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Tough-O-Meter

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

With the exception of a few phrases in Russian ("komunalka" and "Amerikanetz") and some political terminology that you will want to have down cold ("Communist," "capitalist," and "communal"—be sure to use the helpful links we've provided), Breaking Stalin's Nose should be no problemo.

While this is an easy-peasy (and super fast!) read that's aimed at middle-grade readers, don't let the surface simplicity of Yelchin's prose pull one over on you. The novel deals with some pretty complex subject matter and how a ten-year-old boy deals with it.