¡Lunes Libro Fantástico! DEAD TO YOU by Lisa McMann

I love it when an author can make me mad for all the right reasons. Mad that I stayed up way past my bedtime because I couldn't put their book down. Mad because they got me so invested in their characters that their pain was mine. Mad because their story ended way too soon. Lisa McMann's newest YA release, DEAD TO YOU, did that and more in this installation of ¡Lunes Libro Fantástico! (Fantastic Book Monday)

From Lisa McMann's official website : Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle... at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together.

But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...

And you'll never guess what it is! DEAD TO YOU is a fast paced, gut-wrenching read. The very epitome of edgy teen fiction, it's darkness is heart-breakingly pierced by moments of warmth, love, and worst of all, hope. Lisa McMann's first foray into realistic fiction (all others have been paranormal/fantasy) is a winner all around. Part Law & Order SVU, part psychological Twilight Zone, DEAD TO YOU will have thinking long past it's punch-to-the-gut ending.

Parents should know: this is for more mature young adults - there are a handful of swear words including the big daddies. And while there is no explicit sex or abuse in the teens' current situations, other incidents are referred to, though not in graphic detail.

Be sure to check out Lisa McMann's other titles: the NYT bestselling WAKE YA triliogy (WAKE, FADE, GONE), CRYER'S CROSS, and the MG fantasy THE UNWATNEDS. Enjoy!

Happy Reading and ¡Buen Provecho!

Book Review: The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann. Mucho Wanted!

New York Times bestseller Lisa McMann has done it again! Her newest release, THE UNWANTEDS, should definitely be on your most wanted list.

Every year in Quill, thirteen year olds are sorted into three groups: the Wanteds, the Necessaries, and the Unwanteds. Wanteds go on to university, while Necessaries go to work. And the Unwanteds? They are purged. Permanently. Yes, that means exactly what you and everyone else in Quill thinks. Until identical twins Alex and Aaron are sorted. Aaron is declared Wanted, while Alex is deemed Unwanted. But being permanently purged isn't what it used to be: Alex and the other Unwanteds find themselves rescued by the so-called Death Farmer in his hidden magical land where all who have the creative talents that had doomed them back in Quill, now can work real magic. Real dangerous magic if needed, and boy, does it become needed when Quill discovers the magical land and hits it with everything they have, including Alex's twin, Aaron, leading the charge.

THE UNWANTEDS is an imaginative, fast-paced, fun read that will make you forget it's meant for a middle grade audience. Lisa McMann weaves a classical fantasy feel with today's demand for high octane action. The fantastical elements reminded me of Nickelodeon's excellent series, Avatar, The Last Airbender. You'll meet a cute but deadly squirrelicorn, an Art-teaching octogator named Ms. Octavia, and, my personal favortie, Jim, the winged turtle. Funny, poignant, and, at times, heart-wrenching, THE UNWANTEDS is a showcase for how modern MG fantsay should be done.

Go read, now. And together we can wait for the sequel. While you're wating, be sure to check out Lisa McMann's other titles: The WAKE trilogy (WAKE, FADE, and GONE) and CRYER'S CROSS. You can visit her at http://www.lisamcmann.com/ or follow her on facebook, twitter, and Vyou.

¡Buen provecho!