Dangerous Lies

Name: Dangerous Lies
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
ISBN: 9781481424912

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Becca Fitzpatrick

Reading Level 3-4 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 13+ Heads Up

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

What would you do if you saw something no one else was supposed to see? Stella is hiding far from home, trying to stay safe while her world feels like it's falling apart. But when someone new shows up, can she trust him — or is danger closer than she thinks?

Themes

WitnessesYoung adult fictionLoveWitness protectionJuvenile fiction

Quick Assessment

This young adult novel follows Stella, a high school senior placed in witness protection after seeing a murder. The story explores themes of trust, safety, and young love as Stella navigates new surroundings and threats that challenge her sense of security. Suitable for teens 13 and older, it contains suspenseful moments and mild peril but no graphic violence.

Why we rated Dangerous Lies ME (Moderate)

Dangerous Lies is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 384 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 Dangerous Lies as ME (Moderate, mostly 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.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.

Thematically, Dangerous Lies explores witnesses, young adult fiction, love, witness protection, and juvenile fiction — 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 witnesses, young adult fiction, love.

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

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Moderate

Social

Mild

Thematic

Mild

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

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?