Finder
Kate Hendrick
Finder
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Kate Hendrick
The text is written at a 8th 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
Have you ever felt like you were meant to find someone lost? Lindsay sees the world differently—every face, every house, every car—and that’s how she tracks down people. But when Elias shows up looking for his birth mother, will their unlikely friendship help Lindsay find what she’s really been searching for?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Finder is a middle-grade novel about a unique friendship between Lindsay, a reserved girl haunted by the disappearance of her twin, and Elias, a lively teen searching for his birth mother. The story explores themes of grief, self-acceptance, and the power of connection, suitable for ages 9-12. Parents should note the book handles emotional topics with sensitivity and encourages empathy and understanding.
Why we rated Finder 12ME
Finder is written at a Level 8 reading level across 400 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Finder works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate Finder 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 — 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, Finder explores friendship, grief, self-acceptance, family, and coming of age — 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 friendship, grief, self-acceptance.
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
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
- 9781925626780
- Pages
- 400
- Publisher
- Penguin Group Australia
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction