This is heavy-duty content considering the recommended age level, dark and hopeless, but good historical fiction. I wouldn't necessarily recommend letting a ten-year-old reading it entirely on his or her own. However, it's well-written and educational. While killing is understood to be happening, it is not depicted. The story provided a short but unforgettable education for our children and ongoing family discussion material. "Communism is just stupid," to quote my eight-year-old son. Personally, I was intrigued by how the author packed so much information and feeling into a two day span.