Something like hope

Name: Something like hope
Author: Shawn Goodman
ISBN: 9780385907866

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Shawn Goodman

Reading Level 4-5 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 13+ Matched

Delacorte Press Prize for a First Young Adult Novel

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

What would you do if you only had one year left to change everything? Shavonne is locked up and fighting against the odds—mean guards, wild conflicts, and memories she can't escape. Can she find hope before time runs out?

Themes

Emotional problemsJuvenile delinquentsFamilyAfrican AmericansJuvenile detention homes

Quick Assessment

Shavonne, a seventeen-year-old who has spent years in juvenile detention, works with a counselor who helps her face her family history, her guilt over past actions, and her fear of life after release. The story is raw and includes corrupt guard misconduct, self-destructive behavior, crack addiction in her family, a teen pregnancy, and a plot point where a vulnerable character is targeted, so it suits mature teen readers who can handle heavy material. It ends on a hopeful note about self-discovery and moving beyond the past.

Why we rated Something like hope ME (Moderate)

Something like hope is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 193 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 like hope 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, physical peril, social complexity — 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, Something like hope explores emotional problems, juvenile delinquents, family, african americans, and juvenile detention homes — 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 emotional problems, juvenile delinquents, family.
✓ Readers (and parents) who care about award-recognized writing — Something like hope 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 · Emotional

Emotional

Intense ←

Physical

Moderate

Social

Moderate

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

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: standard

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