Dark Side of the Moon
William Corlett
Dark Side of the Moon
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by William Corlett
The text is written at a 4th 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
Here's a secret: a boy vanishes from his school with no ransom note—only a chilling message that society should rot. Meanwhile, far away on a lonely moon mission, an astronaut battles fears no one knows about. But that's only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This novel weaves together a mysterious kidnapping of a teenage boy and the intense experience of an astronaut on a solo moon flight. The dual narratives explore suspense, fear, and the unknown, suitable for older teens due to thematic complexity and tension. Parents should note the book contains themes of crime and psychological suspense without graphic violence.
Why we rated Dark Side of the Moon 9ME
Dark Side of the Moon is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 147 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Dark Side of the Moon works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Dark Side of the Moon 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 Side of the Moon explores mystery, adventure, thriller, coming of age, and science & nature — 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 mystery, adventure, thriller.
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
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
3/10A 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
- 9781448119202
- Pages
- 147
- Publisher
- Random House
- Published
- 2012
- Type
- Fiction