Glory O'Brien's history of the future

Name: Glory O'Brien's history of the future
Author: A. S. King
ISBN: 9780316222723

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by A. S. King

Reading Level 3-4 IE · Intense · Emotional Ages 13+ Heads Up

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes. Its HootRating code, IE, means intense content, mostly emotional.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links.

About This Book

Glory O'Brien has a secret power that lets her see the past and future of anyone she looks at. But when she sees a scary future where freedom and rights disappear, she knows she has to act fast. Can one girl’s vision change the whole world?

Themes

Coming of AgeFeminismClairvoyanceFamily Social Justice

Quick Assessment

This novel explores heavy themes such as loss, suicide, and societal collapse, woven into a story about a teenage girl who develops clairvoyant abilities. It is appropriate for mature middle-grade readers and young teens, particularly those ready to engage with complex emotional and social issues. Parents should be aware of the intense topics around mental health, political upheaval, and the portrayal of violence and oppression.

Why we rated Glory O'Brien's history of the future IE (Intense)

Glory O'Brien's history of the future is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 306 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 Glory O'Brien's history of the future as IE (Intense, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. 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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Suicide, Political Violence, Oppression.

Thematically, Glory O'Brien's history of the future explores coming of age, feminism, clairvoyance, family, and social justice — 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 coming of age, feminism, clairvoyance.

Maybe not for

! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
! Children younger than 13 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.
! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic reading-level-vs-content mismatch.

For Parents

Content Intensity

IE · Intense · Emotional

Emotional

Intense ←

Physical

Moderate

Social

Intense

Thematic

Intense

Reading 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

Heavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.