Oblivion

Name: Oblivion
Author: Sasha Dawn
ISBN: 9781606844762

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Sasha Dawn

Reading Level 4-5 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 13+ Matched

The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

The scratch of pen on skin echoes through the quiet room, blending with the scent of old paper and fading memories. Callie’s fingers tremble as she writes the stories her heart can’t stop telling—about a missing father, a mother far away, and a life tangled in secrets. Every word brings her closer to the truth, but also to the fear she’s trying to outrun.

Themes

Compulsive BehaviorFoster CareMental IllnessFamily Coming of Age

Quick Assessment

Sixteen-year-old Callie is in foster care after being found beside words she wrote that suggest she killed her father, a minister who has vanished, and she has no memory of that night. The story follows her compulsive writing, which sometimes includes writing on her own skin, along with her mother's hospitalization and a growing investigation into a second disappearance. Parents should expect strong emotional content around mental illness, fear, and family upheaval, plus a mystery that involves a possible death and some self-harm-adjacent behavior, though the tone remains focused on Callie's search for the truth.

Why we rated Oblivion ME (Moderate)

Oblivion is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 385 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.

We rate Oblivion as ME (Moderate, mostly 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, 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, Oblivion explores compulsive behavior, foster care, mental illness, family, and coming of age — 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.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about compulsive behavior, foster care, mental illness.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Intense ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Mild

Thematic

Moderate

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

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

Data confidence: high

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?