What we hide
Marthe Jocelyn
What we hide
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Marthe Jocelyn
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
What if moving to a new school in a faraway country meant you had to hide your real self? Jenny is determined to be special at Illington Hall, but everyone there has their own secrets — some small, some much bigger. Who can you trust when everyone is pretending?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This young adult novel explores themes of secrecy, identity, and adaptation as American teenagers navigate life at a British boarding school during the Vietnam War era. Told through multiple perspectives and creative formats like letters and screenplays, the story offers a nuanced look at adolescence and the complexity of personal truths. Suitable for teens aged 13 and up, it contains mature themes related to interpersonal relationships and historical context but is handled thoughtfully.
Why we rated What we hide 11ME
What we hide is written at a Level 6 reading level across 277 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, What we hide works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate What we hide as 11ME ("Moderate — 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, thematic difficulty — 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 we hide explores friendship, coming of age, family, boarding schools, and secrecy — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, coming of age, family.
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
11ME — Moderate — 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
5/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781770496422
- Pages
- 277
- Publisher
- Tundra Books
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction