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Good Demon

Jimmy Cajoleas

Cover of Good Demon

Good Demon

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Jimmy Cajoleas

Reading Level 7 12ME Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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

The air crackles with whispers and the faint scent of burning sage lingers as Clare tiptoes through the shadowy streets of her small town. Her heart pounds, tangled between fear and hope, because the demon she once called sister might not be gone after all. What if the darkness she thought was evil is something more—something she can’t live without?

Quick Assessment

Good Demon follows Clare, a young girl grappling with the aftermath of an exorcism that separated her from a demon she viewed as a sister. As Clare embarks on a journey through the occult undercurrents of her Southern town, the story explores themes of identity, religion, and morality. Suitable for readers aged 9-12, the book contains supernatural elements and some dark themes related to witchcraft and demonology that parents may wish to discuss with their children.

Why we rated Good Demon 12ME

Good Demon is written at a Level 7 reading level across 336 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Good Demon works for readers up to grade 9.0.

We rate Good Demon 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, 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, Good Demon explores friendship, coming of age, family, mystery, and fantasy world-building — 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.
  • 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

  • ! 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 — Emotional
Emotional
Moderate
Physical
Light
Social
Light
Thematic
Moderate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

2/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

4/10

Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
6
Emotional Weight
6
Theme Richness
7
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

336 pages
ISBN
9781419738999
Pages
336
Publisher
Harry N. Abrams
Published
2019
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

DemonologyWitchcraftOccultismExorcism