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)
(3) Base Camp
Nothing too tough here. There are a few challenging words here and there, but they never interfere with our ability to understand what's going on, partly because the major ideas—friendship, happiness, and such—are part of everyone's lives.
The most difficult parts of the book are probably the epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter—they can be head scratchers, but in a good way. The other tricky part? Adjusting to how it jumps from one character to another, like popcorn kernels.
Once you get the hang of it, it's really not hard to follow at all, though, and for those of you who like a little spontaneity in your reading, this structure will probably be refreshing.