Icarus
K. Ancrum
Icarus
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by K. Ancrum
The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes.
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About This Book
A skilled art thief carefully plans each heist with the help of his father's masterful forgeries, targeting a wealthy man linked to his mother's tragic past. When he is caught by the man's enigmatic son, who lives under house arrest, a fragile bond forms that challenges all his rules about trust and connection. Together, they navigate a tangled web of family secrets, revenge, and forbidden love that could either set them free or destroy them both.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 5 book with intense content intensity. Content themes include abandonment, leaving without goodbye, stalking. Written for readers ages 13+.
Why we rated Icarus 10IE
Icarus is written at a Level 5 reading level (approximately 76,127 words). Strong independent readers around grade 6.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Icarus works for readers up to grade 7.0.
Read aloud, Icarus runs about 8.5 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate Icarus as 10IE ("Intense — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Abandonment, Leaving Without Goodbye, Stalking, Substance Use, Self-Harm, Death, Incarceration, Needles/Syringes, Mental Institution, Hospital Scene, Romantic Content.
Thematically, Icarus explores lgbtq+ representation, family, friendship, romance, and mystery — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about lgbtq+ representation, family, friendship.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 13+ — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
10IE — Intense — EmotionalHeavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A 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
- 9780063285781
- Publisher
- HarperTeen
- Published
- 2024
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 76,127
- Read-Aloud
- ~8h 28m