Cover of Never Thought I'd End Up Here

Never Thought I'd End Up Here

by Ann Liang

Never Thought I'd End Up Here by Ann Liang is assigned in US schools at grades 7–12. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Never Thought I'd End Up Here is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades 7–12
Age range
Ages 1318
First published
2025
Genre
Young Adult Fiction
ISBN-13
9781546110675
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About this book

Sent on an intensive two-week travel program across China, Leah Zhang is forced to partner with her former annoying classmate Cyrus — and the deeper they wander, the more she finds herself falling for her home, herself, and him. A contemporary romance from Ann Liang; a 2025-2026 Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award nominee (grades 7-12).

Why widely assigned

This Young Adult Fiction title, typically at grades 7–12. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on identity and love; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

identity · love · family

Where this book is assigned

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Never Thought I'd End Up Here — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is Never Thought I'd End Up Here?
Never Thought I'd End Up Here is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 7–12. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What curricula assign Never Thought I'd End Up Here?
Never Thought I'd End Up Here appears on reading lists for Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Never Thought I'd End Up Here banned in schools?
Never Thought I'd End Up Here does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
What themes does Never Thought I'd End Up Here explore?
Central themes in Never Thought I'd End Up Here include identity, love, family. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Why this book is on this list

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 712 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.