Quake
Chris Mandeville
Quake
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
In Real Time, Book 1
by Chris Mandeville
The text is written at a 6th 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
Allie Bennett isn't just a regular teenager—she's a time-traveling con artist with a secret to uncover. When she's swept into a wild heist during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, everything changes. But can she outsmart dangerous enemies and find her missing mom before history is rewritten?
Quick Assessment
Quake follows fifteen-year-old Allie Bennett, a foster kid and skilled con artist who discovers she and her mother are time travelers. Kidnapped by a ruthless crew, Allie must navigate the perilous world of time travel, theft, and hidden agendas as she races to find her mom and protect history. Suitable for ages 9-12, this middle-grade science fiction adventure contains themes of family, trust, and danger, with some suspenseful moments.
Why we rated Quake 11ME
Quake is written at a Level 6 reading level across 270 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Quake works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Quake as 11ME ("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, Quake explores adventure, science & nature, family, mystery, and coming of age — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, science & nature, family.
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
11ME — 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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781950349517
- Pages
- 270
- Publisher
- Whisper Mountain Press
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction