The bargaining
Carly Anne West
The bargaining
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Carly Anne West
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.
We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.
About This Book
Penny’s heart races as she steps into the shadowy forest, the old house looming ahead. Strange whispers and unseen eyes make every creak and rustle feel dangerous. When Penny discovers a chilling link to missing children, she realizes escaping might not be so simple...
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade supernatural fiction follows Penny, a girl coping with grief and guilt after a friend's death, as she moves to live with her father and stepmother. The story explores themes of loss and mental health against a backdrop of mysterious happenings tied to missing children in a forest setting. Suitable for ages 9-12, it contains suspenseful elements that may be intense for sensitive readers.
Why we rated The bargaining 12ME
The bargaining is written at a Level 8 reading level across 403 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The bargaining works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate The bargaining 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 — 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, The bargaining explores supernatural, missing children, forests and forestry, family, and mental health — 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, missing children, forests and forestry.
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
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
Similar Books
Based on content and theme analysis
The wood
Chelsea Bobulski
The wood
Chelsea Bobulski
Fatal Bargain
Caroline B. Cooney
Fatal Bargain
Caroline B. Cooney
Forest of whispers
Jennifer Murgia
Forest of whispers
Jennifer Murgia
The hollowing
Robert Holdstock
The hollowing
Robert Holdstock
The Dark of the Woods
Ellen Datlow, Terri Windling
The Dark of the Woods
Ellen Datlow, Terri Windling
Where the woods end
Charlotte Salter
Where the woods end
Charlotte Salter
Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781442441828
- Pages
- 403
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction