Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
Somebody up there hates you
Hollis Seamon
Somebody up there hates you
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Hollis Seamon
The text is written at a 4th 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 antiseptic mixes with the soft hum of hospital machines. Richard, a seventeen-year-old prankster, lies in a hospice bed, plotting his biggest and boldest tricks yet. Even in the quietest moments, his spirit refuses to fade—because every day still holds a spark of hope and laughter.
Themes
Quick Assessment
Seventeen-year-old Richard and his friend Sylvie, both dying of cancer, share a hospice ward and try to make their remaining time count through pranks, a sneaked-out Halloween night, and a tense feud with Sylvie's grieving father. Expect frank discussion of terminal illness, treatment, and death, along with mild profanity and light romantic tension between the teens. The tone blends dark humor with real grief, so it suits readers ready to face mortality in an honest, funny way.
Why we rated Somebody up there hates you ME (Moderate)
Somebody up there hates you is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 239 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 Somebody up there hates you 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, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Cancer, Hospice Care.
Thematically, Somebody up there hates you explores coming of age, illness & injury, family, and humor — 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 coming of age, illness & injury, family.
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.
Content Flags
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
- 9781616202606
- Pages
- 239
- Publisher
- Algonquin Books
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction