Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
We all looked up
Tommy Wallach
We all looked up
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Tommy Wallach
The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes.
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About This Book
Some say high school is the best time of your life—but what if the world might end before you even graduate? Four friends face the biggest question ever: how do you live when tomorrow might not come? Their choices will change everything, for themselves and for all of us.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows four high school seniors grappling with personal struggles and profound life changes as an asteroid threatens Earth. Themes include self-discovery, friendship, and facing mortality. Parents should note content warnings including child abuse, drug use, injury, death, illness, hospital scenes, self-harm, and sexual content, making it suitable for mature readers near the upper end of the age range.
Why we rated We all looked up 10IE
We all looked up is written at a Level 5-6 reading level with a Lexile measure of 840L across 370 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 6.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, We all looked up works for readers up to grade 7.5.
We rate We all looked up as 10IE ("Intense — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. 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, Drug Use, Injury, Death, Illness, Hospital Scene, Self-Harm, Sexual Content.
Thematically, We all looked up explores life change events, meteors, meaning (philosophy), self-realization, and friendship — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about life change events, meteors, meaning (philosophy).
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 9-12 — 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
10IE — Intense — EmotionalHeavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781481418799
- Pages
- 370
- Publisher
- Simon and Schuster
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction
- Lexile
- 840L