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The five stages of Andrew Brawley
Shaun David Hutchinson
The five stages of Andrew Brawley
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Shaun David Hutchinson
Illustrated by Larsen, Christine , illustrator
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.
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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 9VE
The five stages of Andrew Brawley is written at a Level 4-5 reading level with a Lexile measure of 700L across 288 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The five stages of Andrew Brawley works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate The five stages of Andrew Brawley as 9VE ("Vivid — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ 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.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9VE — Vivid — EmotionalGraphic or sustained depictions of trauma, violence, or mature content.
Content Flags
Was our "Very Intense" 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
- 9781481403108
- Pages
- 288
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction
- Lexile
- 700L