Truly, Wildly, Deeply
Jenny McLachlan
Truly, Wildly, Deeply
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Jenny McLachlan
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Annie races through the college halls, her heart pounding with excitement and nerves. Freedom tastes sweeter than ever, but then she bumps into Fab, who’s wild, full of energy, and ready to shake up her carefully planned world. Can Annie hold on to her independence when the biggest adventure might just be love?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Annie, a teenager with cerebral palsy, as she starts college and embraces newfound independence. The story explores themes of self-discovery, friendship, and first love, providing a warm and accessible portrayal of disability and young romance suitable for ages 9-12. Parents can expect positive messages around empowerment and inclusion without intense content.
Why we rated Truly, Wildly, Deeply 12LE
Truly, Wildly, Deeply is written at a Level 7 reading level across 325 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Truly, Wildly, Deeply works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Truly, Wildly, Deeply as 12LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Truly, Wildly, Deeply explores disability representation, friendship, coming of age, romance, and family — 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 disability representation, friendship, coming of age.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" 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
- 9781408879771
- Pages
- 325
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction