#MurderTrending
Gretchen McNeil
#MurderTrending
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Gretchen McNeil
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
The cold, eerie clang of metal gates echoes through the shadowy halls of Alcatraz 2.0, a prison turned streaming stage where every move is watched. Seventeen-year-old Dee wakes up disoriented, surrounded by danger and suspicion, fighting to clear her name before the world witnesses her fall. Fear and hope tangle as she and a daring group race against time—can they survive the deadly game unfolding live?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set in a near-future dystopia, this middle-grade thriller follows Dee Guerrera, a teenager wrongfully imprisoned and fighting for survival on a reality TV-style death row. The story explores themes of social media influence, justice, and friendship under extreme pressure. Suitable for ages 9-12, it contains suspenseful scenes and discussions of crime and punishment, but no graphic violence.
Why we rated #MurderTrending 12ME
#MurderTrending is written at a Level 7 reading level across 339 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, #MurderTrending works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate #MurderTrending 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, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mild Peril, Suspense.
Thematically, #MurderTrending explores social media, survival, friendship, justice, and dystopian — 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 social media, survival, friendship.
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.
Content Flags
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
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781368010023
- Pages
- 339
- Publisher
- Freeform
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction