Genuine Fraud
E. Lockhart
Genuine Fraud
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by E. Lockhart
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes.
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About This Book
Jule and Imogen, two inseparable friends with a troubled past, navigate a world full of secrets and ambition as they chase their dreams of fortune and belonging. Their journey unfolds through memories that reveal the lengths they’ll go to change their destinies. Mystery and trust intertwine in this gripping tale of friendship and survival.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 4-5 book with intense content intensity. Content themes include emotional: loss & grief, emotional: identity & self-discovery, social: poverty & hardship. Written for readers ages 13+.
Why we rated Genuine Fraud 9IE
Genuine Fraud is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 288 pages (approximately 57,771 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.7 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Genuine Fraud works for readers up to grade 6.7.
Read aloud, Genuine Fraud runs about 6.4 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate Genuine Fraud as 9IE ("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, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Emotional: Loss & Grief, Emotional: Identity & Self-Discovery, Social: Poverty & Hardship, Social: Deception.
Thematically, Genuine Fraud explores friendship, coming of age, family, mystery, and social justice — 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.
- ✓ 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 13+ — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9IE — 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
3/10A 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
- 9780385744775
- Pages
- 288
- Publisher
- Delacorte Press
- Published
- Sep 05, 2017
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 57,771
- Read-Aloud
- ~6h 25m
- Text Density
- Standard