The Unwanteds

I think this is a good book for children ages 8-10. It's super easy to read, but I don't think many adults will appreciate it beyond that. It has a clear moral message, and there are very fun elements that kids would love. There are some good moments about how you should treat friends, how to be a gracious winner, and how isolating yourself can be detrimental. They're quick, but they're there.

I don't think the upper half of the age range on back cover would enjoy it as much, though that will depend on how much of a reader they are naturally. This might be a good choice for an elementary schooler who hates reading, because it's fluffy and fun but has a battle scene and animal hybrids.

I very much enjoyed this story; being a creative person and an artist myself, I really liked that the focus of the magical world is through art. The magic system is a bit squishy in it's rules, one where it seems like you can do anything and everything without any kind of boundary, which did spoil it a bit. This does lead to a bit of a ‘Deus Ex Machina'. Some of the magic is so clearly overpowered that you wonder why the events towards the middle and end of the book even had to occur, or why the whole situation wasn't resolved a long time ago.

The writing itself has a few issues, but nothing that takes away from the story. At some points I found myself confused as to who was speaking or who's perspective the story is from; the author likes to shift this around, but hasn't yet mastered the style. The book is also double spaced, so I flew through the story quick as lightening despite how thick it appears to be. In general, I felt it was on par with most of the YA books I've read recently.

For the most part, if you're looking for a quick, fun, lighthearted read without too much detail, then this is a solid fantasy book. It was good enough that I'll be picking up the sequel today from the library. Just don't expect too much from it!

I liked this book very much, but I did not love it. Somewhere around the middle, I got tired of Alex and Aaron. I kind of wish the story would have been about one of the girls instead. It's just me, I really do not read very much Middle Grade fiction, and I really do not enjoy warrior type books.
I do give it props for imagination and I never once felt the need to compare it to Harry Potter. It felt fresh and original, and I think I would have loved it had it been about 75 pages shorter.