Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
Distance from Me to You
Marina Gessner
Distance from Me to You
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Marina Gessner
The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.
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About This Book
McKenna laces up her boots, heart pounding as the trail stretches endlessly ahead. Her best friend just quit, but McKenna steps forward alone, every step a test of courage and hope. What secrets will the Appalachian Trail reveal before she reaches the end?
Quick Assessment
McKenna Berney sets out alone on a months-long hike from Maine to Georgia after her best friend backs out, and she meets Sam, a teen who has left an abusive father and dropped out of school. Their romance moves fast and carries real emotional weight, while a dangerous detour raises the stakes for both of them. Parents should expect teen romance, references to abuse and hardship, and sustained wilderness survival tension.
Why we rated Distance from Me to You LE (Mild)
Distance from Me to You is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 352 pages. 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.
We rate Distance from Me to You as LE (Mild, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Distance from Me to You explores adventure, survival, friendship, coming of age, and family — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, survival, friendship.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
LE · Mild · EmotionalReading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate
Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780399173233
- Pages
- 352
- Publisher
- G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction