Everyone we've been
Sarah Everett
Everyone we've been
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Sarah Everett
The text is written at a 7th 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 and couldn't remember who you really are? Addison has been in an accident, and strange things start happening—like talking to a boy who vanishes without warning. As she digs deeper, she uncovers secrets that make her question everything about her past and future.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Everyone We've Been is a young adult novel exploring themes of memory loss, identity, and self-discovery through the story of Addison, a teenage girl recovering from an accident. The book contains some emotional complexity and mystery elements, suitable for readers aged 13 and up. Parents should note the story involves themes of memory manipulation and emotional challenges but no graphic content.
Why we rated Everyone we've been 12ME
Everyone we've been is written at a Level 7 reading level across 390 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Everyone we've been works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Everyone we've been 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, Everyone we've been explores love, secrets, teenage girls, accidents, 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 love, secrets, teenage girls.
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
- 9780553538441
- Pages
- 390
- Publisher
- Knopf Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction