The summer I wasn't me

Name: The summer I wasn't me
Author: Jessica Verdi
ISBN: 9781402277887

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Jessica Verdi

Reading Level 4-5 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 13+ Matched

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

Seventeen-year-old Lexi heads to New Horizons summer camp hoping to hide her true self and fit in by pretending to like boys. But as she tries to change who she is, she discovers that being honest about her feelings is more important than she thought. This heartfelt story explores the challenges of identity, family, and acceptance.

Themes

LGBTQ+ Representation Family Coming of Age Friendship Adventure

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 4-5 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include identity & self-discovery, divorce & family change, fear & anxiety. Written for readers ages 13+.

Why we rated The summer I wasn't me ME (Moderate)

The summer I wasn't me is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 342 pages (approximately 77,874 words). 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.

Read aloud, The summer I wasn't me runs about 8.7 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate The summer I wasn't me 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 — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Identity & Self-Discovery, Divorce & Family Change, Fear & Anxiety.

Thematically, The summer I wasn't me explores lgbtq+ representation, family, coming of age, friendship, and adventure — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about lgbtq+ representation, family, coming of age.

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

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

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.