Book Review: Dead To You by Lisa McMann

By: Lisa McMann

Published by: Simon Pulse

To Be Released on: Feburary 7th, 2012 TOMORROW

Source: ARC from publisher to review

4.5 stars: I Really Enjoyed It

Purchase from: Simon & Schuster | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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.. -quoted from Goodreads

A dark, realistic read that's chilly, horrifying, and mysterious. This is an emotional gripping read that will hold you captive until the very last page.

In true Lisa McMann style she managed to yet again emotionally pull me into her book and totally take me for unexpected emotional roller-coaster of a ride. Let me first say, realistic contemporary books are normally not my thing, but it became my thing, because Lisa wrote it. I'm a HUGE fan of Lisa's. She isn't afraid to bring the gritty realism to her books and boy or boy does she do that in Dead to You. The other reason why I don't like books like this is, because I already do the "what if's" in my head, and I don't want to read about it. It makes me all the more paranoid as a parent (don't laugh). With the type of society we live in now, this book will hit home with a lot of readers.

I felt like Lisa gave me an inside view on what it is like for a family who's son was abducted nine years prior, to get him back and some what put the pieces of their lives together. It's not as easy as I would think, well it's not like I thought it would be easy, and it definitely has it's challenges. Everyone has changed, and grown up in different ways. The family dynamics are different, Ethan has changed, his brother is extremely suspicious of him, and Ethan has a little sister he never met. The one thing that doesn't change is the love his parent's have for him, especially his mother's.

Sadly for Ethan he doesn't really remember any of them, or his life before his abduction. That's where I can understand his brother's suspicions of him and the hurt Blake has towards Ethan for getting in the car with strangers in the first place all those years ago. It's also perfectly normal for Ethan not to remember, as often times kids who are abducted don't always remember their lives prior to the trauma their experience during this time. Lisa literally puts the readers inside Ethan and his family's shoes. I felt like I was able to understand the various emotions everyone felt and why. There are so many things that are happening all at the same time. Life has gone on and yet stayed on hold at the same time for this family. I literally can not even begin to imagine what this is really like to deal with, nor would I ever want anyone to experience this. It's heartbreaking, gut wrenching and heartwarming all at the same time.

There's moments were things are okay, and moments were I understand Ethan's out bursts, and even Blake's for that matter. Just as things start to settle into what is going to be a normal routine for the family Lisa throws in one heck of an emotionally, rip your heart out scene that is both horrifying, and realistically fitting. It's a scene where everything comes together and it left me thinking "no way" and "now that makes sense" all at the same time. All I can say is this book will leave you feeling raw. If you're a mom, it's one that will make you want to hug your kiddos tighter tonight. Lisa really does a remarkable job at making this story feel real and she did a brilliant job at emotionally pulling me right into it. There is some mild language in the book and a few uses of the F bomb.