Very in pieces
Megan Frazer Blakemore
Very in pieces
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Megan Frazer Blakemore
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
Very Sayles-Woodruff is the math whiz in a family full of artists, but when her grandmother gets very sick, her perfect world starts to fall apart. Suddenly, she's ditching her steady boyfriend for a mysterious rebel and facing secrets that change everything. What if the strange sculpture growing on her house holds the key to saving her family?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade coming-of-age novel explores the emotional challenges of a responsible girl coping with her grandmother's terminal illness and a family in crisis. It deals with themes of family dysfunction, adolescent identity, and coping with loss, making it suitable for readers aged 9-12 who are ready to explore complex emotional topics. Parents should note some references to drinking and relationship changes but no explicit content.
Why we rated Very in pieces 12ME
Very in pieces is written at a Level 7 reading level across 374 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Very in pieces works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Very in pieces 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 — 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, Very in pieces explores coming of age, family, emotional problems of teenagers, life change events, and teenage girls — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about coming of age, family, emotional problems of teenagers.
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.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A 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
- 9780062348395
- Pages
- 374
- Publisher
- HarperTeen
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction