The Middler
Kirsty Applebaum
Subjects
- Action Adventures - chills, thrills and plenty of spills
- Friends & Family - tears and laughter, and happy ever after
Average rating
""I was special. I was a hero. I lost the best friend I ever had.""Eleven-year-old Maggie lives in Fennis Wick, enclosed and protected from the outside world by a boundary, beyond which the Quiet War rages and the dirty, dangerous wanderers roam.
Her brother Jed is an eldest, revered and special. A hero. Her younger brother is Trig – everyone loves Trig. But Maggie’s just a middler; invisible and left behind. Then, one hot September day, she meets Una, a hungry wanderer girl in need of help, and everything Maggie has ever known gets turned on its head.
Narrated expertly and often hilariously by Maggie, we experience the trials and frustrations of being the forgotten middle child, the child with no voice, even in her own family.
This gripping story of forbidden friendship, loyalty and betrayal is perfect for fans of Malorie Blackman, Meg Rosoff, Frances Hardinge and Margaret Atwood.
""I thought I’d almost reached my fill of dystopian novels, but Kirsty Applebaum has rebooted the genre. The plot pulls you along and I liked Maggie more and more as she grew in courage. There is a touch of Harper Lee’s Scout about her."" – Alex O’Connell, The Times
Also by Kirsty Applebaum:
TrooFriendReviews
my favourite character was Una.
Dame Cilla Glitterball 13.01.2024
The Middler is something I haven't read before. It was good trying something new but it wasn't my type. It was about how everyone should be treated equally and fairly.
Countess Bunny Jellybaby 19.08.2023
This book is a mystery book and I think it was great.The main character is Maggie. The story is set in Fennis wick and the county is split into wanderers and normal citizens. Una is a friendly wanderer and makes friends with Maggie.Maggie wants to expose Una and well they uncover lots of secrets - the dirt of Fennis Wick and the Mayor.
Coach Amazonia Flattery 13.12.2022
I like how someone who gets ignored so much in the end saves the whole town. I would recommend this book to years 6-7.
Anonymous 12.09.2022
I LOVED this book!!! Maggie is a middler, not the oldest or youngest, the plain, boring, middler. She never really thought much about the quiet war, it was just somewhere all the Eldests get sent when they turn 14. Then she meets Uma, a wanderer. They are supposed to be dirty, dangerous and deceitful, but Uma is none of these. Uma and Maggie develop an unstoppable friendship. Together, they uncover the truth about wanderers and reveal the towns hidden secrets. I recommend it to 9-12 year old children.
Princess Pixie Washington 30.08.2022
I have really enjoyed this book so much! I recommend it!
Professor Cilla Mouse 15.08.2022
I like how it reminds me of how people are treated
Senorita Bernice Unicycle 18.07.2022
I loved this book because it reminded me of how people are treated in real life
Anonymous 18.07.2022
I would definitely recommend this to a middle child. As a middler myself I know how it feels to be rejected and forgotten
Duchess Beryl Bumblebee 05.07.2022
This is and amazing and adventurous book with lots of mysteries! Will you help the middle child bring justice for not only the elders?
Queen Heroica Bojangles 28.06.2022
This book was great! I really love these sorts of books. Every time me and my mum finished it we would always keep wanting to read more, it is very good descriptions and i could tell what the author was on about. I would recommend this book to anyone as its one of my favourites that i have read so far!
Dona Bubbles Bumblebee 27.01.2022
I think this book is interesting because it is about journey, friendship, adventure, betrayal, trust, kindness and greed all at the same time. It suits kids from 8 to 11-year-olds. It is a very good book because although it is boring at the beginning, it unfolds nicely and the adventure grows with every chapter. The book is set in a future society where a girl, Maggie, who is the middle child tries to make herself noticed and have her value recognised trapping two wonderers (Una and her father). I loved the power and meaning of how the new friendship between Maggie and Una unfolded. The book was fiction and my favourite person was Maggie because she understood her mistakes and faced all her worst fears to save her best friend. If the book was factual I would like the description of the society of the future. I would recommend this book to all my friends because it talks about the value of friendship.
Director Ursula Vesuvius 16.01.2022
I absolutely loved this book! It is about a middler (a child who is born second out of three children)named Maggie. When everything she has ever known turns upside down, she doesn't know what is good or bad. This book had a very dramatic and unexpected twist.My favourite character was Maggie because she went through all that pain, yet still didn't break.If I could, I would rate this 100/10.I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes dystopian books.
Viscountess Diamond Tinkle 15.01.2022
A great family story
Lady Rose Anteater 04.12.2021
The cruise girl is very brave
Baron Race-car Pineapple 25.08.2021
About a girl called Maggie who is a middle child who lives in a town where everyone always likes the eldest child. The Mayor send the eldest children away to a camp and people from the town aren't allowed to cross the border. Maggie meets a wanderer and that's where the adventure starts. Look out for the Mayor - she doesn't always tell the truth!
Duchess Ariel Waxwork 05.08.2021
The most meanest character to me in this story was the mayor, giving up lives of young children for mainly her own purpose. Maggie is the bravest going off on an adventure to gain justice and bring back her brother.
Marshal Boadicea Costa-Rica 31.07.2021
This has to be My FAVOURITE book EVER this book Is full of drama and adventure it has lies and secrets best book recommend it l love this book
Anonymous 27.11.2020
I loved reading this book. It stayed with me for a long time after reading and there were lots of phrases and sentences that I just wanted to linger on and think about. I’ve recommended it to a few children in my class and it’s been great seeing them enjoy it just as much and discussing it with them afterwards.
Anonymous 16.11.2020
