Gone
Lisa McMann
Gone
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Lisa McMann
The text is written at a 4th 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
What if you could dive into other people's dreams but it started to wear you down? Imagine spending your summer with someone you really like, while trying to figure out how to survive a power that feels more like a curse. When you meet your dad for the first time—only to find he's in a coma—everything you thought you knew begins to change.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores the challenges of young love, self-discovery, and coping with extraordinary abilities. The story touches on themes of family secrets and personal responsibility, with some mild suspense and emotional moments appropriate for ages 9 to 12. Parents should note that the protagonist deals with emotional stress related to her unique ability and family circumstances.
Why we rated Gone 9ME
Gone is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 182 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Gone works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Gone as 9ME ("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, 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, Gone explores coming of age, family, romance, adventure, and mystery — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about coming of age, family, romance.
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
9ME — 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
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
- 9780857070418
- Pages
- 182
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2010
- Type
- Fiction