What comes after

Name: What comes after
Author: Steve Watkins
ISBN: 9780763642501

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Steve Watkins

Reading Level 5-6 IE · Intense · Emotional Ages 13+ Heads Up

The text is written at a 5th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes. Its HootRating code, IE, means intense content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Here’s a secret: Iris thought moving in with her Aunt Sue would be a fresh start after her dad passed away. But instead, she discovers that the farm animals need saving just as much as she does—but that’s only the beginning.

Themes

GriefChild AbuseTreatment AnimalsHousehold MovingDomestic Animals

Quick Assessment

Sixteen-year-old Iris moves in with a harsh aunt and cousin after her father's death and faces emotional and physical abuse, along with the mistreatment of farm animals. A violent act that leads to criminal charges is central to the story, and the book also deals with grief, loneliness, and slaughter. It suits mature teen readers, and parents may want to talk through the abuse and violence with them, though the story ultimately centers on healing, animal bonds, and resilience.

Why we rated What comes after IE (Intense)

What comes after is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 330 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 What comes after as IE (Intense, mostly 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 — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Child Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Animal Mistreatment.

Thematically, What comes after explores grief, child abuse, treatment animals, household moving, and domestic animals — 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 grief, child abuse, treatment animals.

Maybe not for

! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
! Children younger than 13 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.

For Parents

Content Intensity

IE · Intense · Emotional

Emotional

Intense ←

Physical

Moderate

Social

Mild

Thematic

Mild

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

Heavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.