Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
The telling
Alexandra Sirowy
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.
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About This Book
Lana races through the shadowy streets, heart pounding as whispers of her brother’s chilling tales come to life in her town. Each new mystery pulls her deeper into danger, and just when she thinks she’s safe, a terrifying secret is about to be revealed.
Themes
Quick Assessment
After a string of murders mirrors the dark tales her dead stepbrother used to tell, a teen named Lana must confront her buried past in their small island town. Expect bloody crime scenes, deaths that feel like fairy-tale horror, grief over a lost sibling, and some teen kissing and risky behavior. It suits older teens who handle thrillers well, and it is more intense than a typical mystery.
Why we rated The telling ME (Moderate)
The telling is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 387 pages. 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.
We rate The telling as ME (Moderate, mostly 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 — 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 telling explores grief, self-actualization, murder, brothers and sisters, and fiction — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about grief, self-actualization, murder.
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
ME · Moderate · EmotionalReading 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
Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781481418898
- Pages
- 387
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction