Dickens & Rumi

book

If I Close My Eyes Now

Age rating, content warnings & parent guide

Edney Silvestre · 2013

Is If I Close My Eyes Now appropriate for your child? See the reviewed age guidance, content cautions, positive themes, and supporting evidence below.

Explore the age guidance, content cautions, positive qualities, and supporting notes for If I Close My Eyes Now by Edney Silvestre. This book is content notes include Death of a character, Frightening scenes, Graphic injury; positive qualities include Courage & resilience, Diverse representation.

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10-second decision

Is this likely to fit your family?

Age guidanceNot listed
Strongest cautionsDeath of a character 3/5 · Frightening scenes 3/5 · Graphic injury 3/5
Strongest positivesCourage & resilience 3/5 · Diverse representation 3/5
Recommendation2.8/5

Courage & resilience; strongest caution: death of a character.

This is the quick scan. Open the evidence and methodology below for the basis behind each rating.

Quick context

What parents should know

Courage & resilience; strongest caution: death of a character.

Readiness snapshotMain watch-out: Death of a character 3/5
Recommendation 2.8/5

Editorial rating

How this review was built

Dickens & Rumi editorial
Source checkedPublication method
17Scored categories
17Evidence notes
0Explicit 0/5 checks
Oct 24, 2026Last updated

Dickens & Rumi describes what is present; families decide what matters to them. Community reactions are kept separate from official content ratings.

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Review depth17 scored categories17 evidence notes
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At a glance

Recommended ageNot listed

Strongest cautions

  • Death of a character3/5
  • Frightening scenes3/5
  • Graphic injury3/5

Strongest positives

  • Courage & resilience3/5
  • Diverse representation3/5
  • Positive messages3/5

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What’s in it?

Death of a character3/5
Why this rating?

The mystery is centered on the murder of a woman, with themes of grief and loss impacting the main characters.

Graphic injury3/5
Why this rating?

The nature of the crime involves graphic descriptions of the physical state of the victim.

Strong language3/5
Why this rating?

Strong language consistent with realistic adult crime fiction.

LGBTQIA characters1/5
Why this rating?

LGBTQIA-related themes may appear as part of the novel’s social commentary, but they do not seem central to the plot.

Religious themes1/5
Why this rating?

Religious ideas may shape the historical Brazilian setting, but faith and religious practice do not appear to be a major focus.

Romance2/5
Why this rating?

Romantic elements are present as background to the social and political dynamics.

Frightening scenes3/5
Why this rating?

Atmosphere of tension and suspense created by the investigation into a dangerous killer.

Sexual content & nudity2/5
Why this rating?

Some adult themes and character histories involve sexual elements typical of noir-style fiction.

Alcohol or drugs2/5
Why this rating?

Alcohol consumption is depicted as part of the social setting.

Violence3/5
Why this rating?

The discovery of a mutilated murder victim is a central inciting incident with descriptions of violence.

What’s good in it?

Courage & resilience3/5
Why this rating?

The boys' decision to investigate danger and challenge entrenched injustice makes principled courage central to the story.

Creativity & curiosity2/5
Why this rating?

The investigative premise encourages observation, questioning, and inference, though imaginative creativity is less central than moral inquiry.

Diverse representation3/5
Why this rating?

The novel gives substantial attention to racial, class, regional, and social differences in mid-century Brazil, including prejudice and unequal power.

Educational value2/5
Why this rating?

The story offers insight into Brazilian history, racism, class structures, authoritarian politics, and social injustice through fiction.

Kindness & empathy2/5
Why this rating?

Occasional acts of empathy in a difficult environment.

Positive messages3/5
Why this rating?

It strongly explores justice, racism, class privilege, corruption, truth-seeking, and the consequences of silence and abuse of power.

Good role models2/5
Why this rating?

The young protagonists show curiosity and moral courage, while adults are portrayed with substantial ambiguity and failure.

Family discussion

Talk about it

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

  1. What did courage look like in this story? Was being brave always the same as being fearless?
  2. How did the story approach death or loss? What helped the characters cope?
  3. Which choice in If I Close My Eyes Now would you have made differently, and why?
  4. Who changed the most in If I Close My Eyes Now, and what caused that change?
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Community perspective — separate from editorial ratings

What families noticed

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