Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
Nothing special
Geoff Herbach
Nothing special
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Geoff Herbach
The text is written at a 6th 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
The sharp scent of gasoline fills the air as Gus and I hit the road, chasing after my missing brother Andrew. Football camp? Forget it — my chances at a scholarship are slipping away with every mile. But maybe, just maybe, this wild cross-country trip will help me figure out who I really am.
Themes
Quick Assessment
A teen narrator must leave football camp and drive cross-country with his brother Gus to find their runaway younger brother, Andrew, while worrying about his future and his strained family. The story is told in a candid first-person voice and deals with family dysfunction, sibling conflict, and the emotional strain of a missing family member. Expect mild profanity and some frank teen talk; the emotional content is handled with humor and heart.
Why we rated Nothing special ME (Moderate)
Nothing special is written at a Level 6 reading level across 290 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 Nothing special 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, Nothing special explores family, brotherhood, emotional problems, dysfunctional families, and coming of age — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, brotherhood, emotional problems.
- ✓ Readers (and parents) who care about award-recognized writing — Nothing special carries an award.
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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781402265075
- Pages
- 290
- Publisher
- Sourcebooks Fire
- Published
- 2012
- Type
- Fiction