We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)
(2) Sea Level
We're not going to lie: Maniac deals with some serious topics. But even though death, loss, hatred and fear all play a role in the book, Maniac is still a kid, and he approaches these roadblocks in his journey like a normal kid, in normal-kid language. (Except for the running hundreds of miles, of course.)