Love, life, and the list
Kasie West
Love, life, and the list
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Kasie West
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.
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About This Book
Abby Turner’s summer is a whirlwind of big feelings and bold moves. She’s got a crush on her best friend, a list of daring challenges, and a heart full of art that’s waiting to shine. Can she transform her life — and her paintings — before the clock runs out?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows 17-year-old Abby as she navigates unrequited love, family anxiety, and artistic self-discovery. It addresses themes of friendship, personal growth, and mental health in an age-appropriate way for readers ages 9-12. Parents should note some emotional content related to anxiety and romantic feelings but nothing intense or graphic.
Why we rated Love, life, and the list 12LE
Love, life, and the list is written at a Level 7 reading level across 375 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Love, life, and the list works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Love, life, and the list as 12LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Love, life, and the list explores friendship, coming of age, family, artistic self-discovery, and romance — 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 friendship, coming of age, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12LE — Light — EmotionalLight conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A 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
- 9780062675774
- Pages
- 375
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction