Slow Burn
Tommy Wallach
Slow Burn
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Tommy Wallach
The text is written at a 8th 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 two cities were at war, and everything you believed about right and wrong was turned upside down? Clive, Clover, Gemma, and Paz all find themselves on different sides, facing tough choices and surprising truths. Can they find a way to understand each other before it’s too late?
Quick Assessment
Slow Burn is the second book in the Anchor & Sophia trilogy, exploring themes of conflict, faith, and self-discovery through the experiences of four young protagonists. Suitable for middle-grade readers, it presents complex ideas about society, belief, and technology in a science fiction setting. Parents should note that the story includes philosophical questions and some tension related to interrogation and ideological conflict.
Why we rated Slow Burn 12IT
Slow Burn is written at a Level 8 reading level across 432 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Slow Burn works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate Slow Burn as 12IT ("Intense — Thematic") 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, social complexity, 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, Slow Burn explores science & nature, adventure, family, friendship, and coming of age — 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 science & nature, adventure, 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
12IT — Intense — ThematicReal 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
- 9781481468428
- Pages
- 432
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 2019
- Type
- Fiction