Shadows Between Us
Tricia Levenseller
Shadows Between Us
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Tricia Levenseller
The text is written at a 6th 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
The air is thick with whispers as shadows twist and curl around the towering castle walls. Alessandra can almost taste the thrill of power as she plots to win the mysterious Shadow King’s heart—and then take his kingdom for herself. But in this world of secrets and danger, can she keep her heart guarded or will the shadows claim it first?
Quick Assessment
This young adult fantasy novel follows Alessandra, a clever and ambitious girl who plans to marry the Shadow King and then kill him to claim his throne. The story explores themes of power, romance, and deception, set within a richly imagined fantasy world featuring court intrigue and magical elements. Recommended for teens 13 and older due to its mature themes of manipulation, romantic tension, and dark fantasy elements.
Why we rated Shadows Between Us 11ME
Shadows Between Us is written at a Level 6 reading level across 255 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Shadows Between Us works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Shadows Between Us 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, 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, Shadows Between Us explores fantasy world-building, romance, adventure, coming of age, and mystery — 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 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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781250189974
- Pages
- 255
- Publisher
- Feiwel & Friends
- Published
- 2020
- Type
- Fiction