It’s time to shout-out some great MG and YA books. My theme this week is: game gone rogue.

MG Takes on Thursday is a weekly meme started by Mary @ BookCraic in order to celebrate amazing middle-grade books. I love this idea so much, but since I started working at the library, I’m over MG and YA, and sometimes the two blur together a bit, so I’ve decided to do both.

How to take part:

• Post a picture of the front cover of a middle-grade book which you have read and would recommend to others with details of the author, illustrator and publisher.
• Open the book to page 11 and share your favourite sentence. 
• Write three words to describe the book.
• Either share why you would recommend this book, or link to your review.

MG Takes on Thursday

This book is …

Hilarious
Geekish
Adventure-packed

Perfect for …

Fans of Diary of a Minecraft Zombie
Fans of Mark Cheverton’s Minecraft series (Herobrine, Gameknight999)
Young gamers who like to laugh
Kids who want action and adventure

Brief Summary:

Jesse was just minding his business, living his best life, when, much to his surprise, he ends up stuck in a video game, where a drill sergeant is yelling at him to do things and aliens are trying to off him. Not quite how he expected to spend his afternoon.

Page 11 snippet:

My Thoughts:

I actually picked this book series up on a whim while I was shelving books. There’s five books total, around 150 pages each, with large type, which I’d say makes it more middle MG. Super easy to read, and packed with fun, just as you might expected.

Right from the very first page, I couldn’t help but laugh. For more of an introvert such as myself, the main character is so relatable. He’d rather not be risking his life in a video game, thanks. It wasn’t exactly on his “list of things to do today.”

I’d even say this series is reluctant reader approved, because my own reluctant mid-grade reader caught me reading them and asked the question, so we read the first chapter together. She laughed so hard that she ended up walking away with the book. That’s how you do it. Hook ’em with humor.

There’s not a lot of deep substance to these books, but they double-down on action and comedy. So they’re great for some light-hearted, distracted reading for the older crowd, and something fun and engaging for the younger crowd. The best of both worlds.

YA Takes on Thursday

This book is …

Dark
Surprising
Philosophical

Perfect for …

Fans of Ready Player One
Fans of Sword Art Online
Any gamer who ever wanted to live in a video game
Geeks and gamers interested in virtual reality
Readers who like books that make them think

Brief Summary:

The premise of the new virtual reality G.O.D. Game is simple: win and you win big; lose and you die. Despite the warnings, Charlie and his friends join anyway, but then they start to wonder … are they playing the game, or is the game playing them?

Page 11 snippet:

My Thoughts:

This was a dark, twisty book that was really about the journey more than anything. The GOD Game is a virtual reality game layered on top of reality, played through the phone. The mechanics of it are startling, and the game play thrilling and surprising.

The heroes of this book are all geeks and nerds, which was just fantastic. Talk about seeing yourself in characters. What’s better than a book about gamers, for gamers? These are all gray characters, too, and they struggle with a lot of very teenage things and deep emotions. There are unexpected plot twists everywhere. Just when you think you’ve worked something out … nope, try again. Expect the unexpected.

What I loved most about this book was the dark, foreboding atmosphere. Even when things seem like they’re going fine, there’s always a hint of something that’s slightly off, that’s not quite right. Perhaps best of all, it inspires some philosophical and moral dialogue, like what might you do in the same situation. Or who’s right and who’s wrong here? This would make a fabulous discussion book.

Read my full review here.