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
Since this story takes place in a contemporary town in the good ol' U.S. of A, most young readers will have no trouble getting into the language and the characters. Our tale does deal with some tough subjects—suicide, drug addiction, inappropriate teacher-student relationships—and takes some mysterious twists and turns along the way, but so long as you stay alert, you'll have no trouble keeping up as we hunt for the truth about Amy's untimely demise.