No good deed
Kara Connolly
No good deed
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Kara Connolly
The text is written at a 7th 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
The sharp twang of a bowstring slices through the crisp forest air, leaves crunching beneath swift feet. Ellie’s heart pounds as shadows dance around Nottingham Castle’s ancient walls, a strange smell of smoke and earth filling her nose. Suddenly, she’s no longer in modern England but caught in a medieval world where every arrow she fires could change history—and her destiny.
Quick Assessment
No Good Deed is a middle-grade time-travel adventure featuring Ellie, a modern Olympic archer who finds herself transported to medieval England. The story blends historical fiction with fantasy elements, focusing on themes of bravery, justice, and self-discovery, while offering a strong female protagonist and light suspense suitable for ages 9-12. There is mild peril typical of adventure stories, with no graphic content, making it appropriate for its target audience.
Why we rated No good deed 12LE
No good deed is written at a Level 7 reading level across 340 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, No good deed works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate No good deed as 12LE ("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, No good deed explores adventure, historical, fantasy world-building, friendship, and coming of age — 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 adventure, historical, fantasy world-building.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A 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
- 9780385743938
- Pages
- 340
- Publisher
- Delacorte Press
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction