Bruised
Tanya Boteju
Bruised
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Tanya Boteju
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
What if a bruise could tell the story of your heart? Daya finds herself caught between pain and power when she joins a roller derby team, where every fall and fight reveals something new about love and loss. Can she find the strength to heal before the next hit?
Quick Assessment
Bruised follows Daya, a teenager navigating grief and self-discovery through the intense world of roller derby. The novel explores themes of loss, healing, and LGBTQ identity, suitable for readers aged 13 and up. Parents should be aware of emotional themes related to bereavement and the challenges of adolescence depicted in the story.
Why we rated Bruised 12IE
Bruised is written at a Level 7 reading level across 368 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Bruised works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Bruised as 12IE ("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 — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Bruised explores lgbtq+ representation, coming of age, friendship, family, and sports — 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.
- ✓ 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 lgbtq+ representation, coming of age, friendship.
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
12IE — Intense — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781534455023
- Pages
- 368
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2021
- Type
- Fiction