The drowning ground
James Marrison
The drowning ground
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Novel
by James Marrison
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
What if two girls vanished without a trace in a quiet town? Chief Inspector Downes, far from his home in Argentina, holds a promise to find them. But years later, a mysterious death might unlock secrets no one expected.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade mystery follows Chief Inspector Downes as he investigates the disappearance of two girls in a small English town and the eventual discovery of a local man's death that may be connected. The story explores themes of loss, determination, and crime investigation suitable for ages 9-12. While it involves missing children and crime, the content is handled with sensitivity, making it appropriate for middle-grade readers interested in suspenseful, thoughtful mysteries.
Why we rated The drowning ground 12ME
The drowning ground is written at a Level 7 reading level across 370 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The drowning ground works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate The drowning ground 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.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Missing Children, Crime.
Thematically, The drowning ground explores investigation, police, missing children, crime against children, and mystery — 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 investigation, police, missing children.
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.
Content Flags
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
- 9781250054197
- Pages
- 370
- Publisher
- Macmillan
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction