Island of Silence (The Unwanteds #2)

by Lisa McMann
Hennepin County Library hardcover 406 pages
genre: Children's fantasy fiction

I only read this because my sixth graders in book club were reading it. The first part of it, I was bored and thought it was written to appeal to very young, very dull children. Then it got more interesting and by the time I finished it, I knew I had to read book 3 to find out what happens next!

The title is a misnomer - the island of silence is discovered, but we learn almost nothing about it.

The kids and I had a good discussion and all agreed that Simber was our favorite character. The whole Alex / Aaron twin thing is irritating. Why wouldn't the adults in powerful positions keep a closer eye on these special kids? Duh.

The Unwanteds

by Lisa McMann
PRMS hardcover 390 pages
genre: YA fantasy with dystopia

Tagged "The Hunger Games Meets Harry Potter," I'm not sure I can agree. The elements of dystopia and magic are there, but this book lacks the rich depth of Panem and Hogwarts (as do the characters). But this seems written for a younger crowd - the text is widely spaced, the characters are pretty innocent, and the "gee-whiz" quality is strong. This is a nice story about twins Alex and Aaron - one who is "unwanted" and sent to his death (because of his love of art) and one who toes the line and has aspirations to reach the highest levels of government in Quill.

There were some things I really enjoyed - the statues who came to life, the blackboard beings with snappy wit, etc. I don't think I'll continue on with this series, though. It's nice to know what it's about for recommending it to some of my readers.