The possible

Name: The possible
Author: Tara Altebrando
ISBN: 9781619638051

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Tara Altebrando

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

The sharp crackle of the microphone fills the quiet room, mixing with Kaylee's swirling thoughts. The scent of old books and rain drifts in as memories of her mysterious birth mother come rushing back—someone whispered to have strange powers and a dark past. What really happened, and how will Kaylee face the truth buried in those shadows?

Themes

Adoption & Foster Care Coming of Age MysteryJuvenile Fiction

Quick Assessment

Seventeen-year-old Kaylee, who lives happily with her adoptive parents, is pulled into her birth mother's history when a podcaster starts digging into a case involving alleged telekinetic powers and the murder of a child. The story is a psychological thriller about identity, family secrets, and whether the past defines a person, and it references the crime and a life sentence in prison rather than depicting violence on the page. Parents may want to talk with teens about the dark backstory, the emotional weight of adoption questions, and the difference between the book's supernatural claims and what is real.

Why we rated The possible ME (Moderate)

The possible is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 292 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 possible 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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Murder, Adoption.

Thematically, The possible explores adoption & foster care, coming of age, mystery, and juvenile 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 adoption & foster care, coming of age, mystery.

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

Moderate ←

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.