Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
The cemetery boys
Zac Brewer
The cemetery boys
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Zac Brewer
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes. Its HootRating code, IE, means intense content, mostly emotional.
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About This Book
Stephen’s summer takes a strange turn the moment he steps into the spooky cemetery with punk girl Cara and her twin brother, Devon. The nights start fun, but soon the shadows grow darker, and Stephen wonders if Devon’s friendship is hiding something dangerous. What secrets lurk in the graveyard—and will Stephen escape before it’s too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
When Stephen's family is pushed to move in with his grandmother after his mom's hospital bills drain their savings, he finds a new friend in Devon, whose tight-knit group spends summer nights in the local cemetery. As that fun turns sinister, the story explores cult-like peer pressure, blind loyalty, and a few intense scenes of bullying, violence, a parent's abuse, and multiple deaths, including a major character, plus a dead animal and animal cruelty. Its romance is limited to a light crush, and the horror-tinged suspense suits older teens who can handle dark themes.
Why we rated The cemetery boys IE (Intense)
The cemetery boys is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 273 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.
We rate The cemetery boys as IE (Intense, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. 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: Abandonment, Parental Abuse, Bullying, Death of a Child, Death of a Major Character, Animal Death, Animal Abuse.
Thematically, The cemetery boys explores peer pressure, coming of age, family, friendship, and mystery — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about peer pressure, coming of age, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 13 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
For Parents
Content Intensity
IE · Intense · EmotionalReading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate
Heavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
5/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780062307880
- Pages
- 273
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction