The Unwanteds

snicker9 - The Unwanteds is a book set in Quill, a dystopian world. Every year the 13-year olds are sorted. The stongest and intelligent Wanteds are sent to the university, while the creative and imaginative Unwanteds are killed. Everyone expects Alex to be sent to his death and his twin Aaron to be sent to the university, and their predictions almost come true. Aaron is deemed a Wanted, and Alex an Unwanted. However when Alex and the other kids are ushered into the gates of their death camp, they find that they are not to be put to death at all, but instead join another world where all the Unwanteds take refugee. They form a school, and learn how to increase their talents and learn magic. However Alex is determined to let Aaron know he is alive, and he wants to bring his brother over away from the cruelty of Quill. Will Alex fit into his new home? Will he keep his bond strong with Aaron? Will the good magic be able to reign over evil? I absolutely love this book! There were twists and turns, and so many surprises! I recommend this book to middle grade ages and up. Probably the best minimum age is 11 or 12, since there are many action scenes, with some violence. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

July 18, 2011
In her foray into middle-grade fiction, McMann (Cryer's Cross) delivers a fun mix of magic and science with a retro SF novel whose setting echoes classic artificial dystopias of the 1960s like Logan's Run and Make Room! Make Room! In the city of Quill, all signs of creativity are shunned, and any children who so much as sing or draw are declared "Unwanted" when they turn 13 and sent off to be killed. When Alex is culled from his family and sent to die, he is surprised to discover that the Unwanteds are actually taken to a hidden city called Artimé, where they are not only trained in the traditional arts, but also in the magic that these arts unlock. McMann juggles a handful of point-of-view characters nicely (focusing largely on Alex), showing their fear and wonder as they learn more about their world. The subplotsâincluding young romance and murderous conspiraciesâare skillfully interwoven, and if some of Quill's harshness borders on caricature (the city makes Sparta seem decadent), it serves the story well. Ages 8â12.