Devilish
Maureen Johnson
Devilish
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Maureen Johnson
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
What would you give to be popular? Ally made a deal that changed everything, trading her soul for fame at school. Now Jane faces a dangerous choice to bring her friend back—can she beat the darkness before it's too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores themes of friendship and supernatural challenges within a Catholic school setting. Suitable for ages 9-12, it includes fictional elements of demonology and moral dilemmas related to popularity and sacrifice. Parents should note the presence of supernatural content and some tense moments as the story addresses the consequences of a soul-selling pact.
Why we rated Devilish 11ME
Devilish is written at a Level 6 reading level across 263 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Devilish works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Devilish 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.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Devilish explores friendship, supernatural, demonology, and catholic schools — 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 friendship, supernatural, demonology.
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
11ME — 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
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781595140609
- Pages
- 263
- Publisher
- Razorbill
- Published
- 2006
- Type
- Fiction