I Was Told There Would Be Romance
Marie Arnold
I Was Told There Would Be Romance
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Marie Arnold
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
Here’s a secret: Fancy thought middle school would be all about friendship and maybe a little romance. But juggling crushes, tricky friendships, and figuring out who she really is? That’s only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows fifteen-year-old Haitian American Fancy as she navigates the ups and downs of early adolescence, including friendships, crushes, and self-discovery. Appropriate for ages 9-12, it offers relatable themes without intense content, making it a gentle read for middle graders exploring identity and relationships.
Why we rated I Was Told There Would Be Romance 11LE
I Was Told There Would Be Romance is written at a Level 6 reading level across 224 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, I Was Told There Would Be Romance works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate I Was Told There Would Be Romance 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, I Was Told There Would Be Romance explores friendship, coming of age, family, romance, and multicultural — 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
- ! 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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780316568005
- Pages
- 224
- Publisher
- Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 2024
- Type
- Fiction