Dead to You
Abducted at age seven, Ethan Manuel De Wilde grew up with a woman who loved him but couldn’t take care of him, ultimately leaving him in an orphanage. After running away and living on the streets, he finds a photo of himself while searching a website for missing children. Now 16, he returns to his loving family but finds it difficult to reestablish relationships, especially with his younger brother, Blake, who doesn’t believe he’s the real Ethan. McMann piercingly depicts Ethan’s mental illness as he suffers from anxiety attacks, bonds with his new little sister, and fails to understand why he has no memories of life with his real family. And there’s the ethical issue: if he isn’t who he thinks he is, what should he do? The bitter cold of a Minnesota winter serves as both metaphor and backdrop for a riveting read that is like the dark side of Caroline B. Cooney’s The Face on the Milk Carton (1990). A realistic but shocking ending makes this an excellent choice for book discussion, and the simple sentence structure and complex content will appeal to reluctant readers. Grades 9-12. --Debbie Carton--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.