Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
Something in Between
Melissa De la Cruz
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.
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About This Book
She’s not just any kid—she’s caught between two worlds, and that makes her story unlike any other you’ve heard. Her life is a mix of secrets and dreams, and every choice could change everything. What happens when you’re stuck in the middle but ready to break free?
Quick Assessment
Jasmine, a Filipino American high school student, learns that her family's visas expired years ago, putting her scholarship, her future, and her family's safety at risk. The story addresses deportation fears, family tension, and a budding romance with a light touch, though readers will sit with sustained anxiety and emotional strain throughout. It suits teen readers ready to engage with immigration issues and offers meaningful conversations about family, belonging, and fairness.
Why we rated Something in Between LE (Mild)
Something in Between is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 432 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 Something in Between 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, Something in Between explores multicultural, family, coming of age, and identity & self-discovery — 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 multicultural, family, coming of age.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
LE · Mild · 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
Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" 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
- 9780373212385
- Pages
- 432
- Publisher
- Harlequin Teen
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction