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Slated

Teri Terry

Cover of Slated

Slated

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

Book Two in the Slated Trilogy

by Teri Terry

Reading Level 7 12ME Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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 wiping your memory was the only way to stay out of jail? Kyla’s mind should be a blank slate, but secret memories start to bubble up, pulling her into a dangerous game where trust is a risky move. She must decide who to believe when every choice could change everything.

Quick Assessment

Slated is a dystopian middle-grade novel exploring themes of memory, identity, and trust. The story follows Kyla, a teen whose memories have been erased as a form of punishment, who begins to uncover hidden truths about her past. Suitable for readers aged 9-12, the book contains moderate thematic intensity with some tension and mild peril but no graphic content.

Why we rated Slated 12ME

Slated is written at a Level 7 reading level across 346 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Slated works for readers up to grade 9.0.

We rate Slated 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, 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, Slated explores dystopian, identity & self-discovery, family, adventure, and science & nature — 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.
  • Kids drawn to stories about dystopian, identity & self-discovery, family.

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 — Emotional
Emotional
Moderate
Physical
Light
Social
Light
Thematic
Moderate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

2/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

3/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
6
Emotional Weight
6
Theme Richness
6
World Scope
3
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

346 pages
ISBN
9780399161728
Pages
346
Publisher
Penguin
Published
2013
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

Social IssuesNew ExperienceHigh SchoolsFamily LifeScience FictionScience & TechnologyMemoryFamilyGeneralIdentitySchoolsDystopiaFamiliesSchool Stories

Places

England