Dickens & Rumi

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See what I have done

Sarah Schmidt · 2017

Explore the age guidance, content cautions, positive qualities, and supporting notes for See what I have done by Sarah Schmidt. This book is content notes include Death of a character, Frightening scenes, Graphic injury; positive qualities include Creativity & curiosity, Positive messages.

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At a glance

Recommended ageNot listed

Strongest cautions

  • Death of a character5/5
  • Frightening scenes4/5
  • Graphic injury4/5

Strongest positives

  • Creativity & curiosity3/5
  • Positive messages3/5
  • Courage & resilience1/5

What’s in it?

Death of a character5/5
Why this rating?

The deaths of Andrew and Abby Borden are central to the plot, with attention to grief, shock, motive, and aftermath.

Graphic injury4/5
Why this rating?

The book features visceral and bloody depictions of injury and death.

Strong language2/5
Why this rating?

Period-appropriate but mild profanity is used; harsh thematic content.

Religious themes2/5
Why this rating?

Religious influence and hypocrisy are themes in the 19th-century context.

Romance1/5
Why this rating?

Brief or incidental romantic elements exist but are not the focus.

Frightening scenes4/5
Why this rating?

The narrative is highly tense, unsettling, and psychologically disturbing.

Sexual content & nudity2/5
Why this rating?

Minor references to uncomfortable or illicit sexual themes.

Alcohol or drugs2/5
Why this rating?

Minor mentions of alcohol use typical for the setting.

Violence4/5
Why this rating?

The novel centers on domestic violence, assault, coercion, and the murders of Andrew and Abby Borden; violence is serious rather than playful.

What’s good in it?

Courage & resilience1/5
Why this rating?

Characters act out of desperation rather than bravery.

Creativity & curiosity3/5
Why this rating?

Its multiple narrators and imaginative reconstruction of an unresolved historical crime encourage perspective-taking and literary interpretation.

Diverse representation1/5
Why this rating?

Focuses on a specific 19th-century family dynamic.

Educational value1/5
Why this rating?

Offers a fictionalized, atmospheric look at historical events.

Kindness & empathy1/5
Why this rating?

Kindness is rare and often undermined by suspicion and hatred.

Positive messages3/5
Why this rating?

A bleak exploration of how abuse, secrecy, resentment, and family dysfunction damage people; it offers insight rather than a simple moral lesson or clearly positive resolution.

Good role models1/5
Why this rating?

Characters are deeply flawed and unstable; not intended as moral examples.

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Conversation starters based on this title’s published content notes.

  1. What was the most imaginative idea in the story, and what would you add to it?
  2. How did the story approach death or loss? What helped the characters cope?
  3. Which choice in See what I have done would you have made differently, and why?
  4. Who changed the most in See what I have done, and what caused that change?
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