This splintered silence
Kayla Olson
This splintered silence
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Kayla Olson
The text is written at a 7th 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
The hum of the space station fills your ears, cold metal under your fingertips as you race through dim corridors. Lindley is the last hope aboard Lusca, trying to keep everything together when a deadly virus strikes again. Every breath feels heavier—can she save her crew before the silence swallows them all?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade sci-fi thriller follows Lindley Hamilton, a young leader on a space station struggling to survive after a deadly virus has claimed many lives. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story explores themes of survival, leadership, and trust amid a gripping mystery about a possible viral mutation or a hidden killer. Parents should note the presence of illness and death as key plot elements.
Why we rated This splintered silence 12ME
This splintered silence is written at a Level 7 reading level across 357 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, This splintered silence works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate This splintered silence 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.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, This splintered silence explores survival, science & nature, mystery, adventure, and space stations — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about survival, science & nature, 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
12ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
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
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780062484901
- Pages
- 357
- Publisher
- HarperTeen
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction