The shift

The shift is written at a Level 6-7 reading level across 256 pages (approximately 68,886 words). Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.

Read aloud, The shift runs about 7.7 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate The shift as ME (Moderate, mostly 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 — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Profanity, Illness & Injury, Emotional: Fear & Anxiety.

Thematically, The shift explores nurses, intensive care units, personal narratives, family, and emotional resilience — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.