Book Review of "Dead to You"

By Kasey Pfleging

April 22nd, 2018 - Greenville New York Arts and Culture

Dead to You by Lisa McMann is a story about a boy named Ethan who was abducted from his front yard when he was seven. Fast forward nine years and Ethan is, miraculously, back with his family. Ethan is trying to find his place in his family and his school after he returns.

Ethan’s biggest struggle throughout the story was fitting in when he returned to his small town. In the beginning of the book Ethan was unsure of his position in his family but, as the story goes on, he becomes more comfortable and feels more like he belongs in the family. One major theme throughout the book was identity. During the book Ethan was trying to figure out who he should be and how he should act around certain people and in certain situations. One quote from the book that helps to show the theme is, “It feels like I’m in a play and I don’t know all my lines.” (Page 201). This quote helps to show that Ethan was unsure of himself and how he should act.

Lisa McMann’s writing style is very simple. She uses words that are easy to understand for a middle school or high school student and her sentences are not very complex. I think she does this because her book is written in first person and the main character is a student in high school who is slightly less educated because he lived on the streets for a while.