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McMann, Lisa
20 Reviews
(3)
4-6
Going Wild series.
Charlie and her friends Mac and Maria must stop Dr. Gray and his beastly warriors before they turn all of humanity into chimera beasts. They research fierce new animal powers, upgrade their magical-powers bracelets, and decide whom to trust to save the day. McMann brings her series about kids with animal powers to a thrilling and satisfying close. Full-page illustrations add dimension to the story.
Reviewer: Jenn Matters
(4)
4-6
Unwanteds Quests series.
In this spinoff series set ten years after the Unwanteds, twins Thisbe and Fifer (Alex's sisters) seize the chance for adventure when a dragon begs the Artiméans to save his enslaved siblings. McMann explores the consequences of rushing into danger without preparation. The pace of the predictable plot lags midway, but the cliffhanger ending will leave readers eager for book two.
Reviewer: Lauren Chambers
(3)
4-6
Going Wild series.
When Charlie's father is kidnapped, she wants to use her animal powers (Going Wild) to rescue him. Her friends have their own magical bracelets, but the magic isn't perfect. Calling on old colleagues of her father's, Charlie must rely on her bracelet, her friends, and some old-fashioned spy work to save the day. McMann's good-hearted characters and light humor will keep readers hooked.
Reviewer: Jenn Matters
(4)
4-6
Unwanteds series.
Head mage Alex, his brother Aaron, and their followers make one last stand to protect their home of Artimé and their freedom. Time spent setting up a spinoff series and wrapping up the abundant loose ends extends the page count and extinguishes most of the tension, but longtime series fans will still be pleased to see how everyone fares in this conclusion.
Reviewer: Lauren Chambers
(3)
4-6
After moving across the country for her parents' jobs, Charlie Wilde discovers a bracelet. Once it's on her wrist, she starts to notice odd things about herself, like elephant strength and cheetah speed. With help from open-minded Maria and tech whiz Mac, Charlie begins exploring her abilities. Filled with humor and science, this new series should appeal to Animorphs fans.
Reviewer: Jenn Matters
(4)
4-6
Unwanteds series.
In this fifth book, Alex and his friends are stuck on a damaged ship trying to get home, while Aaron preps his latest plan to conquer Artimé. A large cast and chapters that jump among multiple characters' perspectives slow down the plot, but series fans won't be disappointed with this installment.
Reviewer: Lauren Chambers
(4)
4-6
Unwanteds series.
To defeat the new ruler of Quill, Alex will have to rescue the one person he thought he'd never trust again: his evil twin, Aaron. Aaron's growth makes a surprising contrast to the other wooden characters and, though clichéd, adds a spark of interest to an otherwise drawn-out plot. The action-packed ending should please series followers.
Reviewer: Lauren Chambers
(4)
4-6
Unwanteds series.
In the fourth and final installment, mage Alex decides to rescue Sky's mother from pirates while his estranged twin Aaron schemes to take over Artimé. While there is plenty of action, the narrative moves between Alex and Aaron so often that it is difficult to get invested in either. Still, fans of the series will find plenty of magic to enjoy.
Reviewer: Lauren Chambers
(3)
YA
Visions series.
Based on prophetic visions, Jules has prevented a car crash, then (after passing the visions to her new boyfriend) a school shooting in previous installments. To prevent the next disaster, she must discover the latest vision recipient. Sleuthing and nautical peril are nestled alongside the series' ongoing family drama, and the earnest prose, swift plotting, and well-leveraged premise will draw in readers.
Reviewer: Claire E. Gross
(3)
YA
Visions series.
Jules sees the vision--a truck hitting a building and exploding--everywhere; is she seeing the future or is she insane? Hoping for the former, she risks looking crazy to try to save the people in her vision: her family's business rivals and their son, whom she secretly loves. This suspenseful series opener is fast paced and features a likable heroine.
Reviewer: Sophie Williamson
(3)
YA
Visions series.
Having passed her gift/curse of premonitory visions (first seen in Crash) to her boyfriend Sawyer, Jules must help him prevent a school shooting while processing the trauma of the visions. McMann crafts a refreshingly down-to-earth tale of supernaturally aided sleuthing, with richly nuanced family drama and warm sibling bonding rounding out the central star-crossed romance and race against time.
Reviewer: Claire E. Gross
(3)
4-6
Unwanteds series.
Alex struggles to decipher the riddle that will return magic to the land of Artimé, while Lani and Samheed wait for him to rescue them from Warbler Island. The characters go through a range of emotions that fit their situations, and Alex comes into his own as a leader. Multiple plot twists keep this third story moving and should hold series fans' interest.
Reviewer: Lauren Chambers
(3)
4-6
Infinity Ring series.
Time travelers Dak, Sera, and Riq visit the American South in 1850 to restore the Underground Railroad (Trap), then visit ancient Mexico to save a Mayan codex from destruction (Curse). While Trap treads familiar ground in its exploration of American slavery, Curse, with nuance and sincerity, depicts the less-familiar Spanish eradication of Mayan cultural artifacts.
Reviewer: Barratt Miller
(4)
YA
Nine years after being abducted from his front yard, sixteen-year-old Ethan has been recovered and returned to his birth family. But huge holes in his memory may hide a truth that no one was anticipating. McMann asks readers to suspend significant disbelief in this intriguingly premised novel.
Reviewer: Norah Piehl
(3)
4-6
Unwanteds series.
The first fight between the cold land of Quill and creative Artimé is over, an uneasy peace established between the two worlds. Alex begins training to be the next leader of Artimé, while his conniving twin Aaron plots to seize control of Quill. Plenty of action will satisfy readers of The Unwanteds; this second book is clearly setting up the next installment.
Reviewer: Lauren Chambers
(4)
YA
When two schoolmates disappear, Kendall, who has OCD, notices a clue others don't: messages from the missing kids scratched into a school desk. Kendall's investigations into the desk's origin uncover a decades-old tragedy at a nearby reform school--but not before she nearly succumbs herself. Kendall's compulsions, anxiety, and complex relationships are more believable than the premise of a possessed desk enticing teens to suicide.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher
(3)
4-6
Creativity is a death sentence in Quill, but unbeknownst to Quill's leaders, the locked execution area is actually Artimé, a magical world that nurtures purged citizens' talents. All the secrecy is catastrophically undone by Unwanted Alex, who desperately misses his Wanted twin. Quill is a caricatured dystopia, but Artimé sparkles with magic, action, and newly liberated teenage creativity.
Reviewer: Bethany Templeton Klem
(3)
YA
The physical toll of being a dream catcher forces Janie (Wake; Fade) to make a terrible choice: live in isolation to avoid others' dreams or be crippled by her ability. The father she's never known suddenly appears, further complicating her dilemma. In this gripping trilogy ender, McMann skillfully balances Janie's dysfunctional family life, healthy relationship with boyfriend Cabel, and supernatural talent.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher
(3)
YA
"Dream catcher" Janie and her boyfriend Cabel (Wake) take on another stealth assignment: busting a sexual predator among their high school's faculty. The pair deals with unexpected consequences as the dreams take an increasing toll on Janie and the mission strains their relationship. Taut accounts of the danger they face alternate with surreal descriptions of dreams, heightening the already intense suspense.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher
(3)
YA
Janie is pulled into other people's dreams and nightmares. They want her to save them, but she doesn't know how to help. Janie can't tell anyone, and she feels all alone until meeting two others who can also walk in dreams. The story, told in terse language that alternates with more floridly described dreams, moves powerfully and quickly.
Reviewer: Becky Levine
20 reviews
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