Flicker and mist

Name: Flicker and mist
Author: Mary G. Thompson
ISBN: 9780544648401

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

A Novel

by Mary G. Thompson

Reading Level 3-4 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 13+ Heads Up

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

What if you had a secret power that could make you invisible? Imagine being caught between two worlds—one where you belong because of your family, and another where your magic makes you a target. Which side would you choose when danger is closing in?

Themes

FantasyAdventureLoveIdentity & Self-Discovery MulticulturalPersecution

Quick Assessment

Myra is a teen of mixed heritage who can turn invisible, a gift her Flickerkin people are persecuted for, so she hides it even from the leader's son she is falling for. When invisible people begin committing murders, her secret becomes a danger to her life and her relationships, forcing hard choices about loyalty and identity. Expect fantasy violence, deaths, romance, and sustained tension around persecution, with the story focused on intrigue and self-discovery rather than graphic detail.

Why we rated Flicker and mist ME (Moderate)

Flicker and mist is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 377 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.

We rate Flicker and mist as ME (Moderate, mostly 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, 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, Flicker and mist explores fantasy, adventure, love, identity & self-discovery, and multicultural — 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 fantasy, adventure, love.

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

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Moderate

Thematic

Moderate

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?