Customer Reviews

Unwind

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book was recommended to my son by the local librarian. She was raving about it, so thought I'd read it too and was glad that I did. Right from the start, the book had me hooked - the premise is so horrible, yet I was interested to see what would come of it all.

This is the story of three teens, Connor, Risa, and Lev, told largely from alternating points of view. They live in a dystopian future, where life is sacred, except that from the ages of 13-18, your parents can have you unwound. These unwound children are used as organ and body part transplants and the whole thing is justified by saying that they are not actually dead, that they live on.

This is such a horrifying concept, but Shusterman makes it ring true - his writing is so compelling. He brings in real things that have already happened to lay the foundation for this future. For me, the end was especially chilling with its direct links to Nazi Germany.

I liked the diversity of the three main characters, Connor, Risa, and Lev. They are good foils for each other and show three typical kids from three separate walks of life and how they ended up in their current situations. I found that I really felt for each of this kids in their own way - I know kids like them, they are normal, make mistakes, and get along as best they can.

There is a bit of romance, and lots of adventure and tension. I think this book would really appeal to both boys and girls. I, personally, love books that explore big and interesting questions, and this one certainly does. I find myself thinking of this book at times - it is one that has stayed with me. I highly recommend this book an will look up the next one in the series the next chance I have.

In his chilling new novel, Neal Shusterman paints a picture of a world where there aren't any cures and doctors, just surgeons and replacements.

Three unwanted teenagers face a fate worse that death -- unwinding. Their bodies will be cut up, and every part of them used, from their brains to their toes. But if they can stay out of the authorities' clutches until the age of eighteen, they just might survive....

The most frightening science fiction novels are always the ones that are most similar to our world. Shusterman doesn't fail to describe how a wrong solution to a modern issue can affect generations to come. Thought-provoking, terrifying, and almost inconceivable, UNWIND will keep you reading late into the night.

Reviewed by: The Compulsive Reader

The battle between the pro-life and pro-choice armies has been resolved. Human life may not be touched from the moment of conception, until a child reaches the age of 13.

Then the parents can make a choice. Keep the child, or retroactively "abort" him? This is legal, provided that the child's life doesn't technically end.

Instead, unwanted children are sent to be Unwound. Their bodies are dissected, and each and every part of them is donated to another person in need. In this way, the children never die.

But Connor, Risa and Lev feel differently. All three are signed up for Unwinding, and all three see it as a death. Their only hope is to escape and remain hidden until they turn 18 and their lives are their own.

If you want a book that you can't stop thinking about, this is it. The plot moves along at breakneck speed, the characters are unique and easy to identify with, and the subject is both deeply disturbing and thought-provoking.

Fantastic!!

So I thought the premise of this book along was interesting. A futuristic society where you can "abort" and "stork" children. The world is supposed to be set in the future but many of the topics discussed in the book are highly relevent in the here and now.

I thought the story was fast paced and I love the narration how it jumped to different points of view of the main characters. I thought the interactions of the kids was truly remarkable. Here are kids no younger than myself having to be put through this serious ordeal, having to grow up extremely fast and the way the author let them debate such issues as whether ones soul lives or dies had me thinking and debating myself. This is a seriously good book, its thought provoking it brings up serious issues of death, friendship, trust, and finding your place in this world.

This book has it all for any book lover, young or adult. I highly suggest this to anyone.

First of all, I have to say that before Unwind, I didn't have a favorite book. Actually, reading bored me like there was no tomorrow.

I think the most important things in a story are the characters. How many times have we read a book where the main character could fight like no one and do amazing stuff and never ran out of ideas? I've read plenty of those, and they were all so plain that I can't remember their tittles. In Unwind, it's a different story. The three main characters have major flaws that are so very noticable. And yes, sometimes, they screw up. Great!

Now that we know the characters are okay, next comes the plot. Honestly, it kept me awake until late at night, because I couln't get enough of it. I felt nervous (and maybe even anxious) for them, and I kept asking myself "what's going to happen next? Will they be okay?" At some point, I realized I was asking myself the same questions the characters were asking themself. I guess that's what happen when you have a good plot that keeps going, with no dead and nothing-is-happening moments.

You can have both of these elements, and yet, your book could suck. Really, it all depends on your writing style. Well, I think Neal Shusterman doesn't have to worry about that. I never got lost, wondering "what the heck is he talking about?" or having to stop and re-read a setence because I didn't understand (My mother tongue is french, so it usually happens a lot.) Also, the fact that he writes in the present tense makes you feel like everything is happening for real. Of course, when you think about it, the choice must've been simple enough: the story takes place many years after our days.

So dear, readers, I strongly recommend this book to you. A word of advice though; it is not meant for a very sensitive public. You have been warned!

Have a good reading.

L.T.

This is a teen book so maybe I should not be so harsh but.... firstly on the positive side Shusterman is a engaging author who keeps the pace moving and creates the desire to turn pages. The drawback for me was that that the story never seemed believable. The story centres on parents who give their kids up for unwinding (organ harvesting) at the age of 16. The premise for society moving this way focused on a few brief comments about a war between pro-life and pro choice lobbies that this was the compromise. Shusterman jumps right into the terror this creates and how some 16 years try to avoid this for them personally and how they change that system. From an underground smuggling railway to other issues. His failure to develop more back story made it hard for the reader to accept the 'new world'. As a parent I have moments with my kids but hard to believe this would be the outcome.

Pros: excellent characterization, original ideas (unwinding, stoking), complex plot
Cons: written in present tense (jarring to read), simplistic writing (definitely a younger teen novel)

"The Bill of Life states that human life may not be touched from the moment of co...nception until a child reaches the age of 13. However, between the ages of 13 and 18, a parent may choose to retroactively 'abort' a child... on the condition that the child's life doesn't 'technically' end. The process by which a child is both terminated and yet kept alive is called 'unwinding''

The Bill of Life is the foundation of Neal Shusterman's novel, Unwind. Three children are about to be unwound for different reasons. Connor has become an unruly child. Risa is a ward of the state and caring for wards is expensive. Lev is a religious tithe. When Connor runs from the authorities, his path crosses that of other unwinds, all trying to survive until their 18th birthdays.

The book is equal parts social commentary and horror - because everything that happens is perfectly plausible. The body parts harvested from the teens help keep other people alive, and with a higher quality of life. But even that has a cost as these parts have 'memories' of their own.

The characters develop throughout the story, doing things that match their maturity at various points in the book. The climax is stunning, and when you finally learn how unwinding happens... I haven't been so chilled by an idea in quite some time.

My only problem with the book dealt with the fact that it was entirely written in the present tense. I found the transitions between dialogue (which I'm used to reading in present tease) and narrative (which I'm used to reading in past tense) would bump me out of the story. It was especially noticeable when a past event was being narrated. One of my favourite aspects of the novel was storking. I won't explain it as its 'fun' to learn about and it's a highly original idea.

If you want to get a teen boy reading, or want something fun and creepy for yourself, this is a fantastic book.