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Kiss and Tell

Jacqueline Green

Cover of Kiss and Tell

Kiss and Tell

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Jacqueline Green

Reading Level 6 11ME Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 6th 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 would you do if a game of truth or dare turned deadly? In the quiet town of Echo Bay, secrets and friendships shatter as mysterious deaths leave everyone on edge. Can Tenley, Sydney, and Emerson uncover the truth before the next secret becomes their last?

Themes

MysteryFriendshipCrimeComing of AgeSocial Hierarchy

Quick Assessment

Kiss and Tell is the thrilling final book in the Truth or Dare trilogy, geared toward middle-grade readers aged 9-12. The story involves themes of friendship, mystery, and social challenges, set against the backdrop of a small town with a series of suspicious deaths. Parents should note the presence of crime and suspense elements that may be intense for sensitive readers.

Why we rated Kiss and Tell 11ME

Kiss and Tell is written at a Level 6 reading level across 288 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Kiss and Tell works for readers up to grade 8.0.

We rate Kiss and Tell as 11ME ("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, physical peril, 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, Kiss and Tell explores mystery, friendship, crime, coming of age, and social hierarchy — 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.
  • Kids drawn to stories about mystery, friendship, crime.

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

11ME — Moderate — Emotional
Emotional
Moderate
Physical
Moderate
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

3/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
5
Emotional Weight
6
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

288 pages
ISBN
9780316220330
Pages
288
Publisher
Poppy
Published
2015
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

CrimeConduct of LifeMystery and Detective StoriesMassachusettsMurderGirls & WomenMysteries & Detective StoriesSocial IssuesGeneralDetective and Mystery Stories