Getting Even
ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Getting Even
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Good Girlz
by ReShonda Tate Billingsley
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 mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
What if the boy your best friend likes is the same one your other friend is secretly dating? Camille, Alexis, Jasmine, and Angel are best friends who always have each other's backs—until a tricky love triangle threatens to break their bond. Can they settle the score without losing each other?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Getting Even is a middle-grade novel about friendship, loyalty, and navigating complicated emotions as best friends face a tough situation involving romantic feelings and betrayal. The story explores themes of trust, forgiveness, and the consequences of revenge, suitable for ages 9-12. Parents should know it addresses jealousy and conflicts realistically but without graphic content.
Why we rated Getting Even 11LE
Getting Even is written at a Level 6 reading level across 272 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Getting Even works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Getting Even as 11LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Getting Even explores friendship, coming of age, family, african american novel and short story, and girls & women — 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 friendship, coming of age, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" 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
- 9781416558736
- Pages
- 272
- Publisher
- Gallery Books
- Published
- April 22, 2008
- Type
- Fiction