Everything's Not Fine
Sarah Carlson
Everything's Not Fine
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Sarah Carlson
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
Rose Hemmersbach is no ordinary teenager—she’s a fierce dreamer trapped in a small town where tough challenges hide behind every corner. While she paints her future full of color, her mother’s battle with heroin addiction threatens to pull everything into darkness. What will it take for Rose to hold onto hope when everything feels like it’s falling apart?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Everything's Not Fine follows 17-year-old Rose as she navigates the hardships of her mother’s heroin addiction while striving to pursue her artistic ambitions beyond their small town. The book thoughtfully addresses themes of family struggle and resilience, suitable for middle-grade readers aged 9 to 12. Parents should be aware of the sensitive subject matter regarding substance abuse portrayed with emotional depth but without explicit detail.
Why we rated Everything's Not Fine 12IE
Everything's Not Fine is written at a Level 7 reading level across 304 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Everything's Not Fine works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Everything's Not Fine as 12IE ("Intense — 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, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Substance Use.
Thematically, Everything's Not Fine explores family, coming of age, art, and resilience — 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 family, coming of age, art.
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
12IE — Intense — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A 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
- 9781684424108
- Pages
- 304
- Publisher
- Turner
- Published
- 2020
- Type
- Fiction