The Turning Time
Linda Smith
The Turning Time
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Linda Smith
The text is written at a 7th 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
What if you returned home to find old rivalries turning neighbors into enemies? Imagine standing up for your friends when everyone else doubts them—and the future of your world hangs in the balance. Can Kerstin change hearts before it's too late?
Quick Assessment
The Turning Time, the final book in the Freyan Trilogy, follows eighteen-year-old Kerstin Speller as she confronts prejudice and political tensions between her homeland and a rival nation. This young adult novel explores themes of friendship, courage, and social justice within a richly imagined fantasy world. Suitable for teens, it handles complex social issues with sensitivity and encourages empathy.
Why we rated The Turning Time 12ME
The Turning Time is written at a Level 7 reading level across 352 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Turning Time works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate The Turning Time 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, social complexity — 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 Turning Time explores friendship, coming of age, fantasy world-building, and social justice — 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 friendship, coming of age, fantasy world-building.
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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781894345262
- Pages
- 352
- Publisher
- Thistledown Press
- Published
- June 1, 2001
- Type
- Fiction