Friday, March 30, 2012

McMann, Lisa. The Unwanteds.


McMann, Lisa.  The Unwanteds. Simon & Schuster/Little Brown, 2011.  400p.
$16.99  ISBN 978-1-4424-0770-1      ms    VG-BN Fantasy    
     Twins are split apart: Aaron, to move forward to become a leader of Quill, and Alex, to go to his death as an Unwanted because he is deemed to have creative tendencies.  Instead, Alex goes to a magical land where he not only survives but is also trained to use his creativity to battle the enemy.  The concept of purging a land of its children resonates with contemporary young readers who enjoy watching children face seemingly insurmountable odds.  Although McMann, too, begins her book with this disturbing event, she has given it her own voice.  In the land of Quill, children who are deemed to be useless to the cause are named “Unwanteds,” and they are sentenced to death in boiling oil.   Justine, the high priestess of Quill, has only disdain for them, saving her appreciation for the Necessaries and the Wanteds.  When a witness sees twin Alex Stowe drawing in the dirt, Alex is added to the list of Unwanteds because creativity is not valued in Quill.  Commitment to the cause and unwavering adherence to Quill’s rules are valued by Alex’s brother Aaron, and he moves forward as a Wanted due to his brilliance at improving living conditions in his land.  Imagine Alex’s shock when, instead of meeting death, he is whisked into Artime, a fantasy world that coexists with Quill but is not known to Quill’s citizenry.  While in Artime, Alex is trained in the arts and in magic, which, when combined, can be used to defend Artime against Quill in a battle that is imminent as the two worlds come together.  Unique magical characters and spells, Alex’s friends and enemies alike and the enigmatic Mr. Today, leader of Artime, combine to make this book a noteworthy one.  When Alex figures out how to communicate with his brother Aaron, he is shocked that Aaron does not want anything to do with him!  In a climax of all climaxes, there is a battle, there is identity-changing, and there is no resolution to the tension between the twins, leaving an opening for a sequel to The Unwanteds.  Children who want a certain “je ne sais quoi” in the fantasy genre will enjoy this book! 
Martha Squaresky
 

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