Who I kissed

Name: Who I kissed
Author: Janet Gurtler
ISBN: 9781402270543

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Janet Gurtler

Reading Level 3 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 13+ Heads Up

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Have you ever wondered how one unexpected moment can change everything? Samantha just wanted to fit in and maybe share a special kiss, but then something tragic happens that no one saw coming. How will she find her way through the storm of feelings and questions?

Themes

Friendship Coming of Age FamilyJuvenile FictionFood AllergyGrief

Quick Assessment

A new student at a swim team party shares a kiss with a classmate who then dies in her arms, and she is left grieving and blamed by her school. The story follows her struggle with guilt, loss, and the question of whether she can move forward, with romance and a fatal food allergy reaction at its center. Parents should know the death is portrayed realistically and the emotional weight is heavy, though the kissing and romance stay brief and non-explicit.

Why we rated Who I kissed ME (Moderate)

Who I kissed is written at a Level 3 reading level across 314 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 Who I kissed as ME (Moderate, mostly 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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Death, Food Allergy.

Thematically, Who I kissed explores friendship, coming of age, family, juvenile fiction, and food allergy — 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 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.
! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Intense ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Mild

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

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.