When you talk about books with kids regularly, as I do, you quickly find out which books are the good ones. When kids love a book, they love it with their whole heart. I think a lot of adult readers are chasing how we felt as young readers. If you want to know what’s good according to actual UPrep readers, here are reviews from three Middle School students.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 

This book is harrowing, intimate, horrifying, and lovely, all at once. There’s just something so fabulously awful about a world where teenagers must fight to the death, and yet, you can still appreciate the balance between the opposing forces of the districts and the Capitol. Another great thing about The Hunger Games is the main character, Katniss. She’s not your typical heroine. For one, she’s not exactly good. She kills people and doesn’t feel remorse, and she’s cold and unfriendly to everyone she meets. Secondly, she thinks deep thoughts about stuff like the meaning of life. This may be the author’s way of expressing her own opinions, but it makes Katniss a very complex character. This book is part of a trilogy, but I think the best book is the first one. Overall, I give this book a 10 out of 10. If you’re looking for an engaging, emotional narrative and don’t mind violence, then you should read The Hunger Games. –JANE M., 6TH GRADE

 

Unsouled by Will Wight 

This is a book about people with magical powers and techniques. I loved it because of the captivating details. I also loved how the main character was powerless (for now) instead of being ridiculously powerful. In some cases, protagonists have world-ending powers from the start. The end was interesting, and the side characters are relevant, for once! I also liked the advancement stages where the character progressed in his power. Read if you like power, demons, gods, a lot of chaos, and overpowered side characters that need to be nerfed! –PRAHLAD S., 7TH GRADE

 

 

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

This is a book about thieves, set in an intricate fictional world. There are six intertwined characters, each with a different point of view with a part in a grand plan. They’re all put together with one goal: to succeed in a valuable and high-stakes heist, the result of which could change the course of their lives. I loved how much and how little faith each of the protagonists had in each other and how I got to see glimpses into each of their pasts and motivations. Read this if you’re looking for a clever plot, intriguing relationships, and complex morally gray characters that provide an interesting and entertaining story. –PAVANA M., 8TH GRADE