rinton

Can you fathom growing up in a world where there is no color? No jokes or laughter? Where people close to the leader could be dismissed and even executed for having dreams? Welcome to Quill. While growing up in Quill, if a child is caught singing, dancing, making up stories, or drawing in the dirt with a stick, they are reported to the government for an "infraction". They are then classified as Unwanted. Alex lived for 3 years with the knowledge that he was Unwanted and would be eliminated at thirteen. Wanteds are raised to be brutal and uncaring. Their goal is the success and protection of Quill. Unwanteds are forgotten the moment they are sent away for elimination. Thanks to a man named Marcus Today, the Unwanteds are saved and taken to a place where they can flourish. Artime (there should be an accent over the 'e') is full of color, music, laughter, and happiness. Ideas, thoughts and creativity are not punished. Kids are taught to use magic with their talents, so they can paint themselves invisible, or put someone to sleep with a dramatic soliloquy. They are also trained to use their magical talents for defense and offense in case Artime is discovered by Quill. Mr. Today is exceedingly gentle with the Unwanteds, even when they don't exactly listen. He approaches things like I was taught growing up: nothing is wasted, even mistakes, if you learn from them. Alex, Meghan, Lani and Samheed are all part of the current group of Unwanteds. When they get to Artime, the group must learn how to live without the strict confines of Quill. Some have more trouble than others letting go of the life they left behind, especially if they were raised to be Wanted until recently, like Samheed. Or the daughter of one of the Senior Governors of Quill, like Lani. I loved watching them all come to life and develop their abilities. Lisa McMann has created an incredible world that is part dystopia, part fantasy. The creature in Artime are awesome, like winged tortoises, or a octogator (part octopus, part alligator). The stone sculptures are alive and watch over the kids, like Simber, a winged cheetah. They reminded me a little of some of the creature in The Neverending Story, and I was instantly absorbed into the atmosphere. Fans of Lisa McMann's Dream Cachers series will recognize the simplistic style of writing, although The Unwanteds has more description. Vivid description, but it doesn't bog you down with details. As a middle grade book, I think it's wonderful because kids won't be overwhelmed with too much information. It's very easy to imagine the scenes in Artime, and become swept up in the magic. There is a giant battle scene toward the end, and there are some deaths. One in particular was a little harsh (highlight the next part to see: One of the General's deposits the dead body of his son at the gate of Artime. The son had snuck back in to take revenge on someone.) This was the only part that jumped out at me with regard to younger readers. Overall, this was a delightful book and I enjoyed reading it immensely. It struck a chord with me as an artist, especially Lisa McMann's inspiration for writing the novel. In a note to reader's, she explains that the idea developed when art and music were cut out of her kids' school. So something great came out of something terrible. I kind of hope a series develops out of this. If not, I'll deal with my disappointment, but it would be nice to watch the continuing journey of Artime and Quill.

2022-10-21 05:31