State of sorrow
Melinda Salisbury
State of sorrow
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Melinda Salisbury
The text is written at a 8th 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
What if your whole kingdom was trapped in endless sorrow, and you were the only one who could rule it? Imagine discovering your lost brother might be alive—ready to take your place. Would you fight to keep your crown or step aside for a stranger who could change everything?
Themes
Quick Assessment
State of Sorrow is a young adult fantasy novel about a young ruler navigating grief, power, and family secrets in a kingdom shrouded in perpetual mourning. Suitable for ages 13 to 18, it explores themes of loss, identity, and political intrigue with some emotional intensity and complex world-building. Parents should be aware of mature themes involving grief and power struggles.
Why we rated State of sorrow 12IE
State of sorrow is written at a Level 8 reading level across 452 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, State of sorrow works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate State of sorrow as 12IE ("Intense — 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, State of sorrow explores fantasy world-building, coming of age, family, political intrigue, and romance — 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.
- ✓ 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 fantasy world-building, coming of age, 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
12IE — Intense — 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
1/10A 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
- 9781407180274
- Pages
- 452
- Publisher
- Scholastic Children's Books
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction