Master of Murder cover

Reading Metrics

Grade Level Upper Grades (UG 9-12)
Book Level 4.8
Points 6.0
Fiction/Nonfiction Fiction
Word Count 42860
Points per Word 0.00014
Page Count 198
Points per Page 0.030303

Description

A high school boy who writes best-selling fiction under a pen name starts getting fan mail from his home town claiming to know who he is and to expose him.

Quick Summary

The premise is genuinely fun - a teenager secretly publishing best-selling books while pretending to be a mysterious adult author, only to have people in his own hometown start to figure out the truth. This creates a wonderful tension between maintaining the lie and the fear of being exposed, which drives the story forward in really entertaining ways. It's a great pick for teens who love clever stories about secret identities and high school drama, especially anyone who enjoys humor mixed with their mystery. Parents can rest easy knowing it's more lighthearted than the title might suggest - it's really about social pressures and the comedy of getting caught up in something bigger than you expected rather than anything genuinely scary. Anyone who's ever dreamed of pulling off a secret that's gotten a little out of hand will find something to love here, and reluctant readers often gravitate toward the fast pace and relatable stakes. If you've ever imagined having to juggle a double life at school, this one will hit different.