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By the MYP 2 Book Club:

Prini, Rhea, Vedika, Dev Kotak, Yohaan and Ananya

Ungifted is a truly fun, and interesting book for teens and kids aged 9-13. There are many wonderful scenes which might get any reader going. The first line itself hooks you, wanting to get you to read the book: “I want a refund from ancestry.com.”

Ungifted is a realistic fiction book. The book is about Donovan Curtis, a troublemaker that gets wrapped up in a major prank gone wrong. Due to an accident caused by the superintendent, Donovan gets sent to a school for gifted and talented students.  There, he meets his geeky, socially awkward classmates, who are better than him in all subjects. He has to catch up with them and try to stay out of trouble. 

The book has many strengths. One of the best parts is Dr. Schultz trying to catch Donovan. We all really LOVED the robot fight, and how Donovan persisted till the end. The book showcases humour through exaggeration as well as the message that is spelled out at the end of the book: even ordinary people can be gifted in extraordinary ways. Another really touching moment is when Donovan’s sister Katie names her child after Tin Man the robot, which Donovan had helped build with his gifted Academy friends. 

On the other hand, the weakness of the book is that it is sometimes offensive. It over-exaggerates the dorkiness, and how nerdy gifted students are. It shows that they are different but in reality they are the same, just with amazing talents. The gifted students are also stereotyped. For example, there is the skinny Noah, the awkward lumberjack-shirted Chloe and the driven Abigail. Some of the stereotypes are true but it would have been nice to see a gifted student who is more ordinary and fits in with society.

To conclude, Ungifted is a wonderful first choice for the MYP 2 book club. It is a gripping book because of its humour, relatable characters and excellent storyline. It is highly recommended for anyone in middle school. It will leave you wanting more!

Rating: 4.8/5