Self-Made Boys
Anna-Marie McLemore
Self-Made Boys
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Great Gatsby Remix
by Anna-Marie McLemore
The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Nick, a Latinx transgender teen, stays true to himself amidst the glittering chaos of New York life. When he meets Jay, whose world is filled with lavish parties and big dreams, their unlikely friendship sparks hope and challenges expectations. Together, they navigate identity, ambition, and the complexities of growing up.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 5 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include racial discrimination, romantic content. Written for readers ages 13+.
Why we rated Self-Made Boys 10MS
Self-Made Boys is written at a Level 5 reading level across 320 pages (approximately 66,715 words). Strong independent readers around grade 6.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Self-Made Boys works for readers up to grade 7.0.
Read aloud, Self-Made Boys runs about 7.4 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate Self-Made Boys as 10MS ("Moderate — Social") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Racial Discrimination, Romantic Content.
Thematically, Self-Made Boys explores lgbtq+ representation, multicultural, coming of age, friendship, and family — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ 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 lgbtq+ representation, multicultural, coming of age.
- ✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the Remixed Classics series.
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
10MS — Moderate — SocialReal 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
4/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
6/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781250774934
- Pages
- 320
- Publisher
- Feiwel & Friends
- Published
- Sep 06, 2022
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 66,715
- Read-Aloud
- ~7h 25m
- Text Density
- Standard