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We regret to inform you

A. E. Kaplan

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We regret to inform you

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by A. E. Kaplan

Reading Level 7 12LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

Mischa Abramavicius is the ultimate overachiever—top scores, perfect resume, and every college application dream come true. But when every single school rejects her, including her safety school, something feels very wrong. What if her future was sabotaged by a hacker? This mystery could change everything.

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows Mischa, a high-achieving student shocked by rejection from every college she applies to, including her safety school. The story explores the intense pressure of college admissions and the impact on young teens, with themes of friendship, integrity, and resilience. Suitable for ages 9-12, it contains no mature content but addresses real-world challenges kids face in academic environments.

Why we rated We regret to inform you 12LE

We regret to inform you is written at a Level 7 reading level across 352 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, We regret to inform you works for readers up to grade 9.0.

We rate We regret to inform you as 12LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.

Thematically, We regret to inform you explores friendship, coming of age, school, mystery, and social justice — 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 friendship, coming of age, school.

Maybe not for

  • ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
  • ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.

For Parents

Content Intensity

12LE — Light — Emotional
Emotional
Light
Physical
Clear
Social
Clear
Thematic
Light

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

2/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

3/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
6
Emotional Weight
4
Theme Richness
5
World Scope
1
Data Confidence
7

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Details

Book Length

352 pages
ISBN
9781524773700
Pages
352
Publisher
Alfred A. Knopf
Published
2018
Type
Fiction

Subjects

College ChoiceHackersHigh SchoolsSchoolsFriendshipHumorous Stories