Shadow of the moon
Rachel Hawthorne
Shadow of the moon
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
a Dark Guardian novel
by Rachel Hawthorne
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
Have you ever felt like you could hear everyone’s secrets except the one person you want most? Hayden can feel the emotions of every werewolf—except Daniel’s, the mysterious newcomer who won’t let her go. But when a Shifter is found dead in wolf form, everything Hayden thought she knew starts to unravel.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade paranormal romance follows Hayden, a young Dark Guardian with the ability to sense the emotions of other werewolves—except for Daniel, a newcomer who intrigues her. As their bond deepens, Hayden faces danger and mystery surrounding a series of attacks on Shifters. Suitable for readers ages 9-12, the story explores themes of trust, identity, and supernatural suspense with mild fantasy violence.
Why we rated Shadow of the moon 11ME
Shadow of the moon is written at a Level 6 reading level across 256 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Shadow of the moon works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Shadow of the moon 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 — 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, Shadow of the moon explores fantasy world-building, romance, adventure, and mystery — 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 fantasy world-building, romance, adventure.
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
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780061962905
- Pages
- 256
- Publisher
- Harper Collins
- Published
- 2010
- Type
- Fiction