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 book is written from the point of view of a thirteen-year-old girl, the language, ideas, and plot are easy enough to get. But even though Dicey is only a teenager, this doesn't mean her life is simple. Homecoming might be easy to follow and understand, but the themes in it—abandonment, survival, belonging, suffering—are pretty darn hardcore.