A land of permanent goodbyes
Atia Abawi
A land of permanent goodbyes
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Atia Abawi
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
What would you do if your home suddenly became a place of danger? Tareq's world is shattered by bombs, forcing him and his family to flee to a city ruled by a fierce group called Daesh. Can courage and hope survive in the darkest times?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Tareq, a young boy who survives war in Syria and embarks on a perilous journey through conflict zones and refugee routes. The book addresses themes of family, resilience, and the impact of war, suitable for readers aged 9-12 who are ready to engage with serious topics in an age-appropriate way. Parents should note it includes depictions of violence and displacement but handles them with sensitivity and a hopeful perspective.
Why we rated A land of permanent goodbyes 11IE
A land of permanent goodbyes is written at a Level 6 reading level across 279 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, A land of permanent goodbyes works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate A land of permanent goodbyes as 11IE ("Intense — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: War & Conflict, Displacement.
Thematically, A land of permanent goodbyes explores family, refugees, war & conflict, resilience, and multicultural — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, refugees, war & conflict.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11IE — Intense — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
5/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780399546839
- Pages
- 279
- Publisher
- Penguin
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction