What reading level is The lost sun?

The lost sun by Tessa Gratton is at a Level 5-6 reading level (Lexile 810L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is The lost sun appropriate for?

The lost sun is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 10ME (Moderate — Emotional).

What genre is The lost sun?

The lost sun is fiction — Fantasy fiction.

Does The lost sun have any content warnings?

The lost sun has a HootRating of 10ME (Moderate — Emotional). 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 lost sun?

The lost sun by Tessa Gratton is 352 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated June 9, 2026

The lost sun

Tessa Gratton

The lost sun

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Tessa Gratton

Reading Level 5-6 10ME Ages 9-12 Matched

The text is written at a 5th 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

What if the sun disappeared and the whole country was thrown into darkness? Imagine traveling across a strange land filled with gods and magic to find the missing Baldur before everything falls apart. Soren and Astrid must race against time, but can they succeed when fate itself seems against them?

Themes

Norse MythologyAdventure FriendshipFate and FatalismFantasy World-Building

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fantasy novel blends Norse mythology with a modern American setting, following two young protagonists on a quest to find a missing god whose absence triggers nationwide panic. Suitable for ages 9-12, the story explores themes of fate and mythology with moderate intensity, containing some mild peril and fantasy violence appropriate for this age group.

Why we rated The lost sun 10ME

The lost sun is written at a Level 5-6 reading level with a Lexile measure of 810L across 352 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 6.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The lost sun works for readers up to grade 7.5.

We rate The lost sun as 10ME ("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, physical peril, 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 lost sun explores norse mythology, adventure, friendship, fate and fatalism, 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 norse mythology, adventure, friendship.

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.