The Unwanteds
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Simon & Schuster
Published:30th Aug '11
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This hardback is available in another edition too:
- Paperback£8.99(9781442407695)
“Imagination runs wild in this creative adventure.” —Brandon Mull, #1 New York Timesbestselling author of the Beyonders and Fablehaven series
Twin brothers have their fates diverge in this first book in the New York Times bestselling middle grade dystopian series that’s a “fun mix of magic and science” (Publishers Weekly).
Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds who go to university, hardy Necessaries who take on menial tasks, and the artistic Unwanteds who are sent to their deaths.
In a nearly unprecedented verdict, thirteen-year-old twins Alex and Aaron are separated. Alex can barely keep it together as he’s led away from his Wanted brother to his own Unwanted fate. But when Alex reaches the death farm, he discovers it’s really a mirage hiding a stunning secret: the land of Artimé.
Each child in Artimé cultivates their creative abilities and learns how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. It’s a whole new world and a whole new life for Alex, but he still can’t help but miss Aaron.
But there’s a threat looming on the horizon that threatens the survival of Artimé that will pit brother against brother—stretching their bond until it just might snap.
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
- Winner of California Young Reader Medal (Intermediate) 2014
- Winner of Mark Twain Readers Award 2013
- Runner-up for Maine Student Book Award (Grades 4-8) 2013
- Short-listed for Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Grades 6-8) 2014
- Short-listed for Golden Sower Award (Intermediate) 2014
ISBN: 9781442407688
Dimensions: 210mm x 140mm x 33mm
Weight: 463g
400 pages