What I, Carina Torlucci, Read:
The Unwanteds, by Lisa McMann. Fiction novel, 390 pages
My reading was about....
The Unwanteds takes place in a town called Quill set in the future. There is a High Priest Justine, who wants to do a Purge for kids at age 13. They are divided into three groups: Wanteds go to a university with High Priest Justine; Necessaries go to work on the farms and deliver food and water to homes in Quill; the Unwanteds go to the Death Farm-- but, there is something different about the Death Farm. The Main Character Alex is separated from his twin Brother Aaron. Alex was labeled an Unwanted and his brother was a Wanted.
I think the author wrote this to teach the reader that...
The author's message in this novel seems to be that artistic and creative skills are just as important as academics and strength: everybody has value. Art and Music skills should be valued. Some people can be amazing at certain skills and not others. The important thing is, you should be confidant in what you're great at no matter what it might be.
My reading reminds me of...
The Unwanteds reminds me of the Hunger Games for many reasons.
First off, there is one main leader in Quill, High Priest Justine, who is a strict and terrible ruler. She is similar to President Snow in the Capital in the Hunger Games.
Secondly, Alex was separated from his brother Aaron during the Purge. Also, Katniss was separated from her sister Prim during the Reaping. In the Unwanteds, Alex was determined to succeed, like how Katniss was in the Hunger Games. Alex and the other Unwanteds have to train in case Quill attacks. In the Hunger Games Katniss, Peeta and the other tributes had to train for the Games.
In addition, In the Unwanteds, Alex falls in love with a girl named Lani; In the Hunger Games Peeta falls in love with Katniss. The most Important similarity I found in both novels is that, every year in Quill there is a Purge for all citizens at age 13, and in the Hunger Games, there is a Reaping every year for all districts for children 12-18.
Two Meaningful Quotes
"In case you don't know, we're rejects from Quill. We are not strong and intelligent. We're not capable of fighting. We're worthless! And you think we stand a chance against the Quillitary?" pg: 38
Samheed is one of the newer unwanteds, and said this to Mr. Today, the leader of Artime. Samheed and the other Unwanteds think they were worthless, because High Priest Justine told them that they were worthless. But when they arrived at Artime they found out that there were a lot of other 13 year olds or older just like them. Mr. Today knows that they all have special talents, and their skills are important and not worthless.
"No one knows any different, without knowledge that life can be different, there can be no desire to change it, there minds are too numb to think as we think." pg:105. Mr. Today, leader of Artime, said this quote to the newer group of Unwanteds. Mr. Today is referring to the people of Quill when he says "no one." They don't have knowledge because High Priest Justine gives them only limited knowledge and governs very strictly. Quillians don't know about Artime - they think it is a death farm where the Unwanteds are sent to die. In reality, once the Unwanteds arrive in Artime, it has color, unlike Quill which is full of grey tones. The Unwanteds in Artime actually have much more freedom than Quillians have. Quillans minds are numbed because there brainwashed. For the Quillians, Quill is all they know about--they can't imagine life any different than what they know.