White Smoke
Tiffany D. Jackson
White Smoke
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Tiffany D. Jackson
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.
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 — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A 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
- 9780063029095
- Pages
- 384
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Published
- 2021
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 80,742
- Read-Aloud
- ~8h 58m
- Text Density
- Standard