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)
(5) Tree Line
It's not that the language in Where Things Come Back is particularly difficult to read; after all, this is a book in which our narrator is your typical seventeen-year-old boy from a small town. He speaks plainly, curses, and talks about hot girls a lot. But the themes make it more challenging—we're dealing with heavy hitters like growing up, death, and even the existence (or non-existence) of a higher power. That's all deep stuff to take in, which means there's ample food for thought.