What reading level is Tell the wind and fire?

Tell the wind and fire by Sarah Rees Brennan is at a Level 5-6 reading level (Lexile 850L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is Tell the wind and fire appropriate for?

Tell the wind and fire is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 10ME (Moderate — Emotional).

What genre is Tell the wind and fire?

Tell the wind and fire is fiction.

Does Tell the wind and fire have any content warnings?

Tell the wind and fire has a HootRating of 10ME (Moderate — Emotional). No specific content flags noted. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is Tell the wind and fire?

Tell the wind and fire by Sarah Rees Brennan is 360 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated September 7, 2026

Tell the wind and fire

Sarah Rees Brennan

Tell the wind and fire

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Sarah Rees Brennan

Reading Level 5-6 10ME Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 5th 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.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.

About This Book

The city smells like smoke and secrets, with the sharp crackle of fire mixing with whispers in the dark. Lucie moves through the glittering Light and the shadowy Dark, balancing on the edge of danger and discovery. When the flames of revolution roar to life, will she protect the boys she loves or lose everything?

Themes

FantasyRevolutionsMagicLoveRomance fiction

Quick Assessment

Set in a sharply divided city, this fantasy novel explores themes of social inequality, magic, and revolution through the eyes of Lucie, a young girl caught between two worlds. Appropriate for middle-grade readers, it includes complex emotional stakes, secret identities, and romantic elements. Parents should be aware of themes involving social unrest and moral ambiguity, though the story is suitable for readers aged 9-12.

Why we rated Tell the wind and fire 10ME

Tell the wind and fire is written at a Level 5-6 reading level with a Lexile measure of 850L across 360 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 6.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Tell the wind and fire works for readers up to grade 7.5.

We rate Tell the wind and fire as 10ME ("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, 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, Tell the wind and fire explores fantasy, revolutions, magic, love, and romance fiction — 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.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about fantasy, revolutions, magic.

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.