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Our Wicked Histories

Amy Goldsmith

Cover of Our Wicked Histories

Our Wicked Histories

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Amy Goldsmith

Reading Level 7 12ME Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 7th 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

Meg's trip to Wren Hall isn't just any reunion—it's where secrets lurk in every shadow and old friendships are tested by dark revenge. What if the past you want to forget is the very thing that could change your future? Here, forgiveness is harder than it seems, and danger waits behind every door.

Quick Assessment

Our Wicked Histories follows Meg as she returns to an Irish estate for a school reunion, only to find that long-held grudges and a mysterious threat complicate the gathering. Suitable for ages 9-12, this middle-grade fiction explores themes of friendship, conflict, and mystery, with light suspense and some tense moments. Parents should note the story contains elements of revenge and suspense but is appropriate for this age group.

Why we rated Our Wicked Histories 12ME

Our Wicked Histories is written at a Level 7 reading level across 371 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Our Wicked Histories works for readers up to grade 9.0.

We rate Our Wicked Histories 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, 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, Our Wicked Histories explores friendship, mystery, coming of age, and family — 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 friendship, mystery, coming of age.

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

12ME — Moderate — Emotional
Emotional
Moderate
Physical
Light
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

4/10

Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
6
Emotional Weight
6
Theme Richness
4
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

371 pages
ISBN
9781785305436
Pages
371
Publisher
Ink Road
Published
2024
Type
Fiction

Genres