The art of not breathing

Name: The art of not breathing
Author: Sarah Alexander
ISBN: 9780544633889

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Sarah Alexander

Reading Level 3-4 ME · Moderate · Emotional 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 has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Elsie Main is not your ordinary girl—she dares to dive into the deep, dark sea where secrets hide. After her twin brother Eddie drowned, she’s determined to uncover the truth beneath the waves. But what she finds might change everything she thought she knew.

Themes

GriefFamilySecretsAdventure Coming of Age

Quick Assessment

This novel follows sixteen-year-old Elsie as she copes with the grief of losing her twin brother and seeks answers about his drowning through the challenging sport of freediving. Suitable for early teens, it explores themes of loss, family struggles, and self-discovery with sensitivity. Parents should note the emotional depth and some mature themes related to grief and family dynamics.

Why we rated The art of not breathing ME (Moderate)

The art of not breathing is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 275 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 The art of not breathing 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.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.

Thematically, The art of not breathing explores grief, family, secrets, adventure, and coming of age — 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 grief, family, secrets.

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

Mild

Social

Mild

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

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

Data confidence: high

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