All Our Yesterdays
Cristin Terrill
All Our Yesterdays
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Cristin Terrill
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes.
We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.
About This Book
Here's a secret: Em is trapped in a secret military base, and she holds a mysterious list written in her own hand that could change everything. She's tried to stop a dangerous time machine, but each attempt ends the same way—imprisoned by a cruel man called the doctor. But that’s only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel blends science fiction with intense emotional themes, including loss, sacrifice, and the complexities of friendship and love. It involves mature topics such as death, suicide, and violence, making it suitable for older middle-grade readers (ages 9-12) who can handle heavier content. Parents should be aware of hospital scenes and the presence of death, which are integral to the story's exploration of difficult choices and their consequences.
Why we rated All Our Yesterdays 12IE
All Our Yesterdays is written at a Level 7 reading level across 362 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, All Our Yesterdays works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate All Our Yesterdays as 12IE ("Intense — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Death, Suicide, Hospital Scene.
Thematically, All Our Yesterdays explores love, friendship, science & nature, adventure, and sacrifice — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about love, friendship, science & nature.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 9-12 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12IE — Intense — EmotionalHeavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
Similar Books
Based on content and theme analysis
All we have left
Wendy Mills
All we have left
Wendy Mills
Future shock
Briggs, Elizabeth (Young adult author)
Future shock
Briggs, Elizabeth (Young adult author)
Yesterday's Tomorrow
Guy Rosmarin
Yesterday's Tomorrow
Guy Rosmarin
Adventures on the Backroads of Time
Claire W. Kiernan
Adventures on the Backroads of Time
Claire W. Kiernan
Here today, gone tomorrow
Marilyn Kaye
Here today, gone tomorrow
Marilyn Kaye
Time after time
Tamara Ireland Stone
Time after time
Tamara Ireland Stone
Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781423176374
- Pages
- 362
- Publisher
- Disney-Hyperion
- Published
- September 3, 2013
- Type
- Fiction