Sick
Tom Leveen
Sick
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Tom Leveen
The text is written at a 6th 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
What if a mysterious virus suddenly turns your whole school into scary, bloodthirsty creatures? Imagine being one of the few misfits who might be the only hope to survive the chaos. Can Brian and his friends face their fears and uncover the truth before it's too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Sick is a middle-grade horror fiction novel about a deadly virus outbreak that transforms classmates and teachers into aggressive attackers. Targeted at ages 9-12, the story explores themes of friendship, survival, and self-discovery amid frightening circumstances. Parents should be aware of the horror elements and mild peril that might be intense for sensitive readers.
Why we rated Sick 11ME
Sick is written at a Level 6 reading level across 271 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Sick works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Sick as 11ME ("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, Sick explores friendship, survival, social issues, horror & ghost stories, and virus diseases — 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, survival, social issues.
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
11ME — 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
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781419708053
- Pages
- 271
- Publisher
- Harry N. Abrams
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction