Timestorm
Julie Cross
Timestorm
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Tempest Novel
by Julie Cross
The text is written at a 7th 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
Jackson’s heart pounds as he races through the twisted corridors of Eyewall Headquarters, time slipping away with every step. Around him, past and future collide in a chaotic storm, and the fate of humanity hangs by a fragile thread. Just when he thinks escape is near, a shocking discovery stops him in his tracks—what if the real enemy is closer than he ever imagined?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Timestorm is the thrilling conclusion to Julie Cross's Tempest trilogy, featuring a middle-grade protagonist caught in a high-stakes battle involving time travel and powerful enemies. Suitable for ages 9-12, this adventure explores themes of loyalty, courage, and the consequences of manipulating time. The story contains moderate tension and action but remains appropriate for its target audience.
Why we rated Timestorm 12ME
Timestorm is written at a Level 7 reading level across 310 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Timestorm works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Timestorm 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, 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, Timestorm explores adventure, time travel, friendship, family, and science & nature — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, time travel, 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.
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
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
- 9781250020734
- Pages
- 310
- Publisher
- Macmillan + ORM
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction