Unnatural deeds

Name: Unnatural deeds
Author: Cyn Balog
ISBN: 9781492635796

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Cyn Balog

Reading Level 3-4 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 13+ Heads Up

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

The rustle of pages and the soft thud of footsteps fill the quiet hallways where Victoria feels most alone. Her heart races as a new boy arrives, shining bright like a secret star in the dark. Suddenly, everything feels different—and Victoria isn’t sure if she’s ready for what’s coming next.

Themes

Friendship Coming of Age FamilyJuvenile FictionSecrecyInterpersonal Relationships

Quick Assessment

Victoria, a high school student coping with anxiety, is devoted to her homeschooled boyfriend until a charismatic new classmate pulls her into a web of lies, cut classes, and growing obsession. The story centers on secrecy and deception, and it includes a murder that raises the stakes considerably. Romantic tension is present but not explicit, and the emotional content around anxiety and self-destruction may prompt good conversations for older teens.

Why we rated Unnatural deeds ME (Moderate)

Unnatural deeds is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 274 pages. 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.

We rate Unnatural deeds 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 — 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, Unnatural deeds explores friendship, coming of age, family, juvenile fiction, and secrecy — 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.
✓ 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, family.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Mild

Thematic

Mild

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?