The clairvoyants
Karen Brown
The clairvoyants
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Novel
by Karen Brown
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 salty sea breeze carries whispers of secrets only Martha Mary can hear. On the family homestead where fog wraps the shore, she sees ghosts that no one else believes in. But when a mysterious visitor appears outside her window one icy afternoon, everything Martha thought she understood begins to unravel.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This gothic-tinged psychological suspense novel explores the life of a young girl with a mystical gift who struggles to escape her past and complicated family dynamics. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story touches on themes of sisterhood, mental health, and supernatural elements, with some emotional intensity and moments of suspense. Parents should be aware of mild peril and emotional complexity but will find a thoughtful exploration of identity and family.
Why we rated The clairvoyants 12ME
The clairvoyants is written at a Level 7 reading level across 331 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The clairvoyants works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate The clairvoyants 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, thematic difficulty — 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 clairvoyants explores sisters, ghost stories, psychological suspense, family, and coming of age — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about sisters, ghost stories, psychological suspense.
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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781627797054
- Pages
- 331
- Publisher
- Macmillan
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction