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Nubia

Omar Epps

Cover of Nubia

Nubia

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

the Reckoning

by Omar Epps

Reading Level 7 12ME Ages 13+ Balanced Read

The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.

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About This Book

What if you discovered you had amazing powers your parents never did, in a city struggling to survive? Imagine a world where three teens must use their gifts to protect their home from a powerful enemy. But when a forgotten force awakens, the battle for their future becomes more dangerous than ever.

Themes

Fantasy World-BuildingComing of AgeDystopianDiversity & MulticulturalAdventure

Quick Assessment

This sequel to Nubia: The Awakening follows three teens with extraordinary powers navigating a dystopian New York City. Targeted by a ruthless enemy seeking to exploit their abilities, the story explores themes of identity, power, and environmental challenges. Suitable for teens 13 and up, it contains fantasy violence and complex themes about leadership and survival.

Why we rated Nubia 12ME

Nubia is written at a Level 7 reading level across 352 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Nubia works for readers up to grade 9.0.

We rate Nubia 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, physical peril, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Fantasy Violence, Environmental Hardship.

Thematically, Nubia explores fantasy world-building, coming of age, dystopian, diversity & multicultural, and adventure — 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 fantasy world-building, coming of age, dystopian.

Maybe not for

  • ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
  • ! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.
  • ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.

For Parents

Content Intensity

12ME — Moderate — Emotional
Emotional
Moderate
Physical
Moderate
Social
Light
Thematic
Moderate

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

Content Flags

Fantasy Violence Environmental Hardship
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
6
Emotional Weight
6
Theme Richness
7
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

352 pages
ISBN
9780593428696
Pages
352
Publisher
Delacorte Press
Published
2023
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

Young Adult FictionFantasyContemporaryDystopianDiversity & Multicultural