Skip to main content

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

By


Brief synopsis (no spoilers): At the age of 13 all citizens of Quill are put into one of three categories: Wanted, Necessaries, and Unwanteds. Wanteds go to school and military training, Necessaries farm the land, and Unwanteds are sent to their death. As the book opens Alex has been declared an unwanted, while his twin Aaron has been selected as a Wanted. Alex's world is torn apart as he is separated from everything and everyone that he knows. However, just as he thinks his world is about to end, he is swept up into a whole new world beyond his comprehension. 

Category: YA


Why I chose this book: Saw on a display at a bookstore


My personal opinion (the review):  Overall I really enjoyed this book. In many ways it was somewhat of a breath of fresh air in the world of dystopian teen novels.It was interesting to me that the center of the conflict revolved around the concept of creativity. Alex was cast as unwanted because once when he was 9 he drew a house in the mud with a stick. However, that creative mind/ability is what helps him to thrive in Artime. 

There were a few things that bothered me during the story-line and with the level of writing of the author. Chiefly what bothered me was that sometimes things/situations just happened. There was no build up or description, just bam - here it is. It was anti-climatic and somewhat confusing in a few parts. Also a few descriptions seemed to contradict each other. None of that was enough to keep me from wanting to read the next one though. 


Warnings
Language: None
Violence: Some, but non-graphic
"Adult" situations: None
Death: Some, also non-graphic

Movie rating equivalent: PG-8


Protagonist description: Alex is a creative, albeit sometimes moody, teenager. Being basically shunned all his life and told he isn't good enough definitely shines through in his actions. He is somewhat naive, but again it's a product of the world he has grown up in.  


Point of view of story: Third


Book length: Shhhmedium 


Story flow: Fluid


Grammar and spelling issues: Nothing that bothered me, but there were a few weird words: the teachers at the school were mixed breed animals - Platyputs, Otcogators, etc.;  Quillitary (military + name of the city Quill).


Character connection (no spoilers): None really, except there was one line said about Lani that makes me wonder if we will find out something interesting about her later. 

I wonder what will happen when Mr. Today is no longer able to keep Artime running?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

By
Summary: Every book needs you to turn the pages. But not every book needs you to tap it, shake it, jiggle it, or even blow it a kiss. Innovative and timeless, Tap the Magic Tree asks you to help one lonely tree change with the seasons. It begins with a bare brown tree. But tap that tree, turn the page, and one bright green leaf has sprouted! Tap again—one, two, three, four—and four more leaves have grown on the next page. Pat, clap, wiggle, jiggle, and see blossoms bloom, apples grow, and the leaves swirl away with the autumn breeze. (Amazon) Attention Span/reading level: Perfect for my three year old. I would say that ages 2-10 would really enjoy something like this. It really keeps kids engaged and makes them feel like part of the story. There is one word to one sentence per page. Good uses for book in teaching: Interaction, that the reader takes part in making the story, what a tree can do (leaves, blossoms, fruit) Favorite part:      Child: The fact that ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Balancing Act by Ellen Stoll Walsh

By
Summary: Two mice make a teeter totter. Soon a frog comes along and wants to join. Can the mice balance all the friends who want to play with them? Attention Span/reading level: 3-6 years old, usually 5 or less words on a page Good uses for book in teaching: Balance, science Favorite part:      Child: When the frog joins in     Mine: That the mice keep playing at the end  Least favorite part: None:   W arnings/negative feedback: None.  Review: This is a really simple but fun way to introduce the idea of balancing and weight to kids. It's fun to show them how it must be equal on each side to balance. Showing that size can affect weight is shown on the page where all the animals are on one side with the big bird on the other. This could be a fun activity to replicate with toys if doing a science lesson at home. 
Post a Comment
Read more

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

By
Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Vin relies on her fighting skills, and a little extra "luck" to survive in the thief's world. Then comes Kelsier, a master thief and planner, showing her that what she calls luck is really much more. Kelsier and his crew plan to use a variety of special powers to free an entire population of slaves, including themselves, from tyranny. But, as always, there's far more to the story. Category Science Fiction or Fantasy Why I chose this book Rated highly on the library site My personal opinion (the review) Definitely the best story I've read in the past year. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series. Special abilities, fighting, romance, social justice - this has it all. And not a single bad word or uncomfortable situation. Warnings Language: None Violence: frequent, some mildly graphic "Adult" situations: None Death: Some, and of major characters Movie rating equivalent PG-13 Protagon...
Post a Comment
Read more