Surviving Adam Meade
Shannon Klare
Surviving Adam Meade
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Shannon Klare
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.
We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.
About This Book
Adam Meade is the football star who always gets his way, but when Claire Collins moves to town, nothing goes as planned. She's determined to escape her small town—and especially Adam—but he might just be the one person who can shake up her carefully laid plans. What happens when two stubborn hearts collide and everything they thought they wanted gets turned upside down?
Quick Assessment
Surviving Adam Meade is a young adult novel centered on 17-year-old Claire, who wants to leave her small North Carolina town behind and avoid the local football star, Adam Meade. Themes include teenage romance, social dynamics in high school, and family relationships, with mild references to dating and social customs. The book is suitable for middle-grade to early high school readers but includes some romantic and mature themes that may warrant parental guidance.
Why we rated Surviving Adam Meade 12ME
Surviving Adam Meade is written at a Level 7 reading level across 304 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Surviving Adam Meade works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Surviving Adam Meade 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, social complexity — 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, Surviving Adam Meade explores friendship, romance, family, sports, 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 friendship, romance, 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 — 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
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
Similar Books
Based on content and theme analysis
Hello, goodbye, and everything in between
Jennifer E. Smith
Hello, goodbye, and everything in between
Jennifer E. Smith
Surviving
Elizabeth Faucher
Surviving
Elizabeth Faucher
Ms. Quarterback
Kate William
Ms. Quarterback
Kate William
Be strong and curvaceous
Shelley Adina
Be strong and curvaceous
Shelley Adina
Clashing hearts
Caryn Jenner
Clashing hearts
Caryn Jenner
O my darling
Amity Gaige
O my darling
Amity Gaige
Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781250154361
- Pages
- 304
- Publisher
- Macmillan + ORM
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction