City of lies
Lian Tanner
City of lies
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Lian Tanner
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
Goldie slips through the crowded streets, heart pounding as shadows close in. Toadspit's sister has vanished, and now Toadspit himself is taken too. With every step deeper into the Festival of Lies, Goldie realizes no one is what they seem—will her tricks be enough to save them all?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade adventure follows Goldie, a skilled young thief, as she navigates a dangerous city to rescue her kidnapped friend and his sister. The story includes themes of bravery, loyalty, and deception, set against a backdrop of mystery and peril. Suitable for ages 9 to 12, the book contains mild peril and complex social interactions but is appropriate for readers who enjoy suspenseful tales.
Why we rated City of lies 11ME
City of lies is written at a Level 6 reading level across 278 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, City of lies works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate City of lies as 11ME ("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, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Kidnapping, Mild Peril.
Thematically, City of lies explores adventure, friendship, mystery, kidnapping, and deception — 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, friendship, mystery.
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
11ME — 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
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780375859793
- Pages
- 278
- Publisher
- Yearling
- Published
- 2012
- Type
- Fiction