The housewife and the assassin
Susan Trott
The housewife and the assassin
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Susan Trott
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
Augusta Gray is not your ordinary housewife—she's about to become a runner, a writer, and an unlikely target for a mysterious assassin. As she races through Marin County, secrets and danger close in, showing that even the quietest lives can hide the wildest adventures. What will happen when a peaceful life collides with a deadly chase?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Augusta Gray, a housewife who takes up running and begins writing a jogging book, only to become entangled with an old friend and a dangerous assassin. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story explores themes of personal transformation, risk, and secrecy, with some mature elements such as infidelity and suspenseful danger. Parents should note the presence of an adult affair and thriller aspects, though presented in a way appropriate for middle-grade readers.
Why we rated The housewife and the assassin 11ME
The housewife and the assassin is written at a Level 6 reading level across 264 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The housewife and the assassin works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The housewife and the assassin as 11ME ("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, physical peril, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Infidelity, Mild Suspense.
Thematically, The housewife and the assassin explores family, adventure, mystery, 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, adventure, mystery.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — 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
3/10A 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
- 0312393466
- Pages
- 264
- Publisher
- St. Martin's Press
- Published
- 1979
- Type
- Fiction