Something Close to Magic
Emma Mills
Something Close to Magic
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Emma Mills
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
What if you stumbled into a world where magic hides just beneath the surface? Imagine being a baker's apprentice one day and a daring adventurer the next, chasing down bounty hunters and casting spells you never knew you had. Aurelie's journey is filled with danger and the spark of first love—but will she survive the magic that’s closing in?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This young adult novel follows Aurelie, a seventeen-year-old baker's apprentice who gets swept into a magical adventure while assisting a bounty hunter. The story blends fantasy, romance, and humor, suitable for teens aged 13 and up. Parents should note themes of magic, mild peril, and budding romance within a lighthearted yet engaging narrative.
Why we rated Something Close to Magic 12LE
Something Close to Magic is written at a Level 7 reading level across 384 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Something Close to Magic works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Something Close to Magic as 12LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Something Close to Magic explores fantasy, romance, adventure, coming of age, and humor — 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, romance, adventure.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" 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
- 9781665926911
- Pages
- 384
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2023
- Type
- Fiction