Wicked

Wicked is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 310 pages (approximately 71,152 words). 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.

Read aloud, Wicked runs about 7.9 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Wicked 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, physical peril, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Bullying, Fear & Anxiety, Romantic Content, Mild Peril, Emotional: Identity & Self-Discovery.

Thematically, Wicked explores friendship, mystery, coming of age, romance, and social justice — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.