Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
The five stages of Andrew Brawley
Shaun David Hutchinson
The five stages of Andrew Brawley
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Illustrated by Christine Larsen
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is very intense with mature or graphic material. Its HootRating code, VE, means very intense content, mostly emotional.
We may earn a commission from these links.
About This Book
Drew races through the hospital halls, heart pounding as he dodges staff and memories that won't let him go. Just when he thinks he’s alone, Rusty appears—someone who’s been through fire, both literally and inside. But can their unlikely friendship survive the secrets they’re both hiding?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This young adult novel explores the heavy themes of grief, trauma, and recovery as it follows a teenager coping with the tragic loss of his family and his own physical and emotional scars. Mature content includes child abuse, bullying, death, and injury, making it appropriate for older teens who can handle intense social issues and emotional complexity. The story also features creative elements like excerpts from the protagonist's superhero comic, which provide insight into his inner world.
Why we rated The five stages of Andrew Brawley VE (Very Intense)
The five stages of Andrew Brawley is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 288 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 five stages of Andrew Brawley as VE (Very Intense, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Very Intense" range — very intense or graphic content — peril, violence, trauma, or mature themes treated head-on. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Child Abuse, Amputation, Broken Bone, Physical Restraint, Bullying, Death.
Thematically, The five stages of Andrew Brawley explores grief, young adult fiction, death & dying, orphans, and friendship — 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 grief, young adult fiction, death & dying.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 13 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic reading-level-vs-content mismatch.
For Parents
Content Intensity
VE · Very Intense · 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
Graphic or sustained depictions of trauma, violence, or mature content.
Content Flags
Was our "Very Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
If your child liked this book, they might like these
Matched on content and themes — all rated for reading level and content intensity.
We Are the Ants
Shaun David Hutchinson
We Are the Ants
Shaun David Hutchinson
After ever after
Jordan Sonnenblick
After ever after
Jordan Sonnenblick
The cemetery boys
Zac Brewer
The cemetery boys
Zac Brewer
Under Shifting Stars
Alexandra Latos
Under Shifting Stars
Alexandra Latos
Everything breaks
Vicki Grove
Everything breaks
Vicki Grove
A very, very bad thing
Jeffery Self
A very, very bad thing
Jeffery Self
Protected
Claire Zorn
Protected
Claire Zorn
Bullyville
Francine Prose
Bullyville
Francine Prose
Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781481403108
- Pages
- 288
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction