Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
Losing Faith
Denise Jaden
Losing Faith
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Denise Jaden
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.
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About This Book
Here’s a secret: Brie’s sister, Faith, was part of a mysterious religious group no one ever mentioned at home. Brie starts digging into Faith’s hidden life, hoping to understand her better — but that’s only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
After her older sister Faith dies suddenly, Brie struggles through grief while her parents, friends, and boyfriend all seem to be falling apart around her. Brie begins to suspect that the details of Faith's death don't add up and that the religious group Faith hid from the family is connected to her final night. Parents should know the story deals heavily with grief, family strain, and manipulation within a religious group, and includes real danger in its mystery, so it is best suited to older teens who can handle emotionally intense material.
Why we rated Losing Faith ME (Moderate)
Losing Faith is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 400 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 Losing Faith as ME (Moderate, mostly 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, Losing Faith explores family, siblings, mystery, grief, and social issues — 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, siblings, mystery.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
For Parents
Content Intensity
ME · Moderate · EmotionalReading 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
Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781416996095
- Pages
- 400
- Publisher
- Simon Pulse
- Published
- 2010
- Type
- Fiction