The Dark Days Club
Alison Goodman
The Dark Days Club
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Alison Goodman
The text is written at a 8th 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
Here's a secret: Lady Helen is about to meet Queen Charlotte, but that’s not all she’s about to discover. Hidden dangers lurk in the shadows of high society, and the truth about her mother’s mysterious past is waiting to be uncovered. But that’s only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Set in 1812 England, this young adult novel follows Lady Helen Wrexhall as she navigates societal expectations and uncovers a dark conspiracy connected to her late mother. The story combines historical elements with paranormal themes, suitable for teens ages 13 and up. Parents should note the book contains suspenseful moments and supernatural content.
Why we rated The Dark Days Club 12ME
The Dark Days Club is written at a Level 8 reading level across 496 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Dark Days Club works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate The Dark Days Club 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 Dark Days Club explores young adult fiction, girls & women, historical, paranormal, and occult & supernatural — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about young adult fiction, girls & women, historical.
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
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780670785476
- Pages
- 496
- Publisher
- Viking Adult
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction