Frozen
Erin Bowman
Frozen
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
a taken novel
by Erin Bowman
The text is written at a 7th 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
Crunching snow fills the air as Gray and his friends trudge through a vast frozen wasteland, their breath misting in the icy air. The cold bites sharply, but the fire of rebellion burns hotter as they uncover secrets that could change everything. Every step forward is a step deeper into danger—and hope.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Frozen is the second installment in Erin Bowman's Taken trilogy, blending dystopian sci-fi with thrilling adventure suitable for ages 9-12. The story follows Gray Weathersby and his rebel group as they navigate a harsh frozen landscape to uncover dark secrets and fight against a corrupt regime. Themes of courage, loyalty, and perseverance are woven throughout, with some suspenseful and intense moments appropriate for middle-grade readers.
Why we rated Frozen 12ME
Frozen is written at a Level 7 reading level across 359 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Frozen works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Frozen as 12ME ("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, physical peril — 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, Frozen explores fantasy, adventure, brothers, friendship, and survival — 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 fantasy, adventure, brothers.
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
12ME — 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
2/10A 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
- 9780062117298
- Pages
- 359
- Publisher
- HarperTeen
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction