Miles away from you

Name: Miles away from you
Author: A. B. Rutledge
ISBN: 9781328852335

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by A. B. Rutledge

Reading Level 4-5 IE · Intense · Emotional Ages 13+ Heads Up

The text is written at a 4th 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.

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About This Book

Miles stands frozen in his hotel room, suitcase untouched, the Icelandic wind howling outside. His heart aches for Vivian, who’s been silent in a coma for so long. When a stranger named Oskar appears, will Miles find the courage to step outside and face the journey ahead?

Themes

LGBTQ+ Representation Friendship Coming of Age FamilyLoveMental Health

Quick Assessment

Miles travels alone to Iceland to say goodbye to Vivian, a transgender girl he loved who remains in a coma after a suicide attempt, and the story unfolds through messages he writes to her. Expect sustained grief, references to suicide and life support, and honest portrayals of gender identity and bisexuality. It is best suited to mature teens who can handle heavy emotional material.

Why we rated Miles away from you IE (Intense)

Miles away from you is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 268 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 Miles away from you 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, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Suicide.

Thematically, Miles away from you explores lgbtq+ representation, friendship, coming of age, family, and love — 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 lgbtq+ representation, friendship, coming of age.

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.

For Parents

Content Intensity

IE · Intense · Emotional

Emotional

Intense ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Moderate

Thematic

Moderate

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.