What we saw

Name: What we saw
Author: Aaron Hartzler
ISBN: 9780062338747

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Aaron Hartzler

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

The party is swirling with noise and confusion, and Kate is trying to piece together the night’s blurry moments. A shocking photo spreads online, and suddenly everything Kate thought she knew is questioned. What really happened, and who will stand up to tell the truth?

Themes

WitnessesComing of Age Family Social Justice

Quick Assessment

After a night of underage drinking at a party, a teen girl's classmates are accused of a sexual assault, and the small town splits into controversy as the truth comes into question. The story centers on witnesses and their responsibility to speak up, and it portrays the assault's aftermath, victim blaming, and online sharing of photos without graphic depiction. Parents may want to discuss consent, alcohol use, and the pressure bystanders face before handing it over.

Why we rated What we saw IE (Intense)

What we saw is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 321 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 we saw 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, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Sexual Assault.

Thematically, What we saw explores witnesses, coming of age, family, and social justice — 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.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about witnesses, coming of age, family.

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

Mild

Social

Moderate

Thematic

Moderate

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.