Chasing before
Lenore Appelhans
Chasing before
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Book 2 of the Memory Chronicles
by Lenore Appelhans
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Felicia races through a world where memories shape reality, and every choice could change the future. Suddenly, she's caught between what she remembers and what she must forget—what will happen next?
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores themes of memory, death, and the afterlife through a sci-fi lens, appealing to readers who enjoy complex futuristic stories. Appropriate for ages 9-12, it contains thoughtful reflections on loss and identity without graphic content. Parents should note the story's abstract concepts surrounding life after death and its emotional depth.
Why we rated Chasing before 12ME
Chasing before is written at a Level 7 reading level across 359 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Chasing before works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Chasing before 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, 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, Chasing before explores adventure, science & nature, coming of age, family, and fantasy world-building — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, science & nature, coming of age.
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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781442441880
- Pages
- 359
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction