The strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, Necessaries go to work in the fields, and the worthless, artistic Unwanteds are sent to their graves, by being thrown into the lake of boiling oil.
Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted.
Upon arrival at the destination where they expected to be eliminated, the Unwanteds discovers a stunning secret—behind the mirage of the "death farm" there is instead a place called Artimè.
In Artimè, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments.
But it's a rare, unique occurrence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artimè that will put Quill against Artimé in a giant, magical battle.
Gathering a group of sympathizers named The Restorers, he plots his rise to power and the demise of Artimè.
While Artimè seems to continue along normally, Eva Fathom, a supposed Restorer, is spying on Quill and passing along information to Sean Ranger, an unwanted teenager.
Plus, Mr. Today starts to teach Alex how to be a head mage, and devises a plan to trick Aaron.
They rescue Meghan and discover that Samheed and Lani have been captured by a neighboring, silent island, called Warbler.
He rescues them, but Warbler's queen, Eagala, is planning an attack on them for stealing Sky, Crow, Lani, Samheed, and Meghan.
Even during the battle Alex has not forgotten his promise to rescue Sky's mother from Pirate Island.
while Talon, Lhasa, a snow lion, and Bock, a deer, are friendly, there are some who are not nice, like dropbears and the eel that attacked them.
After weeks in a small fishing boat tied to the back of the pirate's ship, they untie the rope and send him in the direction of the island of shipwrecks.
While Aaron is kidnapped, Gondoleery takes charge of Quill, and sends Liam and Alex's twin sisters to their deaths in the Ancient Sector.
As Alex and Sky use Claire´s help to go to each of the islands that Aaron could be in, they meet the queen of the ocean, a water dragon named Pan who asks them for wings but does not tell why.
Artimé expands its magical boundaries to encompass the rest of the island in order to restore Quill.
Henry Haluki takes the seaweed from the Island of Shipwrecks, which if consumed grants immortality, to the giant crab.
Pan hid her children to protect them from the pirates, who capture sea creatures and cage them.
At the end of the war, Alex's left arm is damaged beyond repair (and since he is left-handed) he cannot do magic anymore.
Lani's legs become immobile, and so Aaron designs her a machine to help her walk and she quickly gets used it.
Samheed Burkesh - Strong student who at first resents Alex, blaming him for his own Unwanted designation, but eventually becomes his best friend.
Mr. Today created Artimé and its magical creatures to save his daughter and the other young Unwanteds from death.
Claire Morning -Mr. Today's daughter and instructor for the students who show a talent for singing.
Mr. Sigfried Appleblossom - Artimé's Theater instructor, he always attempts to talk in iambic pentameter and rhyme every sentence.
Eva Fathom - mother of Carina Fathom, the secretary to Aaron and a spy for Artimé Copper - Sky and Crow's mother who was saved from pirate island and later became the Queen of Warbler Island Scarlet - a Warbleran that escaped the first time Warbler attacked Artimé.
Spike Furious- The intuitive whale that Alex created Carina Holiday- Daughter of Eva Fathom.
In a review by Kirkus, The Unwanteds is noted as a cross between The Hunger Games and Harry Potter.