Dead to You

By Lisa McMann

A powerful psychological thriller with a shocking twist from the New York Times bestselling author of the Wake trilogy.

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It’s a miracle…at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn’t going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there’s something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Release date: Feb 7, 2012
• ISBN: 9781442403901

Lisa McMann

Lisa McMann lives in Arizona. She is married to fellow writer and musician, Matt McMann, and they have two adult children. Her son is an artist named Kilian McMann and her daughter is an actor, Kennedy McMann. Lisa is the New York Times bestselling author of over two dozen books for young adults and children. So far she has written in genres including paranormal, realistic, dystopian, and fantasy. Some of her most well-known books are The Unwanteds series for middle grade readers and the Wake trilogy for young adults. Check out Lisa's website at LisaMcMann.com, learn more about The Unwanteds Series at UnwantedsSeries.com, and be sure to say hi on Instagram or Twitter (@Lisa_McMann), or Facebook (Facebook.com/McMannFan).

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

There are three of them. No, four.

They step off the Amtrak train into the snowy dusk, children first and adults after, and then they hesitate, clustered on the platform. Passengers behind them shove past, but the four—Blake, Gracie, Dad, Mama—just move a few more steps and stop again, look around. Their faces are an uneasy yellow in the overhead light from the station. Mama looks most anxious. She peers into the darkness under the awning where I stand, just twenty feet away, as if she knows instinctively that I am here, but no confirmation registers on her face. I am still invisible in the shadows.

Invisible, but cornered. Backed up against the station wall, next to a bench, the woman from Child Protective Services who I met this afternoon standing beside me. It’s too late to stop this now. Too late to go back, too late to run away. I press my back into the wall, feeling the tenderness of a recent bruise on my right shoulder blade. I wet my chapped lips and break into a cold sweat.

Is that them? the woman asks quietly.

It’s them, I say. And I’m sure. I feel panic welling up in my gut.

If I move, they’ll see me.

CHAPTER 2

I take a deep breath, hold it, and force myself to step out from under the awning into the yellow light. Walk toward them. Mama sees me, and her mittened hand clutches her coat where it opens at her neck. As I approach, I can see her eyes shining above deep gray semicircles, and I can tell she’s not sure—I’m not seven anymore. Her lips part and I imagine she gasps a bit. Then Dad, Blake, and finally Gracie, the replacement child, stare with doubting eyes, taking me in.

I open my mouth to say something, but I don’t know what to say. It’s almost like the cold sweat in the small of my back, in my armpits, freezes me in place.

Mama takes Dad’s arm and they stumble over to me while the two children hang back. And then they’re right in front of me, and I’m looking into Mama’s eyes.

Ethan? she says within a visible exhaled breath that envelopes me, then dissipates. She touches my hair, my cheek. Her breath smells like spearmint, and her eyes fill up with tears. Her skin is darker, and she’s rounder, shorter than I expected. A lot shorter than me. I stand almost even with my dad, which feels right. Like I belong with this group of people.

I’m surprised to find tears welling in my own eyes. I haven’t cried in a while, but it feels good to be with them. All at once, I feel wanted.

It’s really you, she says, wonder in her voice. She throws herself at me, sobs into my neck, and I close my eyes and hold her and let out a breath.

Mama, I whisper into her soft hair. I am at once sixteen, my actual age, and seven, the age they remember me. We are long-lost souls, a mother reuniting with her semi-prodigal son. It is the end of one story and the beginning of the next.

Being near her makes my teeth stop chattering.

CHAPTER 3

Dad comes in for a group hug, and we are suddenly stepping on each other’s feet, not sure where to put our heads in the crowded space. I turn my face outward and see Blake watching. We hold each other’s gaze for several seconds, until my eyes cross from staring, and I think, for a moment, that he looks a little bit like this yellow dog I used to see hanging around the group home. He really does. I close my eyes.

The woman from CPS gently interrupts, lays a hand on my coat sleeve. I pull away from my parents. Ethan, she says, I’m sorry to intrude. It seems obvious, but I need to ask a few questions. We nod, and she looks at me. Are these your parents?

I’m choked up, but I say in a weird voice, Yes, ma’am.

She asks my parents for identification and they fumble in an attempt to show it as quickly as possible. Asks them officially, Is this your son?

Mama breaks down. Yes, she says, sobbing. Finally. I can’t believe it. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Please don’t be offended by the next question—I’m required to ask. Would you like a DNA test?

They look at each other and then at me. Absolutely not, Mama says. I’m positive.

There’s no need for that, Dad says.

There are a few more questions and papers for them to sign, so we step out of the snow, into the building. At a closed ticket window we spread things out on the ledge, and that’s all there is. I already talked to the cops this afternoon. There are no more formalities. It’s almost like I got lost in the fishing tackle aisle of Wal-Mart for ten minutes. This your mom? This your kid? Good. Stay close now, keep a better eye out.

The woman from CPS squeezes my arm, searches my eyes, and apparently sees what she wants in them—enough to satisfy her that I am okay with all of this. She puts her hand to her chest and says, Congratulations to all of you. Her voice fills out, like she’s choking up. It’s really such an amazing, joyful event when one of the lost ones makes it home again. She smiles brightly, but her eyes glisten. I figure it must feel good to her, like they actually finished a job. To me, it just feels like nausea.

Then the woman turns businesslike. Mr. and Mrs. De Wilde, we’ve arranged for our counselor, Dr. Cook, to talk with you all and explain what we know. The train station manager was kind enough to let us use the break room to do this. Ethan, would you like me to stay? She ushers us to the room and opens the door.

I shake my head. No, that’s okay. It only gets worse the longer she stays. I can’t even remember her name, I’m so anxious. Dr. Cook is sitting inside at a round table. I talked to her this afternoon. She has six pencils stuck in the ball of hair at the back of her head—four yellows, two reds.

All right. The CPS woman steps in after us and introduces my family to Dr. Cook. Good luck, Ethan, she says. I’ll be in touch in a day or two to see how it’s going.

I nod.

Dr. Cook smiles at Blake. Maybe you and your little sister can sit outside in the waiting area.

Blake glances at Mama and scowls. Mama says, Yes, good idea.

They go. We sit. And Dr. Cook debriefs.

It’s a relief, it really is, to have her talk to my parents instead of me. She tells them everything I told her. Which, when you think of it, really isn’t much at all.

I have three seasons of my life that I want to forget now that I’m here: Ellen (I told them her name was Eleanor—I don’t know why), group home, and homeless. My mind wanders and my eyes roam the break room, land on the countertop. Spilled sugar. Coffee stains. A mug with a unicorn on it. For a minute I stare at it, thinking it moved, but it didn’t—I’m just tired.

The coffeepot with the orange lid means decaf. I know that from the breakfast place Ellen worked at once in a while, whenever she needed the money. The little bit of coffee left in the pot is starting to burn and I can’t look at it. The smell is sharp in my nose. The doctor says, About two years ago, Eleanor abandoned him in Omaha at a group home. She tells them how I ran away from there and lived at the park and around the zoo. I blow breath out of my nose to get the burned smell out. Finally I just get up and turn off the burner. Dad gives me a curious look, but I don’t care. I just don’t think having this place burn down right now would make things easier.

Dr. Cook gives Mama the business card of a psychologist who lives near us. Says we should go individually and as a family. All these details are making me twitchy.

When Dr. Cook leaves, we walk out of the break room and find Gracie hopping around the waiting area, babbling about kindergarten, and Blake sitting on the floor against the wall, staring at the ceiling.

Well, it’s official, Mama says with a huge smile, and hugs me again. When she finally lets go, Dad is next. Slaps me hard on the back, right near where my shoulder hurts. I hide a wince and take it like a man.

Blake stands up but doesn’t hug me. He stays back, shuffles his feet, embarrassed by absolutely everything. And the girl, the replacement child, she just stares at me.

It’s both jubilant and awkward, the five of us all wondering and staring and trying not to get caught looking. Mama apologizes for not bringing balloons. There wasn’t time to do anything, she says, and I believe her, since I just called CPS once I made it into Minnesota this morning. They really high-tailed it down here, actually. Must have. And I’m glad for that. I’m grateful. I look around the station, noticing other people for the first time, all of them busy trying to get home, I bet.

We have celebratory hot chocolate from an ancient, faded machine, waiting for the train that will take us home together, a complete family. Dad excuses himself after a minute and I watch him at the ticket counter, buying one more ticket home. My ticket. And I wonder, have they done this before? They didn’t want to waste the money in case I wasn’t me?

Everyone tries a little too hard. The small talk is strained. Gracie, who’s six according to the family website, judges me from a safe distance behind Mama, who is talking excitedly on the phone. Talking about me. I take a sip of my hot chocolate too soon, and now my tongue feels like burlap.

Blake stares at my feet. He was there when it happened—the only witness. Just two brothers drawing with chalk on the sidewalk in front of the house, innocent as can be. I wonder if he remembers it. He doesn’t say much. He just glances at me once in a while when he thinks I’m not looking.

I can’t believe it, Mama says over and over to me between calls. You’re all grown up. Such a little boy, and now you’re all grown up.

Dad’s quiet. He wipes his face with a white handkerchief that he keeps balled up in his hand.

A few times I try to ask a question, but I always change my mind right before I say anything. The words don’t sound right. What am I supposed to say? So, is it always this cold in Minnesota? Or, Hey, what have you guys been doing for the past nine years? I see you got busy replacing me.

On the train it’s even harder. We sit in two rows that face each other. I’m by the window, next to Blake. Mama and Dad sit across from us, with Gracie between them. I hold my beat-up old bag on my lap to keep it safe from the slush on the floor. It’s so difficult for me to look them in the eyes, like if I do I’m committing to something, even though I’m dying to take in their faces. To get a better picture. They are all looking at me, paying attention to me, asking me simple questions, and actually, I like that. I do. It makes me feel like something.

When there’s a lull, I rack my brains for something to say, and I remember the photos on the website. Still the same old house? I feel myself starting to sweat again.

Dad clears his throat. Still the same, yep. Thirty-fifth and Maple. He pauses. Do you remember it? His voice is gentle, careful.

Some of it, I say, careful too. I know it only from the pictures on the website, but I don’t want to hurt his feelings. The front steps and the sidewalk and the white cement driveway, with the grass growing in the cracks. The Christmas tree in the big picture window, and a little black dog—what was his name? I screw up my eyes, pretending to try to remember, but I already know that I don’t know the dog’s name. I see the photo of him in my head, but there are so many questions.

Rags, Mama says with a smile. Rags died a couple years after . . . about six years ago. Right around when Gracie was born.

I’m sorry, I say. He was a nice dog.

Dad laughs. You hated that dog. He always chewed on your shoes.

Really? I laugh too, a little too hard. I don’t remember that.

A few weeks ago, at the library, I found the page—my face staring back at me. My page, with my real name—Ethan Manuel De Wilde—on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website. I Googled my name and saw all the hits. People had been looking for me. Unreal. And then I found my family’s website. Even Grandpa and Grandma De Wilde and all the cousins and aunts and uncles post things there. Tons of pictures. Discussions about them . . . and about me. How they’ve been searching, and how they remember. Memories shared.

Things flash by the window and in my head: sleeping in doorways, the group home in Nebraska, and how I got there . . . and Ellen. . . . My throat hurts. I stare outside into the darkness, watching glowing snow and bare black trees whiz by.

Um, so, what else do you remember, Ethan? Blake asks after a while, still not quite looking at me. His voice is nonchalant, but I know what he’s really asking. He’s asking, Do you remember me?

CHAPTER 4

Instead, I ask him. Do you remember me? You were just a little kid.

His smile is wary, as if he’s still unsure of me. Sure. You hogged the bed. I kicked you all the time under the covers, and Dad would always blame you because you were older. Blake laughs a

Reviews for Dead to You

[merrittfamily1990 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An enjoyable, quick read, albeit a little predictable.

[rlycox · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

God, this was hard to rate. I'm going with 4 stars, at least for now.WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! No seriously...what the fuck just happened??? The premise: Ethan, 17, was kidnapped when he was 7 years old. He was "raised" by the woman who kidnapped him (around her prostitution and drugs), until she got tired of him and dumped him in a group home. He stayed there for about a year, ran away, and lived on the streets for another year. During this time, he spent a lot of time in the local library searching for missing kids until finally he stumbled upon his real family. We meet him as he's being re-introduced to his family, getting reaquainted with real life, and finding his place in his past, present, and future.And then the fucking bottom drops out. He has an antagonistic relationship with his younger brother and at a certain point, the kid gets it into his head that he's not their missing brother/son. And you go along, thinking he's a total dick, because really who says that? They've all been through enough as it is, what the hell is the point? And then we get to the last 10 pages or so and everything's really starting to come together again--he's accepted by everyone else in the family, school is going ok, he's got a great girlfriend that makes him really happy, he and the brother have come to a basic understanding where they pretend the other doesn't exist. And then BAM, the last 4 or so pages, the cops show up and tell their mom that the remains of their missing son, Ethan, were found and he's been dead since shortly after his kidnapping. They've got the DNA samples provided at the time of kidnapping and they've confirmed it's their kid. So the shitty brother was right and it turns out the Ethan we know really isn't their kid (even though he absolutely believed he was). The end of the story is him taking one last look at the devestation he's caused this family he's come to love so much, and then he makes a run for it.ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I mean really.In some ways it's really frustrating because I really liked the story. The stream-of-consciousness storytelling really worked for me, especially because it's narrating such a broken, fractured story. I can't decide if it ruins the story and makes me hate it or not because everything's a lie in retrospect. And that is so so incredibly sad. I was really pulling for this poor fucked up kid and it's tragic to know that he's just going to go back to living on the streets. It's even worse to know that it'll be so much harder for him after being a part of a real family, even for a short time. I can't decide how to feel about it, but I AM pretty sure that I won't be reading it again. I'm equally sure, however, that I won't be forgetting it anytime soon.

[katherineb729 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thought this book was very good, just the ending that shocked me and I would like more... Not my fave book!

[zuzamiller · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If there were more than 5 stars that's what I would give this book. I can think of less than 5 books that have left me with my mouth hanging open at the end (in a good way). This was one of them! I hope, hope, hope that Ethan's story isn't done yet and there will be a sequel!

[clue_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dead to You by Lisa McMann is not a feel good book but at the same time it's not a book to avoid, I'm glad I read it. It begins with sixteen year old Ethan on a train accompanied by a woman from Child Protective Services. He is being taken to meet his biological parents and siblings. Ethan had been abducted from the sidewalk in front of his home when he was seven. He has been away from his family more than half of his life.Ethan is uncertain but hopeful at becoming part of a family he can't remember. There are painful episodes when he and the family members struggle with the resentment, guilt and pain that surfaces on both sides after his return. Knowing what Ethan is thinking and feeling, we want to wrap our arms around him and soothe a wounded, anxious child.I could hear a cautionary drumbeat as I turned the pages, and it was foretelling an unexpected ending. I don't know what to say about that other than that I'm still thinking about Ethan, and would like to be soothed by a sequel that takes him to a manhood any mistreated man child deserves.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I quite enjoyed this book and found myself cheering for Ethan, hating Blake and absolutely adoring Gracie. Despite its predictable ending, 'Dead to You' gave an interesting insight into the struggles a family had to face with the return of their kidnapped son after a nine year absence.

[ReaderGirl13 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely loved it but the ending KILLED ME! I won't spoil anything but what I will say is this: MCMANN BETTER MAKE A SEQUEL!

[uBadre · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

it was such a good book, right up ubtil the end. i feel like the characters deserve closure. Especially Ethan.

[Martene Avery · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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[aperry1027 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

why is it that so many female writers take the coward's way out of what is otherwise a damn good story?

[mtlkch-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I didn't like any character in this book. Well, I did like Gracie. The ending really did not surprise me, but it did surprise me that that was really how the book would end. I'm all for a cliffhanger if it gets me thinking, but this was not that kind. It was simply irritating.

[lesliewilding-774028 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Being a YA, it's no surprise that this is a quick and easy read. I really liked it and while I see that some readers were disappointed with the end, I was not. I was left with a constriction in my chest and a huge "oh nooooooooooo." I will remember this one.

[jaydlyn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I went to read this tonight and realized I'd already read it during the summer.
The ending pissed me off. I felt so bad for the both the boy and the family. :(

[serenity_tigerlily · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although I did have some issues with the book such as Ethan falling in love so quickly after returning home and the ending, I still liked this book. The concept really captivated me and I felt invested in this book. So much so that I finished in it within a couple of hours because I desperately wanted to know the ending.
BUT! When the ending came I hated it. I knew what the outcome would be pretty early on and I wanted to know how it would be dealt with. I'm not against open endings since sometimes they can work really well for a piece but this was not one of those times. It could've been executed a lot better

[staciesnape-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

So this was another book I read because it would be quick and easy while I had problems with my net, sadly it wasn't as easy to read this book as I hoped. I finished it quick enough but it was really hard to get in to. From the beginning I just found it really hard to connect with any of the characters or picture it really happening. Also, I knew how the book would turn out only a few chapters in and if you have read any of my previous posts, I cant remember when, I mentioned that I find it very hard to like a book when I know how it will end, its not the authors fault, just my silly brain. But with this book that never happened, I just didn't like it all that much.It starts of with Ethan being handed over to his parents who he hasn't seen in 9 years, a question of DNA test is thrown around but his family shut that idea down. They take him home and he settles in to life with his family, but when he cant remember anything before he was taken or anyone, its hard to be happy. He looks at photos to regain his memory but it doesn't help, nothing helps. To make matters worse his little brother is convinced Ethan is not who he say's he is.Along the way of self discovery, he finds himself falling for Cami, a girl that he once knew. The Romance is one of the biggest faults about this book, it was so poorly written and so unbelievable to the point of annoying, I didn't find it cute or sweet I found it cringe worthy and stupid.One of the only characters I liked in the book was Gracie, and I think that was just because she was so innocent. His mother and father got on my nerves, and I hated how they shot down Blake. Every time he tried to come up with a reason to justify the feeling in his stomach, no matter how wrong, they didn't even let him speak out and he was knocked down a peg. They put it down to jealousy and sometimes I guess it could be but regardless of how he felt, his mum and dad should have listened to his theories, given him the time of day instead of just shunning him for Ethan. I just think it was wrong, and I know that a lot of people might disagree with how I feel about it but that's by the by.I gave this book 3 stars because of the originality of it, but that wasn't enough to cover up how poor I thought the rest was

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 starsEthan was only 7-years old when he was kidnapped. He’s now 16 and being reunited with his family – his parents, his younger brother, and a younger sister who is only 6-years old, whom, of course, he hadn’t met until now. Every family member has to learn to deal with this, as they all learn to live together again, after so many years apart. Things definitely are not going smoothly. I like the premise of this book and liked most of the book itself. I wasn’t a fan of the ending. I feel like the penultimate event that happened “fit”, but I didn’t like the result of that event, what happened at the very end. It’s YA, so it was very fast to read.

[nycke137 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Utterly amazing. I was so wanting this to turn out a different way, but it definitely did not leave me mad with the way it did end.

[elainewatkins · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Liked the book, but did not like the ending.

[angelina0justice · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes the life you have is so terrible there must be some mistake. Sometimes things really are too good to be true. Sometimes the story we make is truer than reality.

This harrowing homecoming is tinged with excitement, resentment, and ultimately heartbreak.

[ccathee17c · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Title : Dead to You

Series : -
Author : Lisa McMann
Pages : 243
Release Date : Feb 7th 2012
Publisher : Simon Pulse
Format : Hardcover
Source : Library - Borrowed



My Opinion :


Dead to You is fast-paced and heart-wrenching. You don't want to miss. Seriously.


Well, that starts off a review well, doesn't it? Hehe :D

I've read most of Lisa McMann's books; I read her Wake trilogy, Cryer's Cross and The Unwanteds (I am awaiting impatiently for the sequel to Unwanteds! eeeep!), and I loved/liked every single one of them! Lisa McMann is such a great author!

Dead to You is about Ethan De Wilde, a now 16 years old boy who got abducted at 7 years old. He has just returned to his family, but he can't seem to remember anything about when he got abducted or before. He 'remeets' his long-lost girl best friend (long lost... because... well. he got abducted, you know), and he learns that he now has a 6 years old little sister. And, he 'remeets' his parents and brother. And... things don't go too smooth. Or smooth at all.

This was a really easy book to read. Easy in the way that the writing is easy to read - not the story. The plot is, in itself, incredibly sad, because Blake, Ethan's brother, doubts that Ethan is really Ethan. He thinks it's suspicious that Ethan doesn't remember anything. And so, he's really not nice to Ethan... but, Blake, doesn't it occur to you than this Ethan doesn't know if he'S the real one. Maybe he thinks he is. But, that doesn't make him a jerk! I mean, come on, Blake!

Blake... I just plainly hated him! As I just mentioned, he could have been nicer to Ethan! I MEAN COME ON! It'S as if he's your arch enemy of something! And, if he'S not your brother, doesn't mean he's a bad person! I mean, Blake, you really deceived me.

Ethan is, I have to say, a bit weird. I mean... he talks about his abductor, Ellen (or Eleanor as he lies in the book to his parents and everyone) as if he loves her. I mean; WHY WOULD YOU LOVE/LIKE SOMEONE WHO STOLE YOU FROM YOUR FAMILY? HELLOOOOOOOOOOO! (Sorry... it just seems so weird! *shakes head* *sighs*)

I really liked Dead to You; I actually read it in one sitting! Which is, for me, something that doesn't happen regularly, since I normally read a 20 minutes here and an hour there. It was suck a quick read it took me an hour and a half! It was just so good, it kept me reading!

Dead to You is GREAT! I enjoyed so much!


RATING

4 roses!

[readerspeak_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ethan, abducted from his front yard when he was a young boy, is reunited with his family. It's hard for me to explain why I was disappointed with this story without divulging its secrets, but overall I thought the characters weren't well developed (Ethan I didn't like) and the plot was predictable. My favorite character was Gracie, Ethan's little sister, who was funny and maybe the only bright spot in the book. The ending was abrupt, leaving too many open questions, making me feel like what I read was not a full story but just a small piece of what happened.

[kimjd_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was 7 years old. Nine years later, he is reunited with his family, and all is not happily ever after. Blake is convinced that he's not the "real" Ethan, and trying to navigate family dynamics when your whole memory of your childhood has been wiped out is a minefield.
I LOVED the rawness and authenticity of Ethan's voice. I did NOT love the ending... still trying to get my head around it.

[prettydeadly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really love Lisa McMann. She wooed me with her Wake trilogy, and sealed the deal with Cryer's Cross. I've yet to read The Unwanteds, but I'm sure it will be amazing, too. Dead to You was no exception to the McMann rule.

The idea behind the story definitely intrigued me. We always read about the 'after' or the 'during.' There are tons of books out there about kids being kidnapped. The ordeal the family goes through, or the child's escape. But Dead To You is different. This time, we get to read about a family reunited. A family healing. I can't think of any book that looks at this issue from this particular angle, and so I knew I had to get my hands on it. (It's been on my wish list since its announcement.)

McMann wrote Dead To You with her usual simplicity. The quiet style of writing is one of my favorites. She writes with a quick wit, and while on the surface it seems simple, the writing has a richness to it too. I was easily captivated by the very first page, and didn't -- couldn't put this book down until it was over.

I really liked Ethan, until the very end. But I won't give away why! Throughout the whole book though, I really felt for him. I could never imagine what it would be like to walk in his place, or even his family's. All of them -- his parents, and younger sister and brother -- have been through so much, but somehow found a way to keep it together. The characters each had their own distinctions and inner conflicts, which made them that much more real, and made me root for them even more. Seeing the sadness juxtaposed with the hope really hit me.

My favorite character by far was Gracie, Ethan's six year old sister. She was spunky and sassy and adorable. Gracie was full of quick one-liners. But more than that, she had that innocence about her that kids have, that gave her the ability to accept Ethan without any questions. Their relationship was easy. She and Ethan fell into step as brother and sister almost immediately, even though they had never known each other and she had been dubbed The Replacement. If there was one person who really helped Ethan adjust back to family life, it was Gracie.


As with all Lisa McMann books, there was a wonderful end twist. I loved the eerie feeling throughout the book, the mystery lurking just below the surface, like a monster. You know it's there but can't quite grasp it. McMann has a talent for that sort of writing. The end wasn't all that shocking, but it just hurt.

I really wish I could go on, but I'll spill.

Everything said, I really loved this book. It's simplicity packed a serious punch, and like all McMann books (can you tell I'm a fan?) it was a quick, easy read, but was by no means light. I really recommend this for those of you who love mysteries, eerie books without being too freaked out, and those who like to read stories about abduction. Dead To You is wonderful, and definitely different.

[4sarad_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I definitely liked this better than McMann's Crash, but it still had a lot of problems. The ending was meant to be a shock, but I absolutely saw it coming the entire time. Parts were very repetitive as well which is surprising as this was a very short book to begin with. I wish there was a little more closure at the end, like an epilogue or something. It seemed very abrupt. Overall I think I'd like this book more if I hadn't read so very many books who were similar but with better writing. I can see some young teens enjoying this.

[prettydeadlyreviews · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really love Lisa McMann. She wooed me with her Wake trilogy, and sealed the deal with Cryer's Cross. I've yet to read The Unwanteds, but I'm sure it will be amazing, too. Dead to You was no exception to the McMann rule.

The idea behind the story definitely intrigued me. We always read about the 'after' or the 'during.' There are tons of books out there about kids being kidnapped. The ordeal the family goes through, or the child's escape. But Dead To You is different. This time, we get to read about a family reunited. A family healing. I can't think of any book that looks at this issue from this particular angle, and so I knew I had to get my hands on it. (It's been on my wish list since its announcement.)

McMann wrote Dead To You with her usual simplicity. The quiet style of writing is one of my favorites. She writes with a quick wit, and while on the surface it seems simple, the writing has a richness to it too. I was easily captivated by the very first page, and didn't -- couldn't put this book down until it was over.

I really liked Ethan, until the very end. But I won't give away why! Throughout the whole book though, I really felt for him. I could never imagine what it would be like to walk in his place, or even his family's. All of them -- his parents, and younger sister and brother -- have been through so much, but somehow found a way to keep it together. The characters each had their own distinctions and inner conflicts, which made them that much more real, and made me root for them even more. Seeing the sadness juxtaposed with the hope really hit me.

My favorite character by far was Gracie, Ethan's six year old sister. She was spunky and sassy and adorable. Gracie was full of quick one-liners. But more than that, she had that innocence about her that kids have, that gave her the ability to accept Ethan without any questions. Their relationship was easy. She and Ethan fell into step as brother and sister almost immediately, even though they had never known each other and she had been dubbed The Replacement. If there was one person who really helped Ethan adjust back to family life, it was Gracie.


As with all Lisa McMann books, there was a wonderful end twist. I loved the eerie feeling throughout the book, the mystery lurking just below the surface, like a monster. You know it's there but can't quite grasp it. McMann has a talent for that sort of writing. The end wasn't all that shocking, but it just hurt.

I really wish I could go on, but I'll spill.

Everything said, I really loved this book. It's simplicity packed a serious punch, and like all McMann books (can you tell I'm a fan?) it was a quick, easy read, but was by no means light. I really recommend this for those of you who love mysteries, eerie books without being too freaked out, and those who like to read stories about abduction. Dead To You is wonderful, and definitely different.

[elizajane_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Reason for Reading: I'm reading all of the author's work.This is a short book with short, quick chapters. The writing is sparse but hard-hitting and to the point. The book is emotional, especially from a parent's point of view. Tough to read at times with gut-wrenching emotion for all characters concerned. Yet Ethan and his new little sister, 6-year-old Gracie are the ones who hit your heartstrings and it is poor Blake, the now middle-schooler, the child left behind when the abduction happened that it is hard to like as he turns from standoffish, to bitter, to downright rebellious about the homecoming of his big brother. This is a powerful book and I highly enjoyed it. But this is a sad tale, a dark tale with an inevitable ending. I saw how the book would end but I did not like how McMann abruptly ended the book. I would have liked some closure, an extra scene. To put that much investment into these people and to just leave them hanging there for an ending, gave me a disgusted growl as I slammed the book shut.

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

How do I keep ending up with these books about terrible things happening to kids? It is a subject I really prefer to avoid, but somehow, here I go again.Ethan Manuel De Wilde was taken from his front yard when he was seven years old. Now, nine years later, he actually shows up again, having called Child Protective Services to help him get back to his family in Minnesota.His reunion with his family is not smooth. His brother Blake, who was four when Ethan was taken, hates him: he is still mad that Ethan got in a stranger’s car all those years ago, bringing havoc and heartache to the family. He also resents all the attention his parents gave, first to the missing Ethan, then to the "miracle" replacement child Gracie (now six), and now again to Ethan. Gracie is confused and wary of Ethan at first, but warms up to him. Her adoration helps him learn the good aspects of what a real family can be like. Meanwhile, Ethan's parents are extremely strict with him, particularly his mother, who panics when he is even slightly late coming back from school. Soon they all relax a bit though, and Ethan begins a relationship with a nice girl who helps him through the rough spots.But the ordeal isn’t over. Ethan still can’t remember a lot, and then there’s Blake, who gets more and more hostile. You know something is up, but it is only in the last few pages that a bomb is dropped, and it’s a stunner. Discussion: For once I found myself wishing for a trilogy, so the story would keep going. The ending is, well, pretty memorable to say the least!Evaluation: What does a kid go through who has grown up in a horrific environment? How does he come out of it and how does he cope? This book provides a creative look at some of the possibilities.

[langius · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It was a very fast read, but a fun book. I loved the ending.

[tfs93 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My main problem with this book was that I had the end figured out at the beginning. Ethan was hard to like and the parents were hard to connect with. Gracie was my favorite character and I found Ethan's obsession with her to be a bit disturbing. This is a quick read and the writing is very well done.

[nitalia_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dead to you by Lisa Mcmann is a very touching novel. There is this young 7 year old child named Ethan who was abducted from his front yard when he was playing with his younger brother. Ethan was dropped off at a group home and through research for missing children he found out about his "family."At the age of 16 he reunites with his real parents, his brother Blake and his sister Grace who was born after Ethan was kidnapped. In no time his family begins to fall apart. He tries his best to remember those memories so that he can glue the family back together but, his memory doesn't cooperate with him. The pictures, the toys and the conversations with his parents didn't seem to help. Throughout the book he would say his thoughts of the present as well as refer to how life would be with his abductor Ellen. After reading this book i felt penitent towards Ethan, It made me disappointed because after all that time i spent the outcome was beyond my expectations. The book shows his family's struggles with each other as Ethan re-enters their lives. I pretty much liked the book until the sudden ending , and now it makes me not want to pick up the next book.