Faking perfect
Rebecca Phillips
Faking perfect
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Rebecca Phillips
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
The sharp click of high heels echoes down the school hallway, mixing with whispers and secrets. Lexi wears a mask of perfection, but hidden behind closed doors are tangled friendships, secret dates, and a family struggling to stay together. Can she keep her carefully crafted world from unraveling?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel delves into the challenges faced by a teenage girl balancing complex relationships, family struggles, and personal secrets. It explores themes of family dynamics, teenage dating, and the pressures of maintaining appearances. Suitable for ages 9-12, parents should note the presence of mature family issues, including parental neglect and substance use, handled with sensitivity.
Why we rated Faking perfect 11IE
Faking perfect is written at a Level 6 reading level across 250 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Faking perfect works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Faking perfect as 11IE ("Intense — 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, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Parental Neglect, Substance Use.
Thematically, Faking perfect explores family, teenage girls, dating, friendship, and family life — 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 family, teenage girls, dating.
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
11IE — Intense — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
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
- 9781617738807
- Pages
- 250
- Publisher
- Kensington
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction