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Mary

Hillary Monahan

Cover of Mary

Mary

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

unleashed

by Hillary Monahan

Reading Level 6 11LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

There’s a secret about Mary Worth that no one dares to speak—except Jess, who accidentally woke her up. Jess thought it was just a spooky game, but now Mary’s ghost won’t stop chasing her. And that’s only the beginning.

Themes

SupernaturalHorror storiesFriendshipGhostsJuvenile fiction

Quick Assessment

Mary is a middle-grade supernatural horror story about Jess and her friends confronting a vengeful ghost named Mary Worth. The book explores themes of friendship and courage while delivering spooky thrills appropriate for ages 9 to 12. Parents should note some ghostly scares and tense moments typical of mild horror fiction for this age group.

Why we rated Mary 11LE

Mary is written at a Level 6 reading level across 229 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Mary works for readers up to grade 8.0.

We rate Mary as 11LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.

Thematically, Mary explores supernatural, horror stories, friendship, ghosts, and juvenile fiction — 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 supernatural, horror stories, friendship.

Maybe not for

  • ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.

For Parents

Content Intensity

11LE — Light — Emotional
Emotional
Light
Physical
Light
Social
Clear
Thematic
Light

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

1/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

1/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
5
Emotional Weight
4
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

229 pages
ISBN
9781423185390
Pages
229
Publisher
Disney-Hyperion
Published
2015
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

SupernaturalHorror StoriesFriendshipGhostsHorror & Ghost StoriesLegends, Myths, Fables