Dead to You

By: Lisa McMann

Narrated by: Aaron Tveit

A heart-pounding new novel with a shocking twist from New York Times best-selling author Lisa McMann.

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at 16, 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 something is keeping his memory blocked.

Something unspeakable....

©2012 Lisa McMann (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

Interesting book!

If you could sum up Dead to You in three words, what would they be?

Interesting. Fascinating. Infuriating.

What other book might you compare Dead to You to and why?

I can't think of another book that I've read that I could compare this to.

What does Aaron Tveit bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings a depth of emotion and feeling--you really feel for all the characters--he has a great way of bringing them all to life.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I really like the moments between Ethan and Gracie--very sweet moments.

Any additional comments?

It was a good book--very engaging and engrossing but the end just nearly killed me -- it definitely screams out for a sequel!

Could be longer

It was an interesting story, but I would have liked it to be a little longer so that the characters could be further developed.

The tension in the story is real

Aaron Tveit’s voice is just ideal for this, I feel the innocence/ naiveness of Ethan at the beginning and even though the ending is foreshadowed, it still feels impactful. I love the characters and relationships he forms, ofc I would love to see what happened next but I think it was a deserved ending.

Unoriginal

Ethan returns to his family after being kidnapped nine years ago. He now has a younger sister, his replacement, and a brother who seems to hate him.

Unlike other stories where kidnapped kids come home, Ethan has a bit of a selfish, mean streak. He doesn't act like a victim and fights back when pushed. He doesn't have nightmares or act traumatized.

Lisa McMann kept me intrigued with consistent pacing and writing. The predictable plot twist didn't surprise me. The story ended abruptly, leaving open a sequel, though I don't think that's in the works.

DEAD TO YOU was a fun, albeit unoriginal read.

Good story- no ending!

I liked the story and the characters but I feel cheated out of a final ending. I'm just stuck imagining a thousand different choices that could change everything for each character .

Wonderful and heartbreaking

I am absolutely in shock at the beauty of this book. It is written so wonderfully, and McMann captures the thoughts of the abducted teenage boy perfectly. The story keeps you on your toes until the end, and even after. I am still reeling. Aaron Tveit delivers a superb performance of the novel, and the emotions that he shows are amazing. I have nothing but praise for McMann's story and the way it is read by Tveit.

Well acted

I felt like I knew Ethan. So A+ for Tveit and McMann’s main character development. The ending was too abrupt, and it wasn’t a “surprise” twist to me. I felt it coming from a clue at the beginning of the story.

WOW!

Listening to this book I couldn't help feeling that I was reading a fictionalized account of Steven Stayner and it was fascinating. I wanted to listen to the book all in one sitting and yet I wanted it to last much longer than it did. The narration was spot on! Wish there could be a sequel-I would be in line to buy it!
Memorable characters that you actually care about the book left me feeling like I knew a whole new family.

That's it?!

My heart, there has to be more! I am in tears...I need more, I need it!

Dead to You

What made the experience of listening to Dead to You the most enjoyable?

The narrator.

What does Aaron Tveit bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He makes it a lot easier to connect to Ethan whereas if I'd been reading the novel, I feel the character would have come across as slightly whiny.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

I was so addicted to this audiobook that I had to keep going and stayed up half the night in order to finish it, and then the plot twist at the end took me by surprise, even though I had kind of been expecting something. This was a brilliant book and I kind of wish that I hadn't read it so that I could listen or read it again.
On one hand you feel for Ethan but on the other some things are just a bit rushed or weird. The falling for a girl seconds after meeting her, even though they used to have baths together was somewhat creepy, and I didn't find it altogether realistic. The brother was somewhat suspicious but I'm assuming that that was intentional.
This book was brilliantly written and brilliantly narrated and I just loved it.