It’s all done with a light hand to make the story a great fit for middle-graders.

The Unwanteds touches on sibling rivalry, right and wrong, the power of creativity, loyalty… and betrayal. Will all of Alex’s hard work be enough to fight off the rigorously-trained Quillian army? And, most importantly, will Alex be able to get through to Aaron and help him understand which side he should really be on? A battle between these contrasting societies becomes inevitable. Quill’s strict rules start to deteriorate, and the magical spells that protect Artime wear off. Alex gets to learn all kinds of artistic and magical skills.Īnd he will need all the training he can get. Today has created an enchanted place called Artime for the Unwanted refugees not only to live, but also to develop their creative potential and thrive. When Alex arrives at the Death Farm, he is in for a surprise. This is no Hunger Games Reaping.) Aaron, to his family’s great pride, is set on a path to become a member of the revered Quilitary (Quill’s military). Alex, deemed an Unwanted, is sentenced to the “Death Farm.” (Don’t worry – it sounds bad, but it’s described with a bit of mockery so that it comes off as more exaggerated than scary. When the day of the purge arrives, identical twins Alex and Aaron couldn’t face more different fates. And Unwanteds, typically those showing a flare for creativity and resistance to conformity, are put to their deaths. Necessaries are tolerated for whatever menial skill they may possess. Wanteds, as their name suggests, are the most valued members of society. In Quill there are three types of people: Wanteds, Necessaries, and Unwanteds.

The unwanteds book 1