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haybat 's review for:
The Unwanteds
by Lisa McMann
There's a lot of fun stuff in this book, but most of the elements that appealed to me got buried under magical clutter and were never fully explored or developed. Aside from Alex, most of the characters are on the flat side--defined primarily by a single trait and/or their skill and divided into the neat categories of good and evil. The world of Artimé is a little crazy and hard to understand (how exactly is it hidden?) and the premise sounds cool at first, but doesn't quite hold water upon closer inspection. Why would Justine want to weed out and murder all the creative kids? What good does this do her little community? And then once they're rescued, why are they taught to use art as a weapon?
The parts that I enjoyed most were the way that Justine had closed off Quill from all surrounding countries and was manipulating the worldviews of the inhabitants (maybe because it's pretty relevant to all the anti-globalization feeling going around these days), the potential relationship between Alex and Aaron, and the dynamic between Alex and his peers at Artimé. I was most engaged in the story when I was indignant at Alex's unfair treatment. This is something J.K Rowling also does really well--getting people riled up on behalf of her characters.
I would have liked to see a more logical premise that is explained by the world of the story, more fully developed characters, more emphasis on the kids exploring their creative abilities, magic more closely in tune with those abilities (less saying spells and throwing things, so that the magic could serve as a closer metaphor for art), and a more nuanced relationship between Alex and Aaron.
I know these books are very popular with children and I can understand the appeal of the story as a quick, exciting, action-packed read, but this just isn't as well thought out or as skillfully developed as many other similar children's books. I prefer the Percy Jackson books and The Magisterium series.
The parts that I enjoyed most were the way that Justine had closed off Quill from all surrounding countries and was manipulating the worldviews of the inhabitants
Spoiler
lying to them about being surrounded by aggressive countries waiting to attack Quill, when in fact they lived on an island in a chain of other perfectly friendly islandsI would have liked to see a more logical premise that is explained by the world of the story, more fully developed characters, more emphasis on the kids exploring their creative abilities, magic more closely in tune with those abilities (less saying spells and throwing things, so that the magic could serve as a closer metaphor for art), and a more nuanced relationship between Alex and Aaron
Spoiler
--something a little less good twin vs. evil twin, maybe if Aaron's motives were clearer and he was more conflicted about losing/hurting his brotherI know these books are very popular with children and I can understand the appeal of the story as a quick, exciting, action-packed read, but this just isn't as well thought out or as skillfully developed as many other similar children's books. I prefer the Percy Jackson books and The Magisterium series.