The gold-son
Carrie Anne Noble
The gold-son
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Carrie Anne Noble
The text is written at a 6th 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: Tommin's need to steal isn't just a bad habit—it's a curse that demands more and more gold. When a mysterious stranger takes him to a hidden world beneath the earth, everything Tommin thought he knew is turned upside down. But that's only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
This young adult novel follows sixteen-year-old Tommin, whose compulsion to steal is driven by a magical curse demanding gold. When Tommin is taken to the underground realm of the Leprechauns, he and a girl named Eve must navigate dangerous magic and the threat of losing their humanity while trying to escape. Suitable for teens, the story explores themes of family, identity, and the consequences of one's actions within a fantasy setting.
Why we rated The gold-son 11ME
The gold-son is written at a Level 6 reading level across 290 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The gold-son works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The gold-son as 11ME ("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 gold-son explores fantasy world-building, coming of age, family, adventure, and magic — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about fantasy world-building, coming of age, family.
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
11ME — 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
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781477819678
- Pages
- 290
- Publisher
- Skyscape
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction