Year of Living Awkwardly
Emma Chastain
Year of Living Awkwardly
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Sophomore Year
by Emma Chastain
The text is written at a 7th 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
Chloe Snow is the queen of awkward moments, and this year, her biggest flop on stage might just be the start of something wild. Between family drama, a messy love triangle, and a high school ruler who makes life tricky, Chloe has to figure out how to survive the chaos—and maybe even find a little happiness. It’s not just about the spotlight; it’s about owning every awkward step along the way.
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel follows Chloe Snow as she navigates the ups and downs of sophomore year in high school, including family changes, friendship challenges, and first loves. The story deals with themes like divorce, social dynamics, and emotional growth in a relatable and humorous way suitable for ages 9-12. Parents should be aware of mild references to family conflict and romantic feelings, all handled with warmth and lightheartedness.
Why we rated Year of Living Awkwardly 12ME
Year of Living Awkwardly is written at a Level 7 reading level across 384 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Year of Living Awkwardly works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Year of Living Awkwardly as 12ME ("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, social complexity — 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, Year of Living Awkwardly explores friendship, coming of age, family, humor, and schools — 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 9-12 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
12ME — 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
2/10A 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
- 9781481488785
- Pages
- 384
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction