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)
(4) Base Camp
While the sentences in Graceling are complex at times, the vocabulary is pretty basic, and you won't have to work very hard to understand what's happening from one minute to the next. In fact, you'll probably get so wrapped up in the action and the drama that you zoom through a lot of the book pretty quickly.
But there's more to this book than breaking arms and uncovering sinister plots—it's actually quite philosophical and it deals with some big questions around gender, identity, marriage, and masculinity. So yeah—you'll have to make it to base camp, get your tent set up, and be ready for the next leg of the journey if you want to get the most out of this one.