Promises to keep
Maegan Beaumont
Promises to keep
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
a novel
by Maegan Beaumont
The text is written at a 8th 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
What if an assassin had a secret weapon inside him that could be his undoing? Michael O'Shea is trapped by a dangerous bioweapon and must trade his freedom to save a kidnapped boy. But when police inspector Sabrina Vaughn finds a mysterious body, the race to uncover the truth becomes even more urgent.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade fiction novel follows Michael O'Shea, an assassin forced to negotiate his freedom by rescuing a kidnapped child, alongside police inspector Sabrina Vaughn. The story explores themes of danger, investigation, and moral complexity suitable for readers aged 9-12. Parents should be aware of content involving bioweapons, kidnapping, and suspenseful situations.
Why we rated Promises to keep 12ME
Promises to keep is written at a Level 8 reading level across 446 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Promises to keep works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate Promises to keep 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: Kidnapping, Bioweapons, Violence.
Thematically, Promises to keep explores assassins, investigation, missing children, biological weapons, and policewomen — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about assassins, investigation, missing children.
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.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780738744506
- Pages
- 446
- Publisher
- Midnight Ink
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction