Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
In some other life
Jessica Brody
The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.
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About This Book
The scent of warm cookies fills the kitchen as laughter echoes through the house. Imagine a world where one small choice turns your whole life upside down. What would happen if everything you knew suddenly felt different?
Themes
Quick Assessment
After a shocking betrayal, a high school editor wakes up in an alternate life where she chose a prestigious academy over her public school romance, and she must figure out whether that version of her is really happier. The story is a funny, romantic family-and-friendship drama with a teen crush, a cheating storyline, and some dating-related emotional sting, but nothing graphic. Parents should know it explores how big choices shape identity and relationships, with a hopeful, reflective tone.
Why we rated In some other life C (Gentle)
In some other life is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 452 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 In some other life as C (Gentle) because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, In some other life explores family, juvenile fiction, dating, and family life — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, juvenile fiction, dating.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
C · GentleReading 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
No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780374380762
- Pages
- 452
- Publisher
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction