Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
Each of Us a Desert
Mark Oshiro
Each of Us a Desert
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Mark Oshiro
The text is written at an 8th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.
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About This Book
Here’s a secret: Xochitl talks to the desert, telling stories only the stars can hear. Then Emilia appears—mysterious and cold, from a family no one trusts. Together, they step into a magical night where friendship and danger dance beneath the moonlight, but that’s only the beginning.
About & Banning Context
In 'Each of Us a Desert,' Xochitl embarks on a solitary journey through a vast desert, tasked with sharing the stories of her troubled village. Accompanied only by the stars and fragments of poetry scattered across the sands, she longs for a deep connection with someone who understands her. Her wish is fulfilled when she meets Emilia, the striking daughter of a ruthless conqueror. Together, they navigate the challenges of their magical adventure, facing terrifying threats that emerge after sunset. This coming-of-age fantasy explores themes of love, identity, and the struggle for belonging against a backdrop of danger and enchantment.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This young adult novel blends magical realism with themes of immigration, identity, and romance, focusing on Xochitl and Emilia’s journey across a mystical desert. Suitable for teens 13 and up, it explores complex social issues and LGBTQ+ relationships with emotional depth and some moments of peril. Parents should note the story contains fantastical elements and addresses mature themes in a sensitive manner.
Why we rated Each of Us a Desert ME (Moderate)
Each of Us a Desert is written at a Level 8 reading level across 600 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 Each of Us a Desert as ME (Moderate, mostly 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, social complexity, 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, Each of Us a Desert explores lgbtq+ representation, romance, magical realism, immigration & emigration, 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about lgbtq+ representation, romance, magical realism.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
For Parents
Content Intensity
ME · Moderate · 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
Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
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
- 9781432884284
- Pages
- 600
- Publisher
- Thorndike Striving Reader
- Published
- 2021
- Type
- Fiction