The Unwanteds [Hardcover]

Lisa McMann (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 30, 2011 | Age Range: 8 and up | Series: Unwanteds (Book 1) | Lexile Measure: 880L (What's this?)

Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths

Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret--behind the mirage of the "death farm" there is instead a place called Artime.

In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it's a wondrous transformation.

But it's a rare, unique occurence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter in this middle-grade departure from McMann’s string of paranormal mysteries with romance for young adults.

On the day of Purge in totalitarian Quill, which is run by the High Priest Justine, 13-year-olds learn if they are deemed Wanted to attend the university, Necessary to tend the land or Unwanted and purged by execution. Without a good-bye from his Wanted identical brother Aaron, Alex Stowe and the other Unwanteds travel to the Death Farm. Instead of death, they meet the lush and magical world of Artimè, kept secret from Justine by mage Marcus Today. In a third-person narration characterized by even pacing and whimsical inventions, Alex and his peers learn that their creativity threatened Justine’s power. Surrounded by talking blackboards, transporting tubes and such fantastical creatures as an octagator (with the head of an alligator and body of an octopus) for instructors, the teens hone their drawing, music and acting skills while also wielding paintbrushes for invisibility spells and iambic pentameter to stun attackers during Magical Warrior Training, in preparation for battle against the Quillitary. As the youths explore fear, responsibility and free thinking, their spells may be used sooner than they think when Alex’s twin bond is tested and rivals vie for Aaron’s new position in Justine’s government.

Blending elements from two popular genres, this is sure to be a double hit. - KIRKUS, April 15, 2011

"Imagination runs wild in this creative adventure."

--#1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Mull

"Reading Lisa McMann's THE UNWANTEDS was like discovering a brilliant,

lost children's classic—except it's never going to be lost, because

readers will never, ever forget the magic they'll experience in

its pages."

--James A. Owen, author and Illustrator of HERE, THERE BE DRAGONS

About the Author

Lisa  McMann is the New York Times bestselling author of the Wake trilogy; Cryer's Cross; and the middle-grade dystopian fantasy series The Unwanteds. She lives with her family in the Phoenix area. Read more about Lisa and find her blog through her website at lisamcmann.com. Or better yet, be her friend on Facebook (facebook.com/mcmannfan) or follow her on Twitter (twitter.com/lisa_mcmann).

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin; First Edition edition (August 30, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1442407689
• ISBN-13: 978-1442407688
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (114 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,150 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hi, I'm Lisa McMann, New York Times bestselling author of fiction for young adults and children.

My fantasy series is for ages 9 and up, called THE UNWANTEDS. It's about a society where 13-year-olds are sorted into groups. The strong and intelligent kids are Wanted and they get to go to university. The creative and artistic kids are Unwanted and they are sent to their deaths. Follow 13-year-old twins Aaron and Alex as they are forced down opposite paths. Book 2 in the series, THE UNWANTEDS: Island of Silence, comes out Sept 4, 2012.

I'm also the author of the WAKE trilogy, about a seventeen-year-old girl named Janie who gets sucked into other people's dreams. I have two stand-alone thrillers, CRYER'S CROSS and DEAD TO YOU. Coming soon: CRASH -- it's the first book in the VISIONS series.

I grew up in Michigan and now I live in Arizona with my husband, two teenagers, and two cats. Have a question? Find me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/McMannFan or Twitter @lisa_mcmann.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Original, Fascinating Dystopian Fantasy August 8, 2011

By Karen VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

It would be hard to imagine a more depressing place to live than Quill. Not that anyone in the community of Quill would ever imagine anything, of course, or admit to feeling depressed. Imagination and emotion lead to infractions, so the people of Quill have neither. Those that do get labelled Unwanted and are Purged from the community at thirteen. Alexander Stowe has known for three years that he will be named an Unwanted - there's no coming back from drawing figures in the dirt with a stick. That kind of creativity could lead to anarchy. Still, it's hard to face his death serenely, and especially hard to leave his Wanted twin brother Aaron behind (although not so hard to leave his Necessary parents).

When Alex Stowe and the rest of this years' Unwanteds arrive at the Death Farm, he resolves to face the Eliminators as stoically as he can, but instead of execution by burning oil Alex comes face to face with something completely unexpected - a thing that never happens in Quill. The Death Farmer is a man literally unlike any other Alex has ever met. Marcus Today is a mage - an extremely gifted magician. Within the walls of the Death Farm Mr. Today has created Artimé - a magical world where Purged children can be kept hidden away from the eyes of Quill. In Artimé, creativity is not a crime, it's actually encouraged. For creativity, Mr. Today explains, can be a powerful weapon and the day is not far off when Quill will discover that those they have condemned to death are not dead at all - and you can be sure they will seek to rectify that situation.

Lisa McMann has a free pass with me. After the fabulous Wake trilogy and the brilliant Cryer's Cross, I'm going to buy and read anything she writes. I just know it will be worth it. So when Ms. McMann stepped away from the edgy, eerie teen suspense thrillers she's known for and created a middle grade fantasy, I was happy to go along for the ride.

Quill is a gritty, dystopian society, completely void of feeling or color. Hidden at its heart is this beautiful, magical world where everyone can be accepted for what they are. That's really the core of this novel - rejection versus acceptance - and the two worlds are so finely drawn they become characters unto themselves. The Unwanteds is told by a third person narrator, and the story primarily follows Alex Stowe, but every so often there is a chapter revealing what someone else is doing and thinking. These peeks into the life of Aaron Stowe, Mr. Today and other characters give the reader a chance to understand their motivations, which becomes crucial as the story races toward the climatic clash of cultures. At its heart though, The Unwanteds is Alex Stowe's story and he is someone readers will happily root for.

Any child who has ever felt different, who has ever been rejected or isolated because they don't think or act the same way that their peers do, will understand how it feels to be an Unwanted. Alex is a boy who loves his twin brother, despite the fact that Aaron clearly fits in as an ideal Quill citizen. Alex tries, truly tries to do the right thing. He wants to belong in Artimé as he never could in cold, heartless Quill. At the same time, he's not quite ready to abandon everyone who stood by when he was condemned to death. It is Alex's growth from an isolated outsider to a creative young man who accepts his individuality but honors the notion of community that drives this intricate and interesting fantasy toward its ultimate conclusion.(And the story does conclude, although there are certainly enough loose ends left to encourage a sequel.)

There are a number of secondary characters in The Unwanteds and all of them are clearly and sharply drawn. While some, by the very nature of Quill, are fairly one dimensional characters driven by ambition and a need for control, most of the Artiméans are much more complex. Creative does not always equal heroic, by any means, and Alex's friends have a wide range of interests, desires and motivations. This variety and complexity of personalities makes Artimé stand out in glorious contrast to Quill and gives this hidden community a rich, complete feel.

The Unwanteds is a first class example of dystopian fantasy, compelling and fascinating. I flew through the pages, alternately delighted with Artimé and horrified by Quill - but recognizing, all the same, that both places are consistent with human nature. Young readers are sure to enjoy Alex's adventure and I'm willing to be that most of them will want to know `what happens next.'

I feel like I should say something about the recommended readers' age. The Advanced Readers' Copy I had suggested 8-12, but I would have said 10-14 (or really, 10 and up, since young adults will enjoy this book too) was more appropriate. There's quite a bit of hatefulness here, as well as individual violence and battle scenes. More than that, there is a great indifference on the part of the Quill parents to the fates of their children, which I think some younger readers might find disturbing. I believe parents of younger - or more sensitive - children might want to read this book first before passing it on to their 8 or 9 year olds.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A good intro to dystopian for younger readers August 25, 2011

By Jennifer

Format:Hardcover

There were some things that I liked and did not like about McMann's The Unwanteds. The premise is a good one, in order to create a stronger society you must get rid of the weak. Over the course of fifty years, the weak, or Unwanteds, began to include those who didn't conform with society. Quill was filled with emotionless people who directed all of their energy towards the greater good. People who were creative or emotional weren't giving all of their time and energy to the the country, and could eventually become troublemakers. So every year they are purged from society, and sent to the Death Farm to be tossed into the Great Lake of Boiling Oil. (Yes, it's a very melodramatic name.)

In reality, the Unwanteds are never killed, but secretly saved, hidden, and taught in the magical land of Artime. Artime is a physics defying country hidden behind illusions and the gates of the Death Farm. It's filled with rescued Unwanteds, magical animal hybrids, living statues, and a really cool mansion. For the past fifty years, the caretaker Mr. Today, has helped the rescued children build their creative talents as well as train them as magical warriors.

Story-wise, McMann has created a neat concept and her story moves at a rapid pace. The first three chapters were great and really took you into the stark world of Quill. Chapter four introduced Artime, and it was a bit overwhelming but luckily it was the only part of The Unwanteds that was like this. While the story focuses mainly on Alex, we do get to see things from his friends' POV and that really helps flesh at the characters as well as Quill and Artime. I loved that McMann's kids were allowed to be angry. They were labeled Unwanted and sent to die and they were terrified. Some abandoned their anger, some worked through it, and others were twisted by it. But none of the adults poo-poo'd their feelings. Nobody told them it would get better right away. In fact Mr. Today said it would take some a long time, if ever, to come to terms with what happened to them. In real life, many times kids' anger, confusion, or fear is discounted. They're told to "get over it" or "it will be better." Yes, it will get better, but don't imply that their feelings don't count. McMann gives her characters the chance to own their emotions and I appreciate that.

Unfortunately the difference between the two countries were so black and white and made to be so obvious that I felt McMann was trying to hold her readers' hand and point out the differences for us. I disliked her equally black and white take on creativity. In The Unwanteds it's all about the arts, be it music, acting, pinging, or writing. It leaves no room for those who are scientifically minded. It takes a really creative person to invent or discover things. Engineers and scientists have to think outside the box in order to create something new. Also, there was a bit too much melodrama at times and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I don't think many Middle Grade readers are going to appreciate that. However, I do think this would make a great elementary book. While my fourth and fifth graders would recognize that McMann is doing some hand holding, I think they'll be a bit more patient with it and some of them might need it. I can also see reading The Unwanteds to second or third graders. I think they would enjoy it, the pace is great, and you could have some interesting discussions with the younger kids. Especially if you bring up the point that you can be scientific and creative.

I believe this could be a good introduction to the dystopian genre for younger readers. I really think this book would be best appreciated by 3rd-5th graders and I will be buying for the elementary school library. If this sounds like something you or your child would be interested in I'd say get it from a library. I'm going to give The Unwanteds 3 stars because I think it's an entertaining read for the right audience, but it's not for everybody.

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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 Stars for The Unwanteds August 15, 2011

By L. Reeves VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

The Unwanteds by author Lisa McMann is a middle grade book about a society who fears creativity in any way, shape or form. With a controlling government, a drab society and a hidden colorful and magical place where anything is possible, McMann has taken the idea of cutting out all creative programs to new heights.

When the Purge comes, the Unwanteds are cast out and sent to their death. The Wanteds remain behind to learn, follow rules and never step out of line. Alex and his twin Aaron will both face a different fate. One Wanted and one Unwanted.

The story takes place in drab, colorless and more than harsh Quill. Alex and his brother knew the day was coming when they would be separated. Alex, the Unwanted of the two is purged from society and taken away from everything he knows, while Aaron, the Wanted brother stays behind to go to school and learn ways to better Quill and the controlling people in charge. Quill doesn't sound like a place I'd want to live; I can't imagine anyone wanting to stay there for long. Barbed wire covering the sky, shared buckets of water for washing... yeah, not fun, no art or being creative in anyway... yeah, no thanks!

So, Alex, on his way to his death gets a shock when he, along with all other Unwanteds from his purge are saved and taken to a colorful, artistic and magical place called Artime. The best part of the story was watching the characters change as they learned that expressing yourself through art isn't a bad thing and it should be encouraged instead of taken away. Taking a persons creativity away takes away too much of who they are, what they are and what they will become.

The whole idea for the story was great... being punished, taken away and killed because of being creative in any way; I couldn't wait to read where McMann would take the idea. And yeah, she did run with it. However, I felt it was a tad flat. I didn't connect with the characters at all. I tried throughout the whole story to find something to grasp onto, but... just couldn't. And no, I'm not saying this is a bad book in any way, it was a great idea and a pretty entertaining story.

This is my first time reading anything by McMann, and I know it won't be my last. I have heard nothing but amazing things about her YA series. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.