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...
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reviews
Jan 15, 2012
H.D.
rated it: 
"Brimming with intrigue and mystery, readers will be sucked into Lisa McMann's latest and best novel to date. Be sure you have a free schedule! You won't be able to stop reading until it's done!"
There's a certain point when a book crosses from a great book to The Book. The Book made by the angels of Heaven and delivered by Jesus himself to an author. It's blessed, it's magical, it's everything a book needs to be and more. Dead To You by Lisa McMann was delivered Priority Mail More...
There's a certain point when a book crosses from a great book to The Book. The Book made by the angels of Heaven and delivered by Jesus himself to an author. It's blessed, it's magical, it's everything a book needs to be and more. Dead To You by Lisa McMann was delivered Priority Mail More...
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Feb 01, 2012
Kristy
rated it: 
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?!?!?!?
no really, did that just happen?!?!?!?!?!
Watch out Spoilers probably ahead...
I'll get to that wtf moment in a bit, I guess I should start from the beginning...
So basically this 7 year old kid, Ethan was abducted from his family. It has been 9 years and they get the call that Ethan has been found. He is coming home. This poor kid lived with his "abducter" Ellen for a while and then she decided to dump him of at a kids' More...
no really, did that just happen?!?!?!?!?!
Watch out Spoilers probably ahead...
I'll get to that wtf moment in a bit, I guess I should start from the beginning...
So basically this 7 year old kid, Ethan was abducted from his family. It has been 9 years and they get the call that Ethan has been found. He is coming home. This poor kid lived with his "abducter" Ellen for a while and then she decided to dump him of at a kids' More...
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Feb 18, 2012
Brad
rated it:
I've tried to read Wake by Lisa McMann, but I just couldn't get into it. So I decided to try out Dead to You instead, and I absolutely loved it.
In Dead to You, Lisa McMann presents us with a story with well-thought out characters, a dark and, in a way, frightening novel, and a writing style that hooks the reader into the story.
First, the characters. Ethan was... different for me. Yes, he was abducted when he was little, but his voice at sometimes was just so flat and bland, while More...
In Dead to You, Lisa McMann presents us with a story with well-thought out characters, a dark and, in a way, frightening novel, and a writing style that hooks the reader into the story.
First, the characters. Ethan was... different for me. Yes, he was abducted when he was little, but his voice at sometimes was just so flat and bland, while More...
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Aug 20, 2011
Brandy
rated it:
Wow, what an amazing story! I was sucked in from the very first page and could not put down the book. I oftened wondered what happens if a child is reunited with their family after years of abduction. Lisa really hit this one out of the park. I felt so sorry for all parties involved because we know how difficult it is for the familes who lost a loved one but, we don't stop to think about the effects and how hard it is for the child to be reaquanted with their family. As always, Lisa throws in a
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Dec 31, 2011
Jessica
rated it:
I devoured this book in only a few short hours. Seriously, it took me two hours to read this book it was THAT good! It helped that the chapters were short and it was a naturally fast read but I could not put this one down for a minute!
Ethan was 7 when he was abducted from his yard in front of his little brother Blake. For 9 years, his parents and the small town he was from has held out hope that he will return. As the story begins, Ethan is 16 and waiting to be reunited wi More...
Ethan was 7 when he was abducted from his yard in front of his little brother Blake. For 9 years, his parents and the small town he was from has held out hope that he will return. As the story begins, Ethan is 16 and waiting to be reunited wi More...
Feb 18, 2012
Maggie
rated it:
Readers who've stuck around the Bookshelf for awhile might remember my undying love for Lisa McMann's Wake trilogy, and my passionate open letter in its defense last January, and thus understand how excited I was for Dead to You. Those who haven't been around that long? Suffice to say I was excited. Really excited. Unfortunately, though, it didn't quite live up to expectations.
It's not that Ethan isn't a sympathetic character, or that his voice didn't ring true: he is, and it did. In f More...
It's not that Ethan isn't a sympathetic character, or that his voice didn't ring true: he is, and it did. In f More...
Feb 18, 2012
Kim
rated it:
Dead to You by Lisa McMann is a one sitting read - this is high praise from me because this means that I couldn't stop thinking about the story until I sat down and finished the book. Imagine that you were abducted as a young child only to be left at a youth home in Nebraska as a teen and then after running away from the home you are homeless and searching for the truth of who you are. Ethan (with the help of a wonderful librarian!) searches the internet trying to find his identity. He does an
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Feb 12, 2012
Paul
rated it:
*No spoilers*
Ethan has been missing for several years. At the beginning of Lisa McMann's DEAD TO YOU, he is the company of a well-intended social worker who waits with him for his family to arrive at a train station. Ethan is going/coming home.
Home to a mother and father who had fallen apart after his abduction. Home to a brother who watched him get into a black car with two men. Home to a sister born soon after Ethan had gone missing, perhaps an attempt to replace a child wh More...
Ethan has been missing for several years. At the beginning of Lisa McMann's DEAD TO YOU, he is the company of a well-intended social worker who waits with him for his family to arrive at a train station. Ethan is going/coming home.
Home to a mother and father who had fallen apart after his abduction. Home to a brother who watched him get into a black car with two men. Home to a sister born soon after Ethan had gone missing, perhaps an attempt to replace a child wh More...
Feb 06, 2012
The Good Stuff
Ethan is a very likeable and realistic character, really felt for him which made the ending so brutal
Loved the relationship between Ethan and Gracie, it was so sweet and real
McMann's style of writing is absolutely brilliant, straight to the point and heartbreakingly honest with no fluff or extra's added - I will read whatever she writes
Plenty of twists and turns
Some nice dark humour
Once I started I couldn't put it down - More...
Ethan is a very likeable and realistic character, really felt for him which made the ending so brutal
Loved the relationship between Ethan and Gracie, it was so sweet and real
McMann's style of writing is absolutely brilliant, straight to the point and heartbreakingly honest with no fluff or extra's added - I will read whatever she writes
Plenty of twists and turns
Some nice dark humour
Once I started I couldn't put it down - More...
Feb 02, 2012
Wendy
rated it:
Ethan was abducted when he was seven years old. He was playing with chalk on the sidewalk with his younger brother Blake when the car came. Now, he is sixteen years old and finally back to his family. He was with a woman he called Eleanor for several years. She then dropped him off at a group home, where he stayed for a while. Then he ran away and lived off of the streets. He decided he must have belonged to someone, so he combs the missing children files at the local library. He is stunned
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Jan 23, 2012
Dark Faerie Tales
rated it: 
Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: This novel was written with a stream-of-consciousness style narrative that fails to fully deliver the suspense the story needed. This drama is not for someone looking for an easy, happy read.
Opening Sentence: There are three of them. No, four.
The Review:
Reviewing this book is hard, because I’m still feeling weighed down by all the emotions it evoked. Which is good, in the sense that there’s nothing sad More...
Quick & Dirty: This novel was written with a stream-of-consciousness style narrative that fails to fully deliver the suspense the story needed. This drama is not for someone looking for an easy, happy read.
Opening Sentence: There are three of them. No, four.
The Review:
Reviewing this book is hard, because I’m still feeling weighed down by all the emotions it evoked. Which is good, in the sense that there’s nothing sad More...
Feb 05, 2012
Mary (BookHounds)
rated it:
MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT
The story opens with Ethan reuniting with his family after being abducted nine years earlier. The family agrees that Ethan has grown and changed a bit, but this is Ethan. He has some emotional issues and can't remember the details of his youth but he seems to fit in and the family goes to counseling in order to come to grips with the hurt they have all experienced. He now has a little sister, Grace and his younger brother, Blake, still remembers the More...
LOVED IT
The story opens with Ethan reuniting with his family after being abducted nine years earlier. The family agrees that Ethan has grown and changed a bit, but this is Ethan. He has some emotional issues and can't remember the details of his youth but he seems to fit in and the family goes to counseling in order to come to grips with the hurt they have all experienced. He now has a little sister, Grace and his younger brother, Blake, still remembers the More...
Jan 18, 2012
Cristina
rated it:
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 h More...
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 h More...
Feb 05, 2012
Jason
rated it: 
★★★½ Ethan was seven years old when he was abducted from the sidewalk in front of his house. Nine years later, he reunites with his family- a happy ending to what surely was something out of a Lifetime movie. All seems well, but Ethan struggles to become in tune with his old life. He doesn’t remember anything, having suffered from what doctors tell him is trauma-related amnesia, and that as he spends more time around familiar settings it will slowly come back to him. As he struggles with trying
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Feb 09, 2012
Giselle
rated it:
The basis of this story made me remember a movie that I watched, The Deep End of the Ocean. We meet Ethan who is meeting his family for the first time after 9 years. He was kidnapped at age 7 when a car pulled up next to him and his little brother Blake. He got in the car and lived his childhood with Ellen. After Ellen dumps him at an orphanage he seeks out his own family and finds them.
With the synopsis being as vague as it could be I couldn't help but devour this book in one sitting. More...
With the synopsis being as vague as it could be I couldn't help but devour this book in one sitting. More...
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Feb 09, 2012
Cathy/The Crazy Bookworm
rated it:
This is my first book by Lisa McMann and when I read the premise I was pretty excited to start reading it!
Dead to You tackles a very sensitive subject. Abduction. It may not be something you've experience personally but it happens everywhere. The book kicks into high gear with Ethan being introduced to his family 9 years after his abduction. The rawness and intensity of this book is not low key. In fact, they radiate off the pages. You can't help but feel every emotion that each charac More...
Dead to You tackles a very sensitive subject. Abduction. It may not be something you've experience personally but it happens everywhere. The book kicks into high gear with Ethan being introduced to his family 9 years after his abduction. The rawness and intensity of this book is not low key. In fact, they radiate off the pages. You can't help but feel every emotion that each charac More...
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Feb 19, 2012
Donna
rated it:
This novel left me reeling. Fast-paced from start to finish, Lisa McMann has written another super page-turner. This story is about a teenaged boy, abducted at the age of seven, who, after nine years, is returned to his family. The book opens at the very moment when a Child Youth Worker hands Ethan back over to the care of his family. Thrilled to have him back, the de Wildes try to help Ethan transition back into their lives. During his absence, his younger brother, Blake and brand new siste
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Dec 13, 2011
Andrea
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jan 25, 2012
Lillie
rated it:
See the full review at: Read My Mind
My Review:
DEAD TO YOU is the second novel that I have read by Lisa McMann, the first being CRYER'S CROSS, and both which the words "haunting and emotional" are my thoughts post read. DEAD TO YOU seems like a simpler book than it turned out to be. A boy, having been kidnapped years ago, is returned to his rightful family, and must now adjust to being where he is supposed to be.
The narrator Ethan is fantastic in exp More...
My Review:
DEAD TO YOU is the second novel that I have read by Lisa McMann, the first being CRYER'S CROSS, and both which the words "haunting and emotional" are my thoughts post read. DEAD TO YOU seems like a simpler book than it turned out to be. A boy, having been kidnapped years ago, is returned to his rightful family, and must now adjust to being where he is supposed to be.
The narrator Ethan is fantastic in exp More...
Jan 28, 2012
Nafiza
rated it:
McMann's minimalistic, modern prose style is evident in Dead to You. Her careful use of language has far more impact and evokes far more emotion than it would were thelanguage to be unnecessarily dramatic. In other words, I felt that the lack of emotion has the adverse effect. Also successful is Ethan's gradual acclimation to a family he belongs to but who feel like strangers to him. His attachment to his sister is endearing and his brother's continuous hostility is puzzling.
The pac More...
The pac More...
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Feb 22, 2012
Melissa
rated it:
It’s been over 36 hours since I finished this book and I’m finally coming to terms with the ending. Without spoiling it for others, I will just say that I anticipated the ending on one level, but I also feel hung out to dry. Thinking about those last few sentences causes me emotional pain. Ugh! The book overall was good, but not great. I didn’t feel particularly emotional about anything that happened, and considering it’s a story about an abducted child finally come home, I expected to feel sad
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Feb 14, 2012
P.M.
rated it:
Ethan DeWilde is being reunited with his family nine years after being kidnapped. He had been abandoned by his kidnapper in a group home from which he ran away to live on the street. By chance, he sought refuge in a library where a computer search brought him to his missing family. Going home is a struggle because his brother Blake doesn't believe Ethan is Ethan. The ending isn't really ended as there is a question of what next? I really liked the story but Ethan's language earned the three star
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Feb 10, 2012
Adam
rated it:
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SHELF-AWARENESS.COM
Lisa McMann's (the Wake trilogy) gripping new novel, about 16-year-old Ethan De Wilde returning home after his childhood abduction, will leave readers burning for closure long after its chilling ending.
The story starts with narrator Ethan's reunion with his family, nine years after strangers first drove away with him. His parents immediately embrace him, but Ethan's brother, Blake, soon accuses him of being an impostor, and six-y More...
Lisa McMann's (the Wake trilogy) gripping new novel, about 16-year-old Ethan De Wilde returning home after his childhood abduction, will leave readers burning for closure long after its chilling ending.
The story starts with narrator Ethan's reunion with his family, nine years after strangers first drove away with him. His parents immediately embrace him, but Ethan's brother, Blake, soon accuses him of being an impostor, and six-y More...
Feb 14, 2012
Nely
rated it:
Nine years ago, seven year-old Ethan was abducted while playing in his front yard and he has finally been reunited with his family. While the family tries to make everything as "normal" as possible for Ethan, the fact that he's been gone for nine years makes it hard on everyone. Not to mention Ethan's memory loss of anything prior to his abduction doesn't really help either.
I found it hard to really like anyone in this story. Ethan has not had an easy time growing up. H More...
I found it hard to really like anyone in this story. Ethan has not had an easy time growing up. H More...
Feb 10, 2012
Victoria
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Feb 18, 2012
Laura Ashlee
rated it:
Review posted 2/7/2012 at Owl Tell You About It.
This is the first book by Lisa McMann I've read. I was a little excited because I know the Wake trilogy was really popular. After reading the synopsis, I was in. I love these kinds of story lines because there's so much to take in. I feel like they're really rewarding. I really wish that this book felt that way at the end, but it didn't. I enjoyed 90% of the book, but when I read the last chapter the ending events totally erased everyth More...
This is the first book by Lisa McMann I've read. I was a little excited because I know the Wake trilogy was really popular. After reading the synopsis, I was in. I love these kinds of story lines because there's so much to take in. I feel like they're really rewarding. I really wish that this book felt that way at the end, but it didn't. I enjoyed 90% of the book, but when I read the last chapter the ending events totally erased everyth More...
Feb 08, 2012
Jacquelyn
rated it:
What I Liked: From page one, I was engrossed. Any time I had to step away from the book—to drive, to shower, etc—I was thinking about it. The story was electrified with suppressed chaos. And I had no idea where it was going. Well, no, that’s a lie. But I ignored the arrows, because the author wouldn’t do that, would she? No way.
What I Didn’t: Except she did. She totally went there. Which, by itself, isn’t a bad thing. There are few things I love more than staring open-mouthed at a b More...
What I Didn’t: Except she did. She totally went there. Which, by itself, isn’t a bad thing. There are few things I love more than staring open-mouthed at a b More...
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Feb 19, 2012
Anne
rated it:
Ok wow, this book was really good! It only took me a day to read, I found it hard to put the book down. The book follows Ethan, who was abducted from his front yard at the age of seven. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. At first, things were going great, but then tensions start to build, and his family starts falling apart all over again. Ethan is unable to remember anything about his life before being abducted because of something "unspeakable".
What I liked More...
What I liked More...
Jan 13, 2012
Laci
rated it:
Where do I even begin to tell you how much I love Lisa McMann! I first fell in love with her writing when I read Wake, Fade, and Gone earlier this year. They were some of the best books that I read last year. I loved the writing style, characters, and everything about he stories. It really sucks you in. Then she did it again....she wrote Cryer's Cross! I couldn't believe it. She sucked me in again with a whole different story! WOW Lisa McMann, boy did you do it again with Dead to you!
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Nov 26, 2011
Ann
rated it: 
Ages 12+ (language, makeouts, fistfighting)
Ethan was abducted when he was 7. Now 16, years after being abandoned by "Eleanor," he has discovered his real family. But even though they're reunited, he has no memories of them. Will his memory return? What is he forgetting?
As a whole, pretty contrived. But like McMann's other books, it's a quick and entertaining read once you suspend disbelief. If you're looking for a good Face on the Milk Carton substitute, look More...
Ethan was abducted when he was 7. Now 16, years after being abandoned by "Eleanor," he has discovered his real family. But even though they're reunited, he has no memories of them. Will his memory return? What is he forgetting?
As a whole, pretty contrived. But like McMann's other books, it's a quick and entertaining read once you suspend disbelief. If you're looking for a good Face on the Milk Carton substitute, look More...
