The Tenth Girl
Sara Faring
The Tenth Girl
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Sara Faring
The text is written at a 8th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
The cold wind howls through the haunted halls of an old Argentinian mansion, where shadows whisper secrets and the air feels thick with mystery. Mavi, a brave new teacher, senses something strange stirring in the night as her students start to disappear and strange voices fill the corridors. What dark curse hides beneath the school’s ancient walls, waiting to change everything?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set in a remote Argentinian finishing school, this young adult gothic thriller weaves supernatural elements with political history, following a young teacher fleeing a military regime. The story includes themes of suspense, psychological tension, and cultural folklore, suitable for mature teens ages 13 and up. Parents should be aware of eerie supernatural content and intense moments of mystery and psychological unease.
Why we rated The Tenth Girl 12ME
The Tenth Girl is written at a Level 8 reading level across 480 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Tenth Girl works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate The Tenth Girl 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, physical peril — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Fear & Anxiety, Mild Peril, Psychological Suspense.
Thematically, The Tenth Girl explores mystery, supernatural, family, coming of age, and cultural heritage — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about mystery, supernatural, family.
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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781250620828
- Pages
- 480
- Publisher
- Square Fish
- Published
- Sep 22, 2020
- Type
- Fiction