When Life Gives You Demons
Jennifer Honeybourn
When Life Gives You Demons
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Jennifer Honeybourn
The text is written at a 6th 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
Shelby Black races through the shadows, clutching her talisman as a demon lurks just behind her. Schoolwork, crushes, and exorcism training collide in a whirlwind she never expected. But when the unthinkable happens, everything Shelby thought she knew is turned upside down.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This young adult novel follows Shelby Black as she balances typical teenage challenges with the extraordinary responsibility of becoming an exorcist under her uncle's guidance. Blending horror, humor, and romance, it explores themes of supernatural conflict and personal growth suitable for ages 13 and up. Parents should note the presence of paranormal elements, mild horror scenes, and some romantic content.
Why we rated When Life Gives You Demons 11ME
When Life Gives You Demons is written at a Level 6 reading level across 273 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, When Life Gives You Demons works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate When Life Gives You Demons as 11ME ("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 — 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, When Life Gives You Demons explores paranormal, horror, humor, love & romance, and coming of age — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about paranormal, horror, humor.
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
11ME — 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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781250158239
- Pages
- 273
- Publisher
- Swoon Reads
- Published
- 2018-07-17
- Type
- Fiction