Poison
Chris Wooding
Poison
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Chris Wooding
The text is written at a 8th 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 your little sister was taken away by mysterious fairies? Imagine venturing through strange and magical Realms, facing creatures and challenges you never dreamed of. Poison must find her sister—and discover who she truly is—before it’s too late.
Quick Assessment
This young adult fantasy follows Poison, a brave girl from the marshes of Gull, as she embarks on a quest to rescue her kidnapped infant sister from the fairies. Along the way, she encounters various fantastical realms and makes unlikely friends. Suitable for ages 13-18, the story explores themes of family, bravery, and self-discovery with some mild peril and fantasy violence.
Why we rated Poison 12ME
Poison is written at a Level 8 reading level across 415 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Poison works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate Poison 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 — 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, Poison explores adventure, fantasy world-building, 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.
- ✓ 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, fantasy world-building, family.
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 — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" 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
- 9780786287321
- Pages
- 415
- Publisher
- Thomson/Gale
- Published
- November 8, 2006
- Type
- Fiction