The hand

Name: The hand
Author: Guy de Maupassant
ISBN: 0886825024

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Guy de Maupassant

Creative Short Stories

Reading Level 6-7 IP · Intense · Physical Ages 13+ Matched Page-Turner

The text is written at a 6th 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, IP, means intense content, mostly physical.

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About This Book

A chilling tale unfolds when a man is discovered strangled in his own home, just as the severed hand he kept mounted on his wall vanishes without a trace. Dark secrets and eerie mysteries intertwine in this suspenseful story that will keep readers on edge until the final, haunting moments.

Themes

Horror

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 6-7 book with intense content intensity. Content themes include domestic violence, needles/syringes, sexual content. Written for readers ages 13+.

Why we rated The hand IP (Intense)

The hand is written at a Level 6-7 reading level across 32 pages (approximately 2,204 words). 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.

Read aloud, The hand takes about 15 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.

We rate The hand as IP (Intense, mostly physical) because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from physical peril — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Domestic Violence, Needles/Syringes, Sexual Content, Sad Ending.

Thematically, The hand centers on horror.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about horror.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there are 3 more books in the Creative Short Stories series.

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 who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.

For Parents

Content Intensity

IP · Intense · Physical

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Intense ←

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading 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.