Since you left me

Name: Since you left me
Author: Allen Zadoff
ISBN: 9781606842966

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

a novel

by Allen Zadoff

Reading Level 3 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 13+ Matched

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links.

About This Book

Nobody thinks a kid can hold a family together, but what if you’re the only one who believes in keeping the pieces from falling apart? In a city buzzing with questions and change, one boy's faith becomes more than just a hope—it’s the glue for his world. And that makes all the difference.

Themes

FaithFamilySingle-parent familiesJewish culture

Quick Assessment

Sanskrit Zuckerman, a Jewish teen in modern-day Los Angeles, tells a small lie to keep his family and friends from leaving him, and the story follows what happens next. Expect emotional weight around divorce, a parent's threatened departure, loneliness, and a friend's religious conversion, along with questions about faith and some light romantic interest. The tone is funny and heartfelt, which makes it a good starting point for talking about honesty, belonging, and holding on to what matters.

Why we rated Since you left me LE (Mild)

Since you left me is written at a Level 3 reading level across 320 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 Since you left me as LE (Mild, mostly 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, Since you left me explores faith, family, single-parent families, and jewish culture — 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 faith, family, single-parent families.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Mild

Thematic

Mild

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

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?