Tough-O-Meter

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)

(7) Snow Line

When it comes down to it, Bomb is a pretty difficult read. The prose itself isn't that hard to understand, but there are more characters to keep track of than in A Game of Thrones. Okay, not really—nobody creates more characters than George R.R. Martin, but you can catch our drift. With so names to keep straight, plus a bounty of subplots dealing with spies and double agents, things can get pretty confusing. It's also necessary to have a basic idea of physics and how atoms work, so if splitting molecules isn't something you do in your spare time, this book is a bit of a challenge.

As always, fear not—we're here to help.