Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
The living
Matt de la Peña
The living
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Matt de la Peña
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
The salty spray of the ocean stings Shy's face as the ship shudders beneath his feet. Crashing waves roar like thunder, and the air is thick with the scent of salt and fear. Just when Shy thinks the worst is over, a new danger lurks nearby, waiting to test his courage.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This young adult novel follows Shy, a high schooler caught in a deadly disaster after an earthquake and tsunami devastate California and a cruise ship. The story explores themes of survival, environmental catastrophe, and resilience, suitable for teens ages 13 and up. Parents should note the presence of natural disaster scenarios and some tense action sequences.
Why we rated The living ME (Moderate)
The living is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 311 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 living 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 — 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 living explores environment, survival, action & adventure, and young adult fiction — 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 environment, survival, action & adventure.
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 · 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
Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780385741200
- Pages
- 311
- Publisher
- Delacorte Press
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction