The Unwanteds #1 by Lisa McMann

This book is the first in a series, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Alex lives in the land of Quill, and all thirteen-year-olds are sorted into three groups. The Wanteds are ranked highest, the Necessaries are next highest, and the Unwanteds are sent away to be killed in a lake of boiling oil. Alex is an Unwanted, but his twin brother is a Wanted. Alex discovers that most of the previous Unwanteds weren't killed, and they're living in a world, Artime, cloaked by magic. They're able to use their creativity to enjoy life, and they later learn to turn their artistic talents into weapons for battle. The citizens of Quill live in a strict dictatorship with no freedoms, and the leader of Artime knows it's just a matter of time before they're discovered and attacked by the Quill army. Alex wants to rescue his brother and bring him to Artime, but he also knows it could be the end of their world if the leaders of Quill realize the Unwanteds are still alive.

This book was recommended by one of my students, and I found it had an unusual plot. Some of the characters are strange combinations of animals, but the use of artistic talents to create magic was interesting. The author did a nice job of creating suspense with subplots. In addition to the threat of Quill, Alex's issues with his brother and secrets kept by some other characters kept me wondering. Even so, there were still a few other surprises that popped up near the climax.