Books › The Unwanteds (The Unwanteds #1)
The Unwanteds (The Unwanteds #1)
390 pages
A dystopian magical-school adventure where creativity is a crime and art becomes the ultimate weapon.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping out of a stark, grayscale dystopia and plunging headfirst into a vibrant, technicolor world of magic. The narrative moves at a brisk, engaging clip, perfectly balancing the initial dread of a rigid, oppressive society with the breathless wonder of discovering a secret haven where creativity is cultivated rather than crushed. The prose is highly visual and accessible, painting vivid pictures of spells cast through painting, acting, and music. It is an earnest, imaginative experience that thrives on the emotional tension of severed sibling bonds and the thrill of the underdog fighting back. Middle-grade readers who devour magical school tropes and stories of found family will be completely swept away by this inventive, high-stakes adventure.
- Mood
- bleak yet hopeful
- wondrous
- imaginative
- tense
- Tone
- earnest
- suspenseful
- hopeful
- imaginative
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- power of creativity · sibling loyalty and rivalry · defying oppressive systems · found family · self-discovery
- The writing
- Accessible, visual, and action-oriented, keeping the pages turning with vivid descriptions of magical art.
- The arc
- Begins in bleak resignation before blossoming into wondrous discovery, ultimately building to a tense test of loyalty and courage.
- Who it's for
- Middle-grade fantasy fans who love magical schools, dystopian sorting tropes, and underdog stories where creativity is a literal superpower.
Content notes
- child endangerment
- sibling conflict
- threat of execution
- dystopian oppression
About the book
When Alex finds out he is Unwanted, he expects to die. That is the way of the people of Quill. Each year, all the thirteen-year-olds are labeled as Wanted, Necessary, or Unwanted. Wanteds get more schooling and train to join the Quillitary. Necessaries keep the farms running. Unwanteds are set for elimination.
It’s hard for Alex to leave behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted, but he makes peace with his fate—until he discovers that instead of a “death farm,” what awaits him is a magical place called Artimé. There, Alex and his fellow Unwanteds are encouraged to cultivate their creative abilities and use them magically. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it’s a wondrous transformation.
But it’s a rare, unique occurrence for twins to be divided between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artim that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate magical battle.
Description from Open Library.
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