Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
The upside of unrequited
Becky Albertalli
The upside of unrequited
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Becky Albertalli
The text is written at a 7th 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
Here's a secret: Molly Peskin-Suso has been dodging heartbreak her whole life because rejection feels impossible to handle. But when her twin sister falls head over heels for a new girl, everything starts to change—including Molly’s own surprising feelings. And that’s just the beginning.
About & Banning Context
In this relatable story, 17-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso navigates the complexities of love and self-acceptance while dealing with her insecurities about body image. Despite her twin sister Cassie's encouragement to take risks in romance, Molly is hesitant to face the possibility of rejection. As Cassie becomes infatuated with a new girlfriend, Molly grapples with feelings of loneliness and the desire for her own romantic connection. When a charming boy linked to Cassie's new relationship enters the picture, Molly sees a chance for her first kiss. However, her growing friendship with Reid, a fellow coworker who shares her interests, complicates her feelings and challenges her preconceived notions about attraction and love.
- ● 2021 Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award, nominee (2020)
- ● 2019 Georgia Peach Teen Book Award, nominee (2018)
- ● ALA Rainbow Book List (2018)
- ● TAYSHAS High School Reading List (2018)
- ● Silver Inky, long list (2018)
- ● Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books (2017)
- ● Nerdy Book Club Award, winner (2017)
- ● New York Public Library Best Books of the Year (2017)
- + 2 more
Themes
Quick Assessment
Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso dreads rejection and worries about her body while her twin sister falls for a new girl and Molly develops a crush of her own on a coworker. Parents should know the story includes body image struggles, anxiety attacks, a vomiting scene, fat jokes, and a character who uses hate speech, which the book addresses honestly. Romance is mild, centered on crushes and a first kiss, and the overall tone is funny and warm, focused on sisterhood and identity.
Why we rated The upside of unrequited ME (Moderate)
The upside of unrequited is written at a Level 7 reading level across 340 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 upside of unrequited 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, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Anxiety Attack, Body Dysmorphia, Hate Speech, Fat Jokes, Vomiting.
Thematically, The upside of unrequited explores lgbtq+ representation, friendship, family, romance, and anxiety disorders — 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 lgbtq+ representation, friendship, family.
- ✓ Readers (and parents) who care about award-recognized writing — The upside of unrequited carries an award.
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.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" 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
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780062348708
- Pages
- 340
- Publisher
- Balzer + Bray
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction