Touch of death
Kelly Hashway
Touch of death
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Kelly Hashway
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
I’m about to tell you a secret: Jodi wasn’t always the girl who could bring the dead back to life with a single touch. She’s part of a hidden world of necromancers, descendants of Medusa, with powers so dangerous they could wipe out her entire kind. But that’s only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fantasy novel follows Jodi Marshall, a teenage girl who discovers she belongs to a secret group of necromancers with dangerous powers linked to the 13th zodiac sign. As she struggles to control her abilities and protect those she loves, she faces themes of identity, responsibility, and supernatural threats. The book is appropriate for ages 9-12 and contains fantasy violence and some suspenseful moments.
Why we rated Touch of death 11ME
Touch of death is written at a Level 6 reading level across 229 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Touch of death works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Touch of death 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 — 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, Touch of death explores fantasy, magic, teenage girls, friendship, and adventure — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about fantasy, magic, teenage girls.
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
11ME — 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
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781937053307
- Pages
- 229
- Publisher
- Spencer Hill Press
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction