Ace of Shades
Amanda Foody
Ace of Shades
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Amanda Foody
The text is written at a 8th 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
The City of Sin is alive with flashing lights and whispered dangers as Enne races through crowded casinos, her heart pounding. Her mother is missing, and every shadow could hide a secret—or a threat. Just when Enne thinks she’s found help in Levi, a street-smart con man, their world spins into a deadly game with no winners.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set in a richly imagined city ruled by casino families and gangs, this middle-grade fantasy follows Enne as she leaves her sheltered life to find her missing mother. The story explores themes of danger, trust, and identity, with some scenes involving crime and peril that may be intense for sensitive readers. Suitable for ages 9-12, it offers an adventurous and suspenseful narrative with mature undertones.
Why we rated Ace of Shades 12ME
Ace of Shades is written at a Level 8 reading level across 408 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Ace of Shades works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate Ace of Shades as 12ME ("Moderate — 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 — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mild Peril, Crime Elements.
Thematically, Ace of Shades explores adventure, mystery, family, fantasy world-building, and investigation — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, mystery, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12ME — Moderate — 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
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781335692290
- Pages
- 408
- Publisher
- Harlequin Enterprises, Limited
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction