The Ashley Project
Melissa De la Cruz
The Ashley Project
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Popularity Takeover
by Melissa De la Cruz
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
The sharp click of high heels echoes through the school halls, mixing with whispers and laughter. Lauren Page feels the smooth silk of her new dress as she steps into a world of secrets and sparkle—she's one of the Ashleys now. But when her old friend Sadie shows up with her own plan to bring the Ashleys down, Lauren must decide where her loyalties truly lie.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Lauren, who infiltrates a popular clique called the Ashleys with the goal of dismantling it from within. The story explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and social dynamics among preteens, appropriate for ages 9-12. It contains mild social conflict related to popularity and peer pressure but no intense content.
Why we rated The Ashley Project 11LE
The Ashley Project is written at a Level 6 reading level across 263 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Ashley Project works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The Ashley Project as 11LE ("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, The Ashley Project explores friendship, clubs, popularity, and school — 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 friendship, clubs, popularity.
Maybe not for
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781481409742
- Pages
- 263
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction