Promise Bound
Anne Greenwood Brown
Promise Bound
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Lies Beneath #3
by Anne Greenwood Brown
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
Calder is a merman who once hunted his own kind, but now love has changed everything. Lily wears a magical pendant that pulls her into the memories of a powerful mermaid matriarch—and with it, a promise that could change their world forever. When family rivalries erupt beneath the waves, will their love survive the depths?
Quick Assessment
Promise Bound is a middle-grade fantasy novel centered on merfolk, family loyalty, and young love. It explores themes of identity, promises, and clan conflicts in a richly imagined underwater world, suitable for ages 9-12. The story includes mild fantasy peril and emotional tension but remains appropriate for its target audience.
Why we rated Promise Bound 12ME
Promise Bound is written at a Level 7 reading level across 355 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Promise Bound works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Promise Bound 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, Promise Bound explores fantasy world-building, family, friendship, romance, and adventure — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about fantasy world-building, family, friendship.
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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780385743839
- Pages
- 355
- Publisher
- Bantam
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction