Hi everyone!
How are you all doing? With everything that is happening around the world, lately I’ve been reaching for lighter reads, so the MG category has been my go-to!
Today I want to share with you guys some of my MG favourites. I won’t be ranking these books numerically since I think they are all different (it’s like comparing apples to oranges!) so I thought I’d divide them up into categories instead. Let me know if you have read any of these novels, and what some of your own favourites are!
Most touching & heartwarming
I loved both Wonder and The Memory Keeper! Call me soft-hearted but I was ugly-crying within the first few chapters of both of these books. Wonder is about a boy with facial malformations who was thrown into fifth grade and learned to deal with bullies and make friends. The Memory Keeper is about a girl with extraordinary memory who tried to help her grandmother recover from dementia by delving into her past. I am in love with how heavier topics were handled in these two books.
(Check out my mini-reviews for Wonder and for The Memory Keeper.)
Cutest friendship
Need I say more!??! Cassidy and Jacob from City of Ghosts (and its sequel, Tunnel of Bones) were the cutest pair of friends ever. I loved how they poked fun at each other and yet always got each other’s back. They even had a book of friendship rules to swear by. By the way, did I mention that Jacob was a ghost who only Cassidy could see?
(Check out my mini-reviews for City of Ghosts and Tunnel of Bones.)
Most realistic characters
If you’re in the mood for a more serious MG book with realistic, three-dimensional characters, check out Counting by 7s. This book tells the story of a girl who lost her adoptive parents in an accident and had to rediscover who she was as she dealt with her grief. I loved the MC and secondary characters who had quirky and unique personalities. Everyone was their own person in this book!
(Check out my mini-review for Counting by 7s!)
Funniest and fastest read
Are you looking for a light-hearted book that you just want to breeze through in a few reading sessions? One of my favourites is Space Case, which is about a boy who lived in a space colony on the moon… and was thrown in the middle of a murder mystery. I loved the fun vibe of this story and how there was a bit of humour in every scene — even when we’re tracking down a cold-blooded murderer!
Most imaginative world-building
When it comes to world-building, Lintang and the Pirate Queen takes the cake! I loved that this book immersed me in a rich and fantastical world. My favourite parts were the unique creatures in this book, ranging from adorable to grotesque and terrifying.
(Check out my mini-review for Lintang and the Pirate Queen!)
Most memorable
Other Words for Home is easily one of my favourite MG books of all time, and one of the first books I’ve read in this genre. This book tells the story of a young Syrian refugee who learned to adapt to life in America while struggling with the news of her family in her home country. I loved how this book took a serious and heavy topic and portrayed it in a way that young readers could understand and relate to. I also loved that this novel is written in verse rather than prose, and I can’t imagine it in any other form.
(Check out my mini-review for Other Words for Home.)
What are your favourite MG reads? Do you have any MG books on your TBR? Let me know if you’ve also enjoy some of the books I’ve listed here!
Photo by Fabiola Peñalba on Unsplash
SOPHIE LI 
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