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White Smoke

Tiffany D. Jackson

Cover of White Smoke

White Smoke

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Tiffany D. Jackson

Reading Level 4-5 9ME Ages 13+ Matched

The text is written at a 4th 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

Marigold hopes a fresh start in a new city with her blended family will leave her past behind, but the eerie house they move into hides unsettling mysteries. Strange noises, vanishing items, and shadowy figures hint at secrets deeper than just a haunted home. As tension grows, Mari must face the unseen forces threatening her and uncover the truths lurking beneath Cedarville’s surface.

Themes

FamilyPsychological ThrillerMysterySupernatural

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 4-5 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include fear & anxiety, mild peril. Written for readers ages 13+.

Why we rated White Smoke 9ME

White Smoke is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 384 pages (approximately 80,742 words). Strong independent readers around grade 5.3 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, White Smoke works for readers up to grade 6.3.

Read aloud, White Smoke runs about 9 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate White Smoke as 9ME ("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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Fear & Anxiety, Mild Peril.

Thematically, White Smoke explores family, psychological thriller, mystery, and supernatural — 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.
  • Kids drawn to stories about family, psychological thriller, mystery.

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

9ME — Moderate — Emotional
Emotional
Moderate
Physical
Moderate
Social
Clear
Thematic
Clear

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

Content Flags

Fear & Anxiety Mild Peril
Data confidence: standard

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

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

3/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

3/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
4
Emotional Weight
6
Narrative Pace
5
Theme Richness
6
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

384 pages
80,742 words
8h 58m read-aloud
ISBN
9780063029095
Pages
384
Publisher
HarperCollins Publishers
Published
2021
Type
Fiction
Word Count
80,742
Read-Aloud
~8h 58m
Text Density
Standard

Genres