Survival Colony 9

Name: Survival Colony 9
Author: Joshua David Bellin
ISBN: 9781481403542

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Joshua David Bellin

Reading Level 5-6 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 13+ Matched

The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Querry Genn has a secret no one else does—he holds the key to saving his entire colony from terrifying monsters that can disguise themselves as humans. But he can’t even remember his own past, and every moment could be his last. What if the secret inside him is the only hope for Survival Colony 9?

Themes

Science & Nature Adventure Friendship Family Fantasy World-Building

Quick Assessment

Querry Genn, a teen in a post-war colony, must recover memories lost in an accident while the Skaldi, shape-shifting invaders who take human form, hunt the survivors. Expect fantasy violence, bodies left behind, ongoing peril, and tense family conflict with an authoritarian father who both protects and pressures him. The fast pace and unsettling monsters suit readers who are comfortable with intense action and a steady sense of dread.

Why we rated Survival Colony 9 ME (Moderate)

Survival Colony 9 is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 325 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.

We rate Survival Colony 9 as ME (Moderate, mostly 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, physical peril — 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, Survival Colony 9 explores science & nature, adventure, friendship, family, and fantasy world-building — 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 science & nature, adventure, friendship.

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

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Moderate

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Mild

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

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

Data confidence: high

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