Arch enemy

Name: Arch enemy
Author: Paul Hoblin
ISBN: 9781467703062

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Paul Hoblin

Reading Level 4-5 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 13+ Balanced Read

The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Addie used to be the unstoppable defender on her soccer team, but now her biggest challenge is her former best friend turned rival. Eva’s sudden mean notes and sneaky plays threaten more than just the game—it’s a battle of friendship and trust. Can Addie hold onto her spot and figure out what matters most?

Challenged Book

About & Banning Context

Ages 13+

In "Archenemy," Addie is a dedicated defender for the Fraser High girls' soccer team, but her biggest challenge comes from within her own team. Once best friends with Eva Riley, their relationship soured when Addie prioritized soccer over a potential romantic connection. Now, Eva's jealousy manifests in mean notes and sabotaging Addie's performance on the field. As tensions rise, Addie grapples with whether she wants to mend their friendship while also fighting to maintain her position on the team amidst the chaos. This book explores the pressures of high-level sports, friendship dynamics, and the complexities of young relationships, making it relatable for readers interested in sports and adolescent drama.

Key Themes

friendship jealousy sports identity LGBTQ+ identity

Reviewed By

School Library Journal The Horn Book

Source: Unite Against Book Bans — Arch enemy

Themes

Friendship SportsTolerationLGBTQ+ Representation Coming of Age

Quick Assessment

Addie, a star defender on her high school girls soccer team, watches her close friendship with teammate Eva fall apart after she turns down Eva's wish for something more and chooses soccer instead. As Eva starts sending mean notes and undermining Addie's plays, the story follows the fallout on and off the field, with a focus on friendship, loyalty, and tolerance. Parents should know it includes a teen girl's romantic feelings for another girl, no explicit content, and hurtful, sabotage-driven conflict between teammates.

Why we rated Arch enemy LE (Mild)

Arch enemy is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 112 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.

We rate Arch enemy as LE (Mild, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Emotional: Identity & Self-Discovery, Emotional: Friendship, Emotional: Fear & Anxiety, Social: LGBTQ+ Representation.

Thematically, Arch enemy explores friendship, sports, toleration, lgbtq+ representation, and coming of age — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, sports, toleration.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.