Unclaimed

Maddy Page has felt like an outcast ever since she learned she was adopted. When she meets MJ, Maddy feels normal for the first time in a long time. But MJ isn’t exactly a regular guy: he’s an angelic “Protector,” charged with stopping demonic and malevolent entities from harming humans, and ever since MJ met Maddy, he has been changing. He can now feel pain and taste food, and he finds that none of his abilities, such as the power to erase memories, work on Maddy. Because of these effects, Maddy is being targeted by a demon who is closer than she thinks, and her loved ones are caught in the crossfire. In this series opener, first-time author Wetzel quickly immerses readers in the supernatural conflict through Maddy and MJ’s alternating narration, and maintains a rapid pace with multiple kidnappings and near-death experiences. Maddy’s adoption-related angst can feel extreme (three years after learning she was adopted, she still believes herself to be unloved, despite ample evidence of a caring family) and distract from an otherwise engaging plot. Ages 12–up. (BookLife)