Dead to You

Dead To You by Lisa McMann is about a boy named Ethan who has just returned to his house after being missing for nine years. His family has obviously been under complete stress and when he comes back, their almost perfect family can become perfect again. But, not.

The only good thing I have to say about this book is that it's small and a quick read. But, even then, I'm not sure if that's a compliment being small.

I don't want to spoil the ending, but it wasn't that satisfying. The ending seemed almost too quick and I was definitely expecting something different. The book wasn't horrible, but it did move kind of slow and now I almost feel like I was let down by the author.

But, the real reason I'm so disappointed, was because halfway through I had a great idea for the ending.

Have you ever done that? Have you ever started reading a mystery of sorts, tried to think of the ending, and you get all pumped up for your ending...and the actual ending kind of falls short? That's what I think happened to me.

But the book just doesn't feel over.

The book isn't bad, so if you want to read it, then I would recommend it. But, I won't be specifically recommending it to anyone or putting it on my list of books that I absolutely love.

Dead to You starts off with our protagonist, Ethan, returning to his parents. Obviously Ethan's family should be ecstatic, and though they are very glad their brother or son is returned, they don't know what to deal with a sixteen-year-old boy who can't remember anything from before he got kidnapped and after. His mother, who loves him, seemed like she only did it because she was supposed to be a caring mother who never questions her love for her son. His father the same. His brother, Blake, is at first very wary of him and doesn't know what to do. The only person who seems to be able to completely love him, no questions asked, is Gracie, his little sister who wasn't born until after the kidnapping.

This book is undoubtedly a psychological thriller. Everything seemed perfect near the surface, but you can see those cracks around the edges and can't help but wonder what on earth is wrong. There are only a few short moments to doubt that perfect image. It was great because of the fantastically written atmosphere that made shivers work its way down your spine.The plot, to me, didn't have a ton of things that was particularly memorable, but it wasn't what I'd point out as outstanding in the story. The end took me a couple minutes and many, many re-readings in order for me to fully understand what had happened. That major plot twist was mind-boggling, screwed up, and definitely not a mediocre work.

Ethan is a complex, confused character who genuinely doesn't know what the heck he is. Ethan has basically no memory, so in a sense he's like a newborn in unfamiliar territory. He's so desperate for approval that he has to fake understanding whatever his family was talking about to fit in and be the Ethan they want him to be. While we usually have more of a clear understanding of a character after getting to know them in the story, Ethan only has more secrets about him pop up to me, and was a very intriguing teenager to read about.

Conclusion? I don't know what to say. This is not a happily-ever-after-story. This messes with your head, heart and just, to be frank, completely screws you over. I thought it was fantastic, but read it at your own risk. O_O

Overall, I was pretty disappointed in this book. Right from the get-go, you know that something is wrong with the entire reunion scenario, you just don't know what. Through the whole book, you are both rooting for the kid to regain his memories and become happy again and, at the same time, you know that something is off just enough that it's not going to happen. When the shoe finally fell, I just basically felt bad for the kid's "family." They didn't deserve that. On the other hand, I didn't hate the kid because I don't think he meant to hurt the family. He obviously had a terrible life and subconsciously created this world in which he would have a better life. The whole scenario was a lose-lose for everyone.