Unwind

In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would "unwind" them

Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until theireighteenth birthday, they can't be harmed -- but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away.

In Unwind, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award winner Neal Shusterman challenges readers' ideas about life -- not just where life begins, and where it ends, but what it truly means to be alive.

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Eye opening view, 2008-12-23
I am 25 and my 21 year old sister gave me this book since she loved it and she doesn't even like to read.
It was just a great book, one that makes you go WOW, and just opens your eyes to how different people can be and it shows you different points of views and just how society is like. It's scary if it ever came down to that. But in a lot of ways we are like that today with other subjects.
This is be a must read for my kids, when I have them in the future.
I will always be quoting this book and suggusting any one who has a open mind and wants to grow to read this!


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

A Must Read!, 2008-11-30
This is the first novel I've read of Neal Shusterman and definitely not the last! I was hooked immediately and could not put the book down. It is extremely thought-provoking and will stay on your mind long after you've finished reading the story. His main characters, Conner, Risa and Lev, are well developed and wrapped around a captivating story line. This is a definite MUST read... without a doubt!


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Scary good!, 2008-11-20
In the not-too-distant future, the U.S. went through a second civil war, involving Pro-life and Pro-choice armies. It became known as the Heartland War, and it ended with the Bill of Life, which states that human life may not be touched from the moment of concept until a child reaches the age of 13. Between the ages of 13 and 18, a parent may choose to "unwind" a child, where their life does not technically end, but goes into a divided state. This Bill satisfied both sides and unwinding has now become an accepted and common practice in society.

That takes us to three teens, all on the verge of being sent to their unwinding. Connor is a troubled kid who gets into fights and tends to think long after he's acted. When he discovers that his parents have signed the orders to have him unwound (as well as their vacation tickets for the day after the event), Connor takes off. Risa is a ward of the state and a concert pianist. However, competition is fierce and, when Risa makes a few mistakes at a recital, she's soon on her way to unwinding. Lev is the tenth child in his family and that makes him a tithe. His parents strongly believe in their religion and that means tithing 10% of their belongings, including children. These three meet by chance - if they can survive until their 18th birthday, they'll be safe.

This story is terrifying and thought-provoking. It takes the issue of abortion and turns it on its head. The country Shusterman depicts is filled with unwanted babies who become wards of the state or can be "storked," dropped off on a house's porch and, as long as the mother is not immediately discovered, the baby is legally that family's responsibility. Troubled teens who are too much of a problem or don't fit a family's budget can be unwound. Medical research has come to a halt because there's no reason to try and cure cancer or a heart defect when you can just get fresh body parts and graft them in. Even the belief in souls gets called in to play - every part of an unwound teen must be used, and since they don't technically die, what happens to their soul, their consciousness, when they are divided up amongst other people as bits and pieces?

I really enjoyed this book. Shusterman writes from multiple perspectives, so we get in every characters' head. Each is well-developed, and you gain a new appreciation for them once you hear their thoughts (Roland's chapter was probably the most heart-breaking). If there was anything that bugged me about the writing, it was the change in tenses. I appreciated this being science fiction for people who aren't sci-fi fans - the world is recognizable and follows its own rules, without being "out there." More than anything, I loved how this book made me think about issues of life, the soul, and how important it is to take an interest in other human beings, no matter their age. There's a running thought throughout by many of the adults that, once this kid is out my door, they're someone else's problem. Connor, Risa, and Lev only continue their journey when someone takes the time to help them along the way.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Dystopian Novel at Its Best, 2008-11-14
**SPOILERS**

I think the only argument I could possibly have against this book is that it was eerily similar to Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series. Still, AMAZING book. Astoundingly well-written with a dystopian world you can definitely picture, and it is a horrifying picture at that. The characters themselves were pretty cool, Lev and Pastor Dan were my favorites. I loved the legend of Humphrey Dunfee (and so knew that he would end up being major). There were some predictable (sort of) parts, but they always were still written in a very captivating way. I love it. This is an example of a great book that is both character and plot driven and the two feed off each other to create a thoroughly engaging story. I'd REALLY like to know what happened with Connor's letter, though, since he technically is "dead"...weird. I thought that was a really great idea, though. I pretty much could tell that Connor and Risa would get through the whole ordeal alive and having changed the established rules slightly, but I had no idea what role, or how big a role, Lev would play in it all. I loved seeing his character evolve, super job. The others changed, certainly, but Lev's was the most realistic and relevant to today's world. The procedure itself, though you realize it was never truly described, it still will give me nightmares. The way he wrote it, it can insinuate so many things, but ...*shudders*. so scary.
As for humor, massive laughs for the E-Bay soul-selling fiasco :P


1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

All Wound Up, 2008-11-02
I started reading this book while I was waiting in line for advance voting in GA. It was a three and half hour wait, and it was hard to put the book down.
This book really moved me; it was a fantastic read, and it made me really think. Could this really happen to our children?
I wonder if there will be a sequel---this book was action-packed, suspenseful...all the elements of a well-written, superb novel!

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