What reading level is The Cat King of Havana?

The Cat King of Havana by Toms Kreicbergs is at a Level 4-5 reading level (Lexile 650L). Recommended for Upper Grades readers (Ages 13+).

What age is The Cat King of Havana appropriate for?

The Cat King of Havana is recommended for Ages 13+. HootRating: 9ME (Moderate — Emotional). Content flags: Unrequited Love, Political Themes, Family Change, Identity & Self-Discovery.

What genre is The Cat King of Havana?

The Cat King of Havana is fiction — Young Adult Fiction.

Does The Cat King of Havana have any content warnings?

The Cat King of Havana has a HootRating of 9ME (Moderate — Emotional). Content flags include: Unrequited Love, Political Themes, Family Change, Identity & Self-Discovery. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is The Cat King of Havana?

The Cat King of Havana by Toms Kreicbergs is 354 pages (approximately 75,508 words).

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated May 18, 2026

The Cat King of Havana

Toms Kreicbergs

The Cat King of Havana

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Toms Kreicbergs

Reading Level 4-5 9ME Ages 13+ Matched Rich Discussion

The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.

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About This Book

Rick Gutiérrez, a cat video enthusiast known as 'That Cat Guy,' takes a bold step out of his comfort zone by joining a salsa class to win over Ana, a captivating dancer. Their summer in Havana reveals vibrant music and dance alongside family secrets and complex political realities. As Rick navigates first love and his heritage, he discovers that growing up means facing both joy and challenges beneath the tropical sun.

Themes

Coming of Age Family Multicultural RomanceDancePolitics and Government

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 4-5 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include unrequited love, political themes, family change. Written for readers ages 13+.

Why we rated The Cat King of Havana 9ME

The Cat King of Havana is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 650L across 354 pages (approximately 75,508 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.6 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Cat King of Havana works for readers up to grade 6.6.

Read aloud, The Cat King of Havana runs about 8.4 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate The Cat King of Havana as 9ME ("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 — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Unrequited Love, Political Themes, Family Change, Identity & Self-Discovery.

Thematically, The Cat King of Havana explores coming of age, family, multicultural, romance, and dance — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
✓ Family book clubs, classroom read-alouds, and parents who want a strong conversation hook.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about coming of age, family, multicultural.

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.