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The boy with the hidden name

Skylar Dorset

Cover of The boy with the hidden name

The boy with the hidden name

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

Otherworld Book Two

by Skylar Dorset

Reading Level 7 12ME Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

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.

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About This Book

Benedict le Fay isn’t just any boy—he’s the one destined to betray his friends and face a deadly fate. Selkie Stewart just rescued him from a magical prison, but now she must decide if trust is worth the risk. When prophecies twist and secrets hide in shadows, every choice could change their world forever.

Themes

PropheciesSupernaturalFairiesFriendshipAdventureFantasy World-Building

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fantasy novel follows Selkie Stewart as she navigates friendship, loyalty, and prophecy in a magical world filled with fairies and mythical creatures. Suitable for ages 9-12, it explores themes of trust and destiny with some supernatural peril, but maintains an engaging and age-appropriate tone. Parents should note mild fantasy violence and themes of betrayal and sacrifice.

Why we rated The boy with the hidden name 12ME

The boy with the hidden name is written at a Level 7 reading level across 312 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The boy with the hidden name works for readers up to grade 9.0.

We rate The boy with the hidden name 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, 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, The boy with the hidden name explores prophecies, supernatural, fairies, friendship, and adventure — 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 prophecies, supernatural, fairies.

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 — Emotional
Emotional
Moderate
Physical
Light
Social
Clear
Thematic
Moderate

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

Data confidence: standard

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

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

2/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

2/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
6
Emotional Weight
6
Theme Richness
6
World Scope
3
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

312 pages
ISBN
9781402292569
Pages
312
Publisher
Sourcebooks Fire
Published
2014
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

PropheciesSupernaturalFairiesImaginary CreaturesParanormal FictionMythical AnimalsFantasy FictionBostonAnimalsMythical

Places

Boston (Mass.)