One of us

Name: One of us
Author: Jeannie Waudby
ISBN: 9780762457991

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Jeannie Waudby

Reading Level 3 IP · Intense · Physical Ages 13+ Heads Up

The text is written at a 3rd 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, IP, means intense content, mostly physical.

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About This Book

The sharp crack of an explosion shatters the quiet, sending smoke and fear swirling through the air. K finds herself caught between two worlds—a secret spy life and the reality of danger closing in. Can she trust anyone when every truth hides a lie?

Themes

Juvenile fictionSchoolsYoung adult fictionAdventure Social Justice Mystery

Quick Assessment

This young adult novel follows K, a teenager who becomes involved in espionage against a rising radical group after surviving a bomb attack. The story deals with themes of terrorism and the challenges of leading a double life, suitable for mature teens due to its intense subject matter. Parents should be aware that the book addresses complex social issues and contains suspenseful, potentially distressing scenes.

Why we rated One of us IP (Intense)

One of us is written at a Level 3 reading level across 319 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 One of us as IP (Intense, mostly physical) 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, physical peril, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Terrorism, Violence.

Thematically, One of us explores juvenile fiction, schools, young adult fiction, adventure, and social justice — 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 juvenile fiction, schools, young adult fiction.

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.
! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.
! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic reading-level-vs-content mismatch.

For Parents

Content Intensity

IP · Intense · Physical

Emotional

Moderate

Physical

Intense ←

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.