The dare
Hannah Jayne
The dare
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Hannah Jayne
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
The cold splash of water sends shivers down Bryn's spine as she plunges into the dark lake. The night is silent except for her frantic breaths and the distant lapping of waves against the pier. But when she breaks the surface, Erica is gone—and the shadows of that night won't fade away.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction explores deep themes of grief, loss, and guilt as Bryn copes with the disappearance of her best friend Erica after a dangerous dare. The story sensitively handles emotional trauma and friendship, making it suitable for readers aged 9-12 who are ready to engage with complex feelings. Parents should be aware that the book deals with intense emotional content surrounding death and loss.
Why we rated The dare 11IE
The dare is written at a Level 6 reading level across 280 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The dare works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The dare as 11IE ("Intense — 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 dare explores grief, death, guilt, best friends, and friendship — 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 grief, death, guilt.
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
11IE — Intense — 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
- 9781402294570
- Pages
- 280
- Publisher
- Sourcebooks Casablanca
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction