Going Home
Danielle Steel
Going Home
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Danielle Steel
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Gillian’s life is turned upside down by betrayal, but she doesn’t just run away—she reinvents herself in the bustling streets of New York. She finds a job that excites her and a passion that feels like pure magic. But when her past comes knocking, she faces a choice that will change everything.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This young adult romance novel follows Gillian as she escapes a painful betrayal and rebuilds her life in New York City, discovering both career success and new love. The story explores themes of resilience, self-discovery, and making difficult choices about the future. Suitable for teens aged 13 and up, it contains mature emotional content related to relationships and personal growth.
Why we rated Going Home 12ME
Going Home is written at a Level 7 reading level across 385 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Going Home works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Going Home 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 — 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, Going Home explores romance, coming of age, family, and self-discovery — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about romance, coming of age, family.
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
1/10A 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
- 9780785729877
- Pages
- 385
- Publisher
- Turtleback Books
- Published
- October 1999
- Type
- Fiction