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 middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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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
Losing Faith is a middle-grade novel that explores grief and family dynamics through Brie’s journey to uncover the truth about her sister’s secret religious group. Suitable for ages 9-12, it gently addresses themes of loss and curiosity while involving elements of mystery. Parents should note the emotional intensity related to bereavement and family secrets.
Why we rated Losing Faith 9ME
Losing Faith is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 700L across 400 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Losing Faith works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Losing Faith as 9ME ("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, 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 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ 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.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9ME — 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
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
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
- Lexile
- 700L