Relic
Renee Collins
Relic
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Renee Collins
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
What if you lived in a town where magical bones from dragons and sirens held incredible powers? Imagine fighting to protect your little sister after a fire changes everything, while learning to control magic that can heal, vanish, or ignite flames. But when new fires threaten nearby towns, can you stop the dark forces using relic magic for evil before it’s too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Relic is a middle-grade fantasy novel about Maggie, a young girl who loses her parents in a fire and must protect her sister while navigating a world where magical relics grant powerful abilities. Set in a unique Colorado town, the story explores themes of family, trust, and responsibility, with mild fantasy violence and some suspenseful moments. Suitable for ages 9-12, it offers an engaging adventure with positive messages.
Why we rated Relic 12ME
Relic is written at a Level 7 reading level across 390 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Relic works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Relic 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, Relic explores magic, orphans, adventure, family, and friendship — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about magic, orphans, adventure.
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
- 9781622660148
- Pages
- 390
- Publisher
- Entangled: Teen
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction