THE MIDDLER

Adjoa Andoh's dramatic narration is paired with Kirsty Applebaum's lyrical prose in this debut dystopian novel. In a not-too-distant future, first-born children are revered and celebrated. Then, at age 14, they leave to serve in the Quiet War and are never seen again. Youngest children are pampered and a bit spoiled. But middlers, like 11-year-old Maggie, are never made to feel special. Yearning to be noticed, Maggie breaks the rules, crosses the town boundary, and forms a forbidden friendship with a pair of Wanderers, creating an inner struggle between earning the town's recognition and caring for her strange new companions. Brisk and varied pacing and subtle distinctions in voicing differentiate the many characters and heighten the suspense. S.G. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2020]