Three-quarters dead

Name: Three-quarters dead
Author: Richard Peck
ISBN: 9780803734548

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Richard Peck

Reading Level 3 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 13+ Matched

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Here's a secret: Kerry thought she had finally found friends when three popular girls invited her to join their group. But then, something strange and spooky happens, and everything changes. And that's only the beginning.

Themes

FriendshipHorror stories

Quick Assessment

Kerry, a lonely high school sophomore, is thrilled when the most popular girls in school invite her into their clique, but their sudden deaths in a car accident turn her new life into a nightmare of eerie, escalating supernatural events. The story deals with grief, peer pressure, and fear, with ghostly threats that grow more menacing and a car crash that is described in some detail. It suits older teen readers who handle horror and suspense well, and it leaves some questions about what is real open at the end.

Why we rated Three-quarters dead LE (Mild)

Three-quarters dead is written at a Level 3 reading level across 193 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 Three-quarters dead as LE (Mild, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.

Thematically, Three-quarters dead weaves together friendship and horror stories.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, horror stories.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Mild

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

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?