Unwind by Neal ShustermanSUMMARY: In this terrifying vision of the future, the pro-life and pro-choice armies have come to a truce. Abortion is illegal, but teens between the ages of 13 and 18 can be "unwound." This is technically not killing because every part of their bodies can be reused to heal other people's wounds. In this world, Connor, Risa, and Lev are expendible teens. Their lives intersect in a highway accident, and they find themselves fighting for survival outside the system that has destined them for unwinding. As they enter an underground rescue network, they have no idea whether they will end up whole or as parts. And they don't know who they can trust.
OPINION: This is one of the greatest dystopian fantasies that I have read in a long time. It is full of action and adventure, but also makes you consider ideas of life and what it means to be alive. This book does not take sides in the current abortion debate, but rather envisions a future in which it has had a profound effect. The most frightening part of this book is when the author actually describes what unwinding is like. You can almost see how it would be possible, and yet it is incredibly horrifying and dehumanizing. I have been a fan of Neal Shusterman for a long time, and this is definitely his best book yet. I read this around the same time as William Sleator's Test (reviewed below) and there's no comparison. Books like Unwind are why I love dystopian fantasy.
4 comments:
Oh my God. I just finished this book, and it scared the you-know-what out of me! The kid whose parents decided that they would rather see him Unwound than wind up with the other one was especially scary for me, since my parents are divorced too, but the entire concept freaked me out, partly because I just donated blood yesterday. The worst part is that I could totally see this happening in a few years! Very creepy, but in a way that gets you thinking. Everyone should read this book (as long as you don't mind a few nightmares!).
you finished it so fast! that's an endorsement in itself!!
What can I say? It was excellent!
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