Content levels
Trigger warnings
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
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.
Is The Unwanteds appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 10 and up.
This middle grade fantasy features a totalitarian society that eliminates creative children, with magical battles between siblings and the threat of death. Violence is present but not graphic, and the book celebrates creativity and individuality.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include child harm, death, and abandonment (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Readers will love the magical world of Artimé where creativity becomes power, and the exciting conflict between twin brothers on opposite sides of a battle.