The broken road
B. R. Collins
The broken road
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by B. R. Collins
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
Ario is a Cheat who creates secret codes to beat the Maze, a game that's more than just pixels and screens. When Rick, once a gamerunner, is forced into a world of acid rain and wild gangs, their unlikely friendship sparks a fight against the powerful Crater Inc. But can two kids really take on a company that controls everything?
Quick Assessment
Set in a dystopian world where a mysterious game called the Maze dominates life, this middle-grade fiction follows Ario and Rick as they navigate danger and form an alliance to challenge a corrupt corporation. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story includes themes of friendship, survival, and resistance with some depictions of peril and violence that parents should note. The book explores complex social issues in an engaging way appropriate for middle-grade readers.
Why we rated The broken road 12ME
The broken road is written at a Level 7 reading level across 341 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The broken road works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate The broken road 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 — 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 broken road explores adventure, friendship, survival, science & nature, and fantasy world-building — 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 adventure, friendship, survival.
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
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781408806494
- Pages
- 341
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Published
- 2012
- Type
- Fiction