Dead To You

Dead To You  by Lisa McMann
Release Date: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 256
Format: ARC
Source: OWN
Interest : YA Contemporay
Challenge: 2012 Reading Challenge, 2012 YA Contemporary Challenge
Buy The Book: Amazon

A page-turning realistic novel with a shocking twist from bestselling author Lisa McMann.


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...

Surprisingly I have never picked up a Lisa McMann book before, that is until Dead To You arrived at my door. Boy have I been missing out! Lisa did an incredible job with this novel. It was mind blowing amazing and easily a big time contender for my favorite book of 2012! Which is saying a whole lot, considering we aren't very far into the year!

Dead To You is the story of Ethan DeWilde. When he was 6 years old he got into a car with total strangers and was abducted, sending not only himself but also his family, into a total nightmarish whirlwind. 9 years later, after scouring the internet in search of his family, Ethan finally finds his way back home. Unfortunately for Ethan and his family, his return isn't quite the happy ending he was hoping for. Unable to remember anything that happened before he was abducted, Ethan is searching for answers to his many questions. Will he uncover something that he wished had stayed hidden?

The author did such an amazing job of weaving the story together along with the character development and all of the raw emotion of what these character's are feeling. I could feel his parent's heartbreak from the loss of their son, and the shock of his return. Their struggle in how to best handle the situation while getting to know their son all over again, without neglecting their other two children. I felt Blake's jealousy when suddenly his long lost brother returns and gains the attention of everyone around them. There was definitely some major middle sibling issues Blake was dealing with, and at times I wanted to reach my hand through the pages and slap some sense into him. I even felt for little Gracie as she struggles to get to know a brother she never met or even knew she had!

Mostly though, my heart ached for Ethan. I cried for the little boy who was taken from his family and far from home. I wanted to hug the young man who no one trust, and who everyone blames for getting in that car in the first place. His struggles with adjusting to his new life and his family were compelling. I felt like I wanted to protect him from all of the anxiety plaguing him.

The ending left me completely and utterly breathless. I couldn't move, or even breathe! I just sat there in shock, completely speechless. This book really blew me away!

Dead To You is a masterfully written journey into the life of a young man who is simply trying to find his way home. This book was so amazing I devoured it in one sitting and I now want to run out to the store and buy up every Lisa McMann book ever written. Make sure you grab a copy for yourself when this one hits the stores. Trust me, you will not regret it!