Dark of the Future
Tamia Caudill
Dark of the Future
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Pray to Survive
by Tamia Caudill
The text is written at a 4th 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
What if the future was shadowed by a looming war that could tear everyone apart? Ziom and Mask are caught in a fierce rivalry, while Deimos, Monica, and Wonder struggle with their own troubles. And Camo? She doesn't even know about her mysterious past — but it might be the key to everything.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Dark of the Future is a middle-grade fantasy novel exploring themes of conflict, family secrets, and personal struggles amid a looming war. Suitable for ages 9 to 12, it contains mild tension related to interpersonal conflicts and the threat of war, all wrapped in an engaging fictional setting. Parents should be aware of themes involving rivalry and identity but no graphic content.
Why we rated Dark of the Future 9ME
Dark of the Future is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 126 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Dark of the Future works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Dark of the Future as 9ME ("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.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Dark of the Future explores fantasy world-building, war & conflict, family, friendship, and identity & self-discovery — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about fantasy world-building, war & conflict, family.
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
9ME — Moderate — 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
1/10A 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
- 9781737301691
- Pages
- 126
- Publisher
- SIP Publications, LLC
- Published
- 2021
- Type
- Fiction