The game
Teresa Toten
The game
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Teresa Toten
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.
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About This Book
After struggling with substance abuse, Dani begins her journey to healing in a treatment center where she faces the challenge of confronting her deepest emotional wounds. Along the way, she finds the courage to rebuild her life and rediscover hope for the future.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 4 book with intense content intensity. Note: content intensity (Intense) exceeds what the reading level might suggest. Content themes include substance use, emotional: loss & grief, emotional: mental health. Written for readers ages 13+.
Why we rated The game 9IE
The game is written at a Level 4 reading level across 208 pages (approximately 47,006 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The game works for readers up to grade 6.0.
Read aloud, The game runs about 5.2 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate The game as 9IE ("Intense — 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, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Substance Use, Emotional: Loss & Grief, Emotional: Mental Health.
Thematically, The game explores family, coming of age, mental health, and addiction recovery — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, coming of age, mental health.
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.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9IE — Intense — EmotionalHeavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780889952324
- Pages
- 208
- Publisher
- Calgary : Red Deer Press
- Published
- 2001
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 47,006
- Read-Aloud
- ~5h 13m
- Text Density
- Standard