What reading level is The Exo Project?

The Exo Project by Andrew DeYoung is at a Level 4-5 reading level (Lexile 750L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is The Exo Project appropriate for?

The Exo Project is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 9MT (Moderate — Thematic).

What genre is The Exo Project?

The Exo Project is fiction — Young Adult Fiction.

Does The Exo Project have any content warnings?

The Exo Project has a HootRating of 9MT (Moderate — Thematic). 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 The Exo Project?

The Exo Project by Andrew DeYoung is 447 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated July 16, 2026

The Exo Project

Andrew DeYoung

The Exo Project

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Andrew DeYoung

Reading Level 4-5 9MT Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 4th 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

Matthew thought he was on a one-way trip to a lonely, lifeless planet, but then he meets Kiva, a fierce girl from a world unlike anything he's ever imagined. Their worlds collide in a battle between saving Earth and protecting Gle'ah’s secrets. What will happen when two very different futures hang in the balance?

Themes

Adventure Science & Nature Friendship Family Fantasy World-Building Coming of Age

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade science fiction novel follows a teenager named Matthew who joins a space mission to find a new home for humanity after Earth becomes unlivable. Upon arriving on an alien planet, he meets Kiva, a native girl whose society could be destroyed if Matthew’s mission succeeds. The story explores themes of environmental crisis, cultural conflict, and emotional connection, suitable for readers ages 9-12, with some complex ideas and mild tension but no graphic content.

Why we rated The Exo Project 9MT

The Exo Project is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 750L across 447 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Exo Project works for readers up to grade 6.5.

We rate The Exo Project as 9MT ("Moderate — Thematic") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. The strongest signals come from 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 mild intensity score.

Thematically, The Exo Project explores adventure, science & nature, friendship, family, and fantasy world-building — 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 adventure, science & nature, friendship.