This is a young reader. Gretel is a detective and is accompanied by her idiot (most of the book drunk) brother Hans. It is a fun little mystery, albeit there is a brothel and lots of drinking. I would place the book in young teens as far as entertainment value, but warn against the afore mentioned items. Sensitive children might be put off by those scenes and the acts of a few of the characters. I would put this book at a PG-13 and would recommend you read it before suggesting it to anyone of that age for appropriateness.