Unwind -- Neal Shusterman

Wow.  Wow.  Woooooooooooow.  And also whoa.

Unwind was outstanding.

I know I'm one of the last to read it, but for those few who are even more far behind than me:

Generations from now, after the Heartland War, life is protected from the moment of conception until age thirteen.  Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, the parents or guardians of the now-teenaged child have the option to "unwind" -- to retroactively abort -- him or her.  If the parents choose to do so, the teen is sent to a harvesting facility where their body is taken apart and reused. 

According to the authorities, to the adults signing the order and to most of the rest of the population, the unwindee's life isn't technically ending because every part is reused in someone else's body.  That isn't necessarily much of a comfort to the person who is to be unwound.

Connor screws up one too many times, so his parents sign the unwind order.

Risa is a ward of the state and is being unwound as a cost-cutting measure.

Lev is a tithe:  his unwinding has been planned from birth.

When chance brings the three together, they end up on the run.  If they manage to stay hidden until they turn eighteen, they'll be free to re-enter society, no questions asked. 

I say again:  Unwind was outstanding.  Really freaking outstanding.

I was impressed by, well, everything.  It deals with abortion without ever ever ever feeling preachy -- I didn't once feel that Neal Shusterman revealed his opinion on the issue.  It was action-packed and exciting (I read the last few chapters with my heart in my throat) yet that there was so much to think about -- the characters have conversations about the soul, whether it exists and where it is, and about when life begins.  There are things that can be interpreted in different ways -- some people will attribute those events to science whereas some may attribute the same events to something less tangible. 

The three major characters have distinct personalities, and the character development (especially of the two boys) is very well done and the secondary characters never blend together or into the background.  The unwinding scene is as stomach-turning as anything I've ever read by Stephen King, but without being graphic or gory.  While exploring different visions of our future world, I look for a couple of things beyond the future-stuff:  to see enough of the familiar to make it still seem like our world and to see how our language and stories have evolved.  In Unwind, I found both.

I'm so glad I finally read it.  Highly, highly recommended if you'd like a page-turning actionfest that is ALSO original and thoughtful.  It'd make for a great (if possibly loud) book discussion.

Comments

[Christina]

I'm glad you posted this! I haven't read it (so I guess that makes me behind you! *smile*) nor had I even heard of it. You might be asking what rock I climbed under, huh?

Having just finished Never Let Me Go, I think that this one sounds very complimentary.

Thanks again and happy reading.

[Meaghan]

I really enjoyed it as well, and I usually don't go for science fiction. In fact, I liked it so much I want to get my own copy. Most books I read are from the library. I read them once, return them and never read them again. Unwind stands to be an exception.

[Afton]

After finishing this book I woke up for several nights in a row with that "unwind" scene in my head. I don't think I'll ever hear "it's nothing to worry about" again without getting big time heebie-jeebies. But yeah, this was an amazing book.

[Sarah I.]

Whoa, sounds freaky. TBR pile grows ever larger. Far change of my library getting it any time soon so I'll be forever behind you, but someday...! :) Thanks for the review.

[tzveyah]

Wow! That sounds amazing. I doubt my library will have it but I bet one in the area will (I.L.L. time!!)- that was a really great review!!

[Sadako]

This sounds really cool and freaky. Shades of that Twilight Zone ep, I Sing the Body Electric, where they dismantle the robot bodies to make new robots when they're done with them. And also of Logan's Run.

[Jeanne]

I agree that it's a great book. Maybe there's some of the flavor of I Sing the Body Electric or Logan's Run (or The Island), but it's not like any other book I've read. My kids and I want to buy a copy and get my husband, who doesn't frequently read YA fiction, to read it so we can talk about it some more.

[EllenB]

Awesome book, especially the "unwinding scene". I agree with Afton - it's haunting. I have kids at the library who check it out over and over again.

[Tiqa]

I am one of those fews who are more far behind than you and I admit, I havent heard of this book until now.

Your review got me hooked! I am soooooooooo going to read this!!

Totally adore your blog!

[Keos]

This is one of my favorite YA books out there. I too, had the unwind scene stuck in my head for weeks after reading it. I also kept re-reading it. Shusterman almost always has that effect on me. This is his best work, in my opinion, but you can take almost every book out there of his, and you'll be thinking of at least a little part of it for a long while.

[RowanHood]

I remember reading this about a year ago: I intended to start a bit of it fairly late at night, and planned to finish it the next day. Instead, I found myself glued to it all night. And then unable to sleep.

[Klink182]

Rowans unwinding was very sad. The super tough guy couldn't even fight back. When I think of the book I start hearing semi-charmed life by third eye blind

[Faithful Reader in Canada]

Thank you thank you thank you thank you for posting a review on this book. I read it, was intrigued and placed a hold on a library copy. Just finished reading it (read the whole thing in day and a half!) and it blew me away. So thanks!

[Ellen]

I was recommended this book by my old language arts teacher, and she told me her husband was now reading it and it was VERY VERY GOOD. I am excited to start it because ever since the first google search I've done, this book has gotten nothing but good reviews. Thanks!

[danielle]

havent read it yet... but i cant wait. it sounds really cool =)

[Maya Cooke]

This was the greatest book I have ever read. i think that they should make a movie out of it! i love it, it is now my favorite book! Neal Shusterman did a great jod with really making us see the main idea with the characters.
Connor sounds kinda cute xD once again, best book EVER!!!!!!!!

[jimmy]

ok i honestly hate reading, but my girl friend made me read this book and i loved it. the scene with Roland at the harvest camp i couldnt stop thinking about for days. and the way everything is portrayed it seems realistic, truly a great book

[OKP]

I came to this review (how did I miss it before?) from your recent Mockingjay rejoinder. This sounds like a jacked-up version of Julian F. Thompson's The Grounding of Group 6, which, if I could read it again (out of print, I think), might be a bit dated, but is still one of my favorite books. So now this one is officially on my list and in my cart. (Thanks, Amazon Affiliate!)

[bill tomson]

it was the bast book i have ever read.