This Is Not a Love Story
Suki Fleet
This Is Not a Love Story
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Library Edition
by Suki Fleet
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes.
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About This Book
I’m going to tell you something you might not expect—Romeo’s story isn’t like any other love story you’ve heard before. He’s silent, scared, and living on the streets, but then Julian appears, promising to protect him. And that’s just the start of a journey filled with hope, danger, and the fight to stay together against all odds.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores the harsh realities of homelessness and survival through the eyes of Romeo, a mute boy abandoned by his mother, and Julian, a slightly older runaway facing his own struggles. The story touches on themes of poverty, abuse, and LGBTQ identity, presenting them with sensitivity appropriate for ages 9-12, though parents should be aware of mature topics like street violence and survival sex. It offers a hopeful yet realistic portrayal of friendship, resilience, and the search for belonging.
Why we rated This Is Not a Love Story 11IE
This Is Not a Love Story is written at a Level 6 reading level across 270 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, This Is Not a Love Story works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate This Is Not a Love Story as 11IE ("Intense — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Homelessness, Street Violence, Survival Sex, Abuse.
Thematically, This Is Not a Love Story explores lgbtq+ representation, poverty & hardship, friendship, coming of age, and social justice — 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 lgbtq+ representation, poverty & hardship, friendship.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 9-12 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11IE — Intense — EmotionalHeavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781632160416
- Pages
- 270
- Publisher
- Lightning Source Inc
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction