A terrifically tense dystopian thriller with plenty of heart and compassion, Applebaum has pulled off a finely-balanced novel of real depth and subtlety. A hugely imaginative twist on ‘middle child syndrome,’ The Middler throbs with an energy and excitement all its own.
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 and Frances Hardinge.
Publisher: Nosy Crow Ltd
ISBN: 9781788003452
Number of pages: 256
Dimensions: 198 x 129 mm
A nicely paced, relatively short book. The author gets straight into the story, with no explanation for the world setting and just drip feeds information. Maggie is full of frustration, self-doubts and fear, but... More
Thank you to the publishers for this early review copy.
As an eldest child I obviously started this book with a feeling of superiority we all know the eldest are the best? Well ok, the eldest like to think they are...
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Kirsty Applebaum's debut children's book 'The Middler' is a gripping, page-turning tour de force. It is gaining a lot of buzz, and thankfully it lives up to the hype. I devoured it; not wanting to... More
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