Cover of I Must Betray You

I Must Betray You

by Ruta Sepetys · Grades 9–12 · Realistic Fiction

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys is assigned in US schools at grades 9–12. It appears on 6 lists: 1 state standards document and 5 book-award lists, across 6 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 14–17 · Grades 9–12 · 337 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781984836045). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Among the most widely assigned — 6 curriculum lists · 6 states

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book AwardCalifornia Young Reader MedalGeorgia Peach Book Award for Teen ReadersKentucky Bluegrass Award+1 more

This page shows where I Must Betray You is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Reading level at a glance

Grade range
Grades 9–12
Listed most for
9th grade (6 of 21 cited list rows)
Age range
Ages 14–17
Pages
337
Reading time
about 6h 10m (est.)
First published
2022
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9781984836045

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-10-07; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

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About this book

Book facts and sources (6)
Award won
On award reading lists
Named in curriculum frameworks
  • Common Core State Standards (ELA) (source: midlib.org)
Catalog record
First published 2022 · 337 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

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Why widely assigned

This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 9–12. Written in the 2020s; cited on 6 lists: 1 state standards document and 5 book-award lists.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is I Must Betray You?
I Must Betray You is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12. It appears on 6 school reading lists across 6 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read I Must Betray You?
It takes about 6h 10m to read I Must Betray You (337 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 370 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign I Must Betray You?
I Must Betray You appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal, Common Core State Standards (ELA), Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers, and 3 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is I Must Betray You banned in schools?
I Must Betray You does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally. See the banned books list by state.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 9–12 — drawn from the curriculum sources cited on this page.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 6 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 1 state's ELA framework or DOE list, and on state book-award lists in 5 states (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club, summer.

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