What Comes Next
Rob Buyea
What Comes Next
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Rob Buyea
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Thea doesn’t speak a word after losing her best friend, but then a lively rescue puppy named Jack-Jack leaps into her world and shakes everything up. This isn’t just any dog—he’s a spark of hope and friendship when Thea needs it most. What if one furry friend could help her find her voice again?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores themes of grief, loss, and healing through the story of twelve-year-old Thea, who becomes mute after the tragic death of her best friend. As her family moves to a new town, a rescue puppy named Jack-Jack helps her open up and form new friendships. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book sensitively handles bereavement and emotional recovery, offering a hopeful perspective for children facing similar challenges.
Why we rated What Comes Next 9IE
What Comes Next is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 192 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, What Comes Next works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate What Comes Next as 9IE ("Intense — 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.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, What Comes Next explores friendship, grief, bereavement, animals, and family — 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, grief, bereavement.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9IE — Intense — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780525648031
- Pages
- 192
- Publisher
- Delacorte Press
- Published
- Jun 08, 2021
- Type
- Fiction