4.5 STARS 
 THE UNWANTEDS isn't something I would normally pick up, honestly. It's a middle grade novel, and the cover is very heavy in the FANTASY-esque look, which is a genre I tend to cynically shun but seem to always actually enjoy (at least as it pertains to the middle grade/teen variety. Adult fantasy is another ship all together!) 
 Before you ask, I can neither validate nor discredit the claim that THE UNWANTEDS is a cross between Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, as the cover so boldly asserts. For one, I've never read either series. Yes, I know, I know! I have dear friends constantly harassing me on both, so I do plan to accomplish both by the end of the year (I hope). But, I can tell you that this novel features both magic AND fighting-to-the-death, so maybe we're covered there? 
 The plot centers around a dystopian universe called Quill that prides itself on logic and practicality above all else -- to the point that they "eliminate" all artistically inclined 13-year old children at an annual, publicized event. These children, called "the unwanteds" are deemed useless (and dangerous) to the rigid structures of society and are cast off, one by one, in a dreaded lake of oil. The remaining children are classified as either "wanteds" (intelligent and obedient; trained to fight for the good of Quill) or "necessaries" (pretty much kept around to do grunt work; not likely to rebel against society in any meaningful way). 
 Everyone is surprised when twin brothers Aaron and Alex are eternally separated by conflicting destinies: Aaron, always one to kiss up to authority when needed, is declared a "wanted" while Alex, who occasionally dabbled in the forbidden art of drawing, is an "unwanted". While Alex is desperate to preserve their special twin bond before being cast to his death, Aaron is quick to publicly shun his brother, in order to maintain proper social graces. So, Alex begins the march to his elimination certain that he is alone in his fate... 
 ... until the children discover that "the unwanteds" are not eliminated after all! Instead, they are whisked away to a magical land (called Artime) where they are encouraged to cultivate their individual artistic skills in a manner that was explicitly forbidden in their former land of Quill. In the meantime, the children begin training for battle--through magical spells of art, dance, and song--because it seems the mirage of Artime may be less stable than anyone expected. And, if anything could destroy the secrecy, it just might be the remnants of a certain twin bond between two thirteen year old boys.... 
 I must say that for a middle grade novel, I was particularly impressed by how much I felt sucked into the storyline here. Based on the cover, I expected the story to be overly simplistic to the point that I, as a 20-something, wouldn't find the same sense of intrigue that might be awaiting someone closer to the age of the main characters -- but, I was pleasantly surprised! I read this book in just a couple of sittings (which would have easily been done all at once had my job not continually decided itself to be unfortunately more pressing then book reviews! Pity!) and I definitely found myself flipping ahead in places to uncover a peek of future pages. That's how I know I have a good story on my hands! 
 I think the only (slight) downfall for me were the battle scenes at the end of the novel. Some of them just seemed too convenient, too rushed, and too... silly?... to keep my interest, but here I reminded myself that the author WAS writing for the middle-grade audience, so nothing too "adult" should be expected here. So, for that readership, this was probably just about right in the end. 
 I thoroughly did enjoy THE UNWANTEDS and I will definitely pick up more of Lisa McMann's books to see if her storytelling in the teen genre are equally enjoyable. I'm definitely expecting good things in the future!!! 
 *DISCLAIMER* I did receive a digital-copy of The Unwanteds from GalleyGrab for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own, and none are influenced by the free-ness of the e-book! 
 ( As posted to chrissymcbooknerd.blogspot.com )