Exposure
Kim Askew
Exposure
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Kim Askew
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes.
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About This Book
Skye Kingston is just a quiet girl with a camera — but when a mysterious death shakes her school, her world flips upside down. With friends who see the future and a cheerleader who might be hiding dark secrets, Skye must uncover the truth before more danger strikes. Can she save herself and the boy she likes from a deadly fate?
Quick Assessment
Exposure is a middle-grade novel blending high school drama with a modern twist on Shakespeare's Macbeth, set in Alaska. It explores themes of popularity, friendship, and ambition, but also includes mature content such as death, animal abuse, and emotional manipulation. Suitable for ages 9-12, parents should note the presence of intense themes including a character's death, use of offensive language, and depictions of 9/11.
Why we rated Exposure 11IE
Exposure is written at a Level 6 reading level across 223 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Exposure works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Exposure as 11IE ("Intense — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Death, Animal Abuse, Offensive Language, Emotional Manipulation, 9/11 Depictions, Bodily Function.
Thematically, Exposure explores friendship, coming of age, family, mystery, and romance — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, coming of age, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 9-12 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11IE — Intense — EmotionalHeavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781440552618
- Pages
- 223
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2012
- Type
- Fiction