The Ethan I was before
Ali Standish
The Ethan I was before
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Ali Standish
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Ethan’s life changed forever the day his best friend Kacey was gone. Now in a new town, he meets Coralee, whose big stories hide real danger. Friendship, secrets, and second chances collide in a story that proves hope can grow even after the hardest losses.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores themes of grief, friendship, and healing as Ethan copes with the loss of his best friend and adjusts to a new life in a small town. It sensitively addresses emotional challenges while incorporating elements of suspense and adventure, suitable for readers ages 9-12. Parents should note the story deals with loss and secret dangers but is ultimately hopeful and uplifting.
Why we rated The Ethan I was before 12IE
The Ethan I was before is written at a Level 7 reading level across 368 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Ethan I was before works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate The Ethan I was before as 12IE ("Intense — 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 — 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 Ethan I was before explores grief, friendship, loss, and coming of age — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about grief, friendship, loss.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12IE — Intense — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780062433381
- Pages
- 368
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction