Haunted follows Detective Michael Bennett as he investigates a series of disturbing crimes in a small Maine town while grappling with his own family's struggles. Suitable for middle-grade readers, the book explores themes of missing children, crime, and family challenges with some intense moments but no graphic content. Parents should note it contains suspenseful scenes and deals with serious topics such as trauma and crime.
Why we rated Haunted 12ME
Haunted is written at a Level 7 reading level across 366 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Haunted works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Haunted 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, Haunted explores police, missing children, family, mystery, and crime — 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 police, missing children, 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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780316508841
- Pages
- 366
- Publisher
- Little, Brown
- Published
- 2017-09
- Type
- Fiction