A Complicated Love Story Set in Space
Shaun David Hutchinson
A Complicated Love Story Set in Space
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Shaun David Hutchinson
The text is written at a 8th 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
What if you woke up on a spaceship about to explode, with no memory of how you got there? Imagine facing aliens, danger, and even a school dance while trying to find your way home. But the biggest challenge? Falling in love when everything around you is falling apart.
Quick Assessment
This young adult novel blends science fiction and romance as it follows Noa and his companions trapped on a mysterious spaceship. The story explores themes of love, identity, and survival in space, featuring LGBTQ+ representation and some mature situations appropriate for teens aged 13 and up. Parents should note the presence of peril, references to murder, and complex emotional content.
Why we rated A Complicated Love Story Set in Space 12ME
A Complicated Love Story Set in Space is written at a Level 8 reading level across 416 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, A Complicated Love Story Set in Space works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate A Complicated Love Story Set in Space as 12ME ("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, thematic difficulty — 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, A Complicated Love Story Set in Space explores lgbtq+ representation, science & nature, adventure, 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 lgbtq+ representation, science & nature, adventure.
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
12ME — 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
- 9781534448537
- Pages
- 416
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 2021
- Type
- Fiction