Protus Rising
Ken Catran
Protus Rising
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Ken Catran
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.
We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.
About This Book
Here’s a secret: Declan Tulropper wakes up to find a mission to Jupiter already done—but he has no memory of it. Murder, greed, and danger swirl around him, and every answer he seeks only leads to more questions. But that's only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
Protus Rising is a science fiction novel about a young co-pilot who awakens from cryo-sleep to find a critical mission to Jupiter mysteriously completed and himself entangled in a dangerous situation involving murder and betrayal. Suitable for teens aged 13-18, it contains suspenseful themes that may prompt discussions about trust, memory, and ambition. The story is appropriate for middle to high school readers interested in thrilling, speculative fiction.
Why we rated Protus Rising 9ME
Protus Rising is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 168 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Protus Rising works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Protus Rising as 9ME ("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.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Protus Rising explores science & nature, adventure, mystery, and fantasy world-building — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about science & nature, adventure, mystery.
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
9ME — 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
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
Similar Books
Based on content and theme analysis
The planet thieves
Dan Krokos
The planet thieves
Dan Krokos
The Cobalt Prince
Mark Siegel
The Cobalt Prince
Mark Siegel
Jupiter Project
Gregory Benford
Jupiter Project
Gregory Benford
The paradox planet
Steven G. Spruill
The paradox planet
Steven G. Spruill
Henry Hobbs and the Lost Planet
Kathryn Cave
Henry Hobbs and the Lost Planet
Kathryn Cave
Raid on Vulcanus
Greg Farshtey
Raid on Vulcanus
Greg Farshtey
Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780702234422
- Pages
- 168
- Publisher
- Macmillan
- Published
- February 28, 2005
- Type
- Fiction