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    Unwind
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    Unwind
    Ebook394 pages5 hours

    Unwind

    By Neal Shusterman

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would 'unwind' them.? Perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES.

    Unwinding: the process by which a child is both terminated and yet kept alive. Unwinding is now a common, and accepted, practice in society.

    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 unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance.

    If they can survive until their 18th birthday, they can't be harmed - but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, is wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away...

    "Gripping, brilliantly imagined futuristic thriller… The issues raised could not be more provocative - the sanctity of life, the meaning of being human - while the delivery could hardly be more engrossing or better aimed to teens."Publishers Weekly, starred review
    "A thought-provoking, well-paced read that will appeal widely"School Library Journal, starred review
    "A breathless tale turning pages for teenage boys, as it challenges not just where life begins and ends, but what it means to be alive." Educ8 magazine
    "a powerful, shocking, and intelligent novel... It's wonderful, wonderful stuff." The Bookbag
    "This is the kind of rare book that makes the hairs on your neck rise up. It is written with a sense of drama that should get it instantly snapped up for film." The Times

    Also by Neal Shusterman:
    Everlost
    Everwild
    Everfound
    UnStrung
    Unwholly
    Unsouled
    Undivided
     
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster UK
    Release dateAug 1, 2009
    ISBN9781847387349
    Author

    Neal Shusterman

    Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of more than fifty books, including Challenger Deep, which won the National Book Award; Scythe, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book; Dry, which he cowrote with his son, Jarrod Shusterman; Unwind, which won more than thirty domestic and international awards; Bruiser, which was on a dozen state lists; The Schwa Was Here, winner of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award; and Game Changer, which debuted as an indie top-five best seller. He is the winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for the body of his work. You can visit him online at storyman.com.

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    Reviews for Unwind

    4/5

    1,921 ratings213 reviews

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    • 2/5
      The premise is interesting and I felt, going into this book, it was going to be very thought provoking (and I think the author was trying to accomplish that) - but it wasn't. The philosophical ideas he tries to present fall flat and aren't explored the way they could be. The characters, while showing some depth, really aren't what they could be. Finally, I love YA books, when they don't "write down" to teens - this one does and I didn't enjoy it. (When I say "write down" I mean that while the subject matter might be better for 16-19 age group, the style and vocab put this in the 12-14 range at best). I won't be reading the rest of this series.
    • 5/5
      Horrifying and amazing. In a world where the pro-choicers and pro-lifers have agreed, teens rebel against being "unwound." Abortion is illegal because parents now have the right to have their teens unwound up until their 18th birthday. They aren't killed, they are "divided" in harvest camps. All their parts go to recipients. Not just their organs but everything - skin, hair, brain - can now be used in others. That is the law. At least 99.4% of the body must be used and kept alive. This is a very interesting read.
    • 4/5
      Outstanding speculative fiction. In this world, abortion has been made illegal, but parents may choose to "unwind" their children during their teen years. Such teens are then mined for body parts. Fortunately, the protagonist, slated to be unwound by his parents, is able to escape and find an underground resistance to this practice.
    • 4/5
      This was really good. It dealt with the harsh reality of these kids situations so elegantly. It was practically poetically philosophical. I'm am very interested to read more in this series.
    • 5/5
      I remember reading unwind and it was certainly a powerful book. I cried once in the book and the plot was just so different. All the characters were unique and different, each able to stand up for their own selves and one another. It was a dark book, certainly better than the hunger games and would recommend it to fans of the hunger games. This was a disturbing book but not to the point where I dropped it. To the point where I was engrossed in it.
    • 4/5
      Unwind was an interesting book. It was about Unwinding kids ages 13-18. They gave the organs to people with missing organs. The Unwinds are still alive in these parts. They function for the people but it's like the Unwind is still in control of that part. The Unwinds are led into a house that is a chop shop type thing. There are tithes that are raised to be killed. The main characters are Lev- a tithe,Risa-A ward and Conner a boy who was too useless and dumb to do anything with his life. Conner runs away after he finds out about his unwinding. Risa comes with him. They cause a car accident and steal Lev on his way to his unwinding.
    • 4/5
      I read this straight through in one compelling read - not something I often have chance to do these days!I have always liked books where the characters have to survive outside of the law and the mainstream but you know that they are right and this is another one of those. It is set in a future where children can be sent to be "unwound" for spare donor parts between 16 and 18 and these are the runaways.The only part that jibed was towards the end when a character's arm ends up attached to another character. This just seemed like too much of a coincidence - especially as the author had mentioned that the first character had a special blood type but made no mention of this for the second.... Also, there was no mention of who had paid for this, when previously there had been a lot of discussion of the varying money value of different body parts!
    • 5/5
      This book still creeps me out, just thinking of a world that could recycle children! I do like how it ended on a positive note at least. For fans of dystopian literature, this one will not disappoint!
    • 4/5
      This is a book with a very interesting, and daring, premise: what if the abortion debate were resolved in a rather, let's call it, unexpected fashion? Now, of course, it is a book, so the method devised isn't wholly believable as a manner of agreement, but it still contributes to a very interesting book that leaves a reader with many questions. In a world where a method has been found to allow society to rid itself of their unwanted children, while outlawing abortion, the dynamics of the new world and its problems are dealt with in interesting ways. From overcrowded "state homes" that are forced to cull their numbers every year due to budget problems, through to a "storking initiative" that resolves the problem of unwanted babies in dumpsters by forcing them as an often unwanted obligation onto the shoulders of whatever unlucky person has the misfortune of finding them on their doorstep, there are many unexpected angles explored, in a storyline that really doesn't hold back its' punches. And, this is before we even get into the unwinding process itself. How do you get rid if an unwanted child in a fashion that involves neither abortion nor murder? That is perhaps the most chilling and intriguing aspect of them all, and one that I won't spoil here. Suffice it to say, I was very surprised by where this book went, and where the series doubtless still has to go. And yes, I realize I'm way behind and the rest of the series is out already, but really, all the better for me to be able to get to the other books sooner.
    • 5/5
      While the reader wasn't the greatest, I absolutely loved this novel. Retroactive abortions for those between 13 to 18 as a bargain between pro-choicers and pro-lifers to end a horrible war, their parts being given to whoever needs them - absolutely full of ethical and philosophical questions. This one stays with you and makes you think about where one sits on the issue and why.
    • 2/5
      Great reviews, just the type of YA I love to read!Perfect for a pro-life, pro-choice discussion. I loved the premise of outlawing abortion, and the solution of choosing to "unwind" children in their teens -- yikes! Too close to reality for me, but an interesting way to explore the issue.
    • 5/5
      i was blown away by this book. i finished reading it and i just sat there while i thought of all the questions this book posed. i also liked how shusterman told the story.. it seemed as if i was reading a report but instead of (or maybe because of?) the detached narration sounding clinical, it made the story more intense and ten times more frightening. that chapter of a character being unwound was one of the most horrific scenes i have ever read. it made me cry for said character when i didn't even like him in the first place. just wow. intense and thought-provoking.. a definite must-read. [close]
    • 4/5
      I think this book shows a terrifying possibility of the future! A future where children can be retroactively aborted by "unwinding" them is a somewhat disturbing future. That element alone elevates this book to a dystopian story.

      This book is another in the line of books that are teen fiction of a dystopian world where the teens are the ones fighting for survival because the Dark Ages mindset of the adults has put them at risk.

      We follow the path of 3 teenagers set to be unwound, or literally taken apart to be used as spare parts. Connor, our anti-hero, is a troublesome young man with anger issues, who always does the right thing, although he acts impulsively. Risa, the love interest, is a ward of the state, and although completely well behaved and musically talented, her talent isn't good enough to keep her alive in lieu of the ever increasing budget cuts. Lev is a tithe, a child born and bred specifically to be unwound, and thus views himself to be holy. These three are set on a journey of self-discovery, redemption, and chaos because of the actions taken by Connor to survive.

      Interestingly enough, all the adults they interact with either don't like the idea of the unwinding, or view it as a necessity, usually because the unwinding process is somehow a part of their job (the Juvey cops that have to collect AWOL Unwinds, or the surgeons who do the unwinding, for example). I always find it interesting when the people living in the world are completely displeased with the way things are. I'm sure there are others who believe in the concept of unwinding, but we really didn't get to see them.

      This book tackles some pretty heady issues: Do we have a soul? What happens to the soul if the body is not kept intact? Are we inherently good or bad? And it gives some views into the battle of reproductive rights. While showing how dangerous advocates on both sides of the abortion line may be, the book never quite takes a stand on the issue.

      For me, this book has a good balance of action, suspense, and "real issues". I enjoyed that it followed the different characters and that each character had their own quest that was interrelated but not the same. They weren't subplots, but parallel plots that helped each character to achieve their individual self-realization, while simultaneously moving the story forward for all three main characters.

      It was an enjoyable, but thought-provoking read, and I would highly recommend it!
    • 2/5
      I got up to page 138 with this. The first chapter was compelling enough to keep me interested; the author presents three viewpoints here, all with their own backstories.
      Quickly, however, I found two things very annoying. First, the author talks down to the YA reader. Second, although this is set in some future time, the cultural references were all of today's moment...and actually even outdated for today. So, even though the characters admitted using old cultural references, it didn't come off well. Because of these two issues, it really sounded like an adult author trying too hard to reach the teen reader...and that's a big turnoff.
      Finally, as the pages turned, the author intruded more and more into the narrative and dialog. By the time I stopped reading, it felt like he was preparing to deliver a "big message," which is also a turnoff. Not that fiction can't deliver messages; they just need to be handled with a lighter touch.
    • 5/5
      Connor is a troublemaker. Risa is a ward of the state. Levi comes from a life of privledge and piety. What do the three have in common? They are all going to be unwound. In a world where abortion is illegal, but you can abandon your baby on any doorstep, unwanted teens can be retroactively aborted -- "unwound" -- their body parts harvested for transplant. Some kids, like Connor, are unwound because their parents can't deal with them anymore. Some, like Risa, are the victims of budget cuts. Others still, like Levi, are "tithes" part of a religious offering. However, when fate brings the three together, it gives them a chance to survive to see adulthood. This is a really outstanding book, that manages to be both thought provoking and action packed. Each of the three teens takes a very different journey, both physically and mentally, although they all come to a similar place. The teens are believable, as is the social-political structure of their world. Although some of the subplots might not be necessary (Humphrey Dunfrees) all in all this is a tight, well-paced read.
    • 5/5
      strange but surprisingly good
    • 3/5
      Hard to over come the ridiculous premise but once I got over that I came to like the characters and most of the plot was unexpected.
    • 5/5
      I love speculative fiction for many reasons: sometimes I just want to escape to a new world and learn about new people. But the ones that stick with me ask a "what if?" question to the world. This book tackles this particular question: What if the pro-life vs. pro-choice battle resulted in a bill that outlaws abortions, but allows parents to "unwind" their children between age 13-17, the idea being that the life of the child is not ended, but continues in a different form...a divided state? Of course there is more going on in the world that resulted in this law, but that's the basic premise....I hope you will read it to figure out the rest.

      The best books, in my opinion, make us uncomfortable to a certain extent. They pull at your heart-strings so tightly that you can't help but see yourself in its pages, and wonder what you would do if you were in the characters' shoes...and sometimes, you may not like what you discover about yourself.

      This book is terrifying and brilliant. I am currently reading the second one of the series, and I find myself lying awake at night thinking about it, debating on whether I should turn my light back on and read just a couple more pages....

      I could go on about this book all day, but I'm hoping you'll pick it up and experience it for yourself.
    • 5/5
      This book is set in a futuristic America where people may retroactively abort a child between the ages of 13-18 by a process called unwinding. When a child is unwound, nearly every part of them will be used as donations for people who need specific body parts. The plot centers on three different characters who are set to be unwound--a boy whose parents made the choice, a girl who is a ward of the state, and a younger boy whose parents had him solely to donate him as a "gift" to God. I was hooked from the start.

      Topics I thought about whilst reading this book:
      Organ donation
      Eugenics
      Black market for human organs
      Where the soul resides
      If everyone has a soul
      Governments making moral judgments
      Tithing
      Abortion
      Adoption
      Moral obligations
      Childhood follies
      Juvenile delinquency
      If a person who has had a donation feels anything of where it came from
      Contraception

      I could probably go on for hours. While I was listening to this book, I went to dinner with a friend. (Update your goodreads, Danielle!) We were talking about The Hunger Games, Unwind, and some other young adult book I was recommending and the conversation turned to the fact that young adult books often tackle hard topics. It reminded me of the Madeleine L'Engle quotation, "You have to write whichever book it is that wants to be written. And then, if it’s going to be too difficult for grownups, you write it for children." So true.

    • 5/5
      hell! this was a very scary book not what i expected really really good makes you think thanks god we do not have the bill of life (cause if we did my mother would already have me unwind lol) .best book i have read (up to now)
    • 5/5
      Unwind is one of the most incredible dystopian novels I have ever read. I literally had to sit and think about what I had just read once I reached the end, and believe me, I had not put the book down for a second until I did reach the end. I would describe Unwind as an intense and insightful journey into the darker side of human nature.

      It seems that our society is so willing to put a price tag on anything, marketing, buying an selling, determining value based on monetary worth. Shusterman just takes that next step and has us imagine if society were to decide to buy and sell life itself. Society, of course, put a pretty face on it, calling it Unwinding, or living in a "divided state" and justifying it by saying that the kids will technically still be alive since every single body part is harvested and used. It may seem, at first, that this is a farfetched concept but I don't think that it is. I think that people might be surprised at just how many parents would be willing to sell out their own kids in this way. Shusterman presented these parents so very realistically, so self righteous and judgmental, so willing to lie to their kids and to themselves to convince them that what they were doing was justified since it was socially acceptable. Then the first time they were confronted with the results of the horror they perpetuated on their own children, they would be offended as if they were the victims.

      Shusterman did an incredible job building the tension and suspense. As I got further and further into the book, it became progressively more difficult to read, almost uncomfortable. It was so amazingly perceptive, I could really feel what these characters must have been going through as they struggled to survive, on the run from those who wanted to harvest their body parts because, according to society, their lives were not worth enough to allow them to continue to live. I was so impressed that the author took a volatile controversial subject like pro life vs. pro choice and based the premise around this debate but did not in any way come off as preachy. After reading the book, I still don't have an inking where he stands on the issue. That in itself is impressive.

      The actual act of "Unwinding" is horrific, terrifying, and I found myself still thinking about it as I fell asleep that night. This is definitely the kind of book that sticks with you. One reason I believe dystopians like this are so scary yet so compelling is because they are so utterly plausible. So many things are treated as a commodity to be bought and sold, its not a far leap of the imagination to think that one day even life could be treated that way too. If you think I'm wrong, watch an episode of Jerry Springer or Maury Povich. Thats not exactly harvesting body parts, but its still life being exploited as a commodity, for others entertainment and enjoyment. Like I said, its not that far a stretch of the imagination to go from that to Shusterman's futuristic society.

      Shusterman shifted effortlessly from one point of view to the next. Normally, this style of writing would have driven me nuts, but in Unwind, it wasn't a problem. I can't imagine the book being as effective without the alternating POVs. It definitely worked in this instance without being the distraction one would think it would be. The actual famous quotes he added throughout the book added to the plausibility of the plot.

      Each character brought something different and important to the story. Even the secondary characters played such an integral part of the story, there wasn't any introduced that wasn't absolutely essential and each one had their own story, their own depth. Troubled teenagers making stupid, impulsive decisions but were still so endearing because of their genuine fear and confusion about what was happening to them. Some of their stories were heart wrenching and more than once I found myself teary eyed.

      There were a few flaws of course. The notion that harvested body part can retain any level of consciousness goes too far past believable for me, but I guess this is ultimately a fantasy novel so some things do not need to be in the realm of scientific possibility. That was just one small aspect of the book that didn't work for me. Everything else was perfection.

      I simply cannot recommend this book enough. I know that there is no way my jumbled review did this book the justice it deserved but beleive me when I say this is one you don't want to miss. Especially if, like me, you are a fan of dystopian themed fantasy.
    • 4/5
      Unwind by Neal Shusterman is a disconcerting look at how the abortion question is answered in the future. After a civil war is fought over pro-life issues, laws are passed that protect human life from the moment of conception to the age of thirteen, when the parents then get to decide whether to keep the child or to “Unwind” him. The unwinding is a process whereby all useful organs are harvested from the child. Of course this leads to all manner of other problems such as storking, where a unwanted baby is left on a random doorstep, and supposedly must be taken in. And AWOL’s who are children meant to be unwound but manage to escape and go into hiding. If these children can survive until they turn eighteen, they are safe.There appears to be a lot of candidates for Unwinding. The over-populated government run group homes pass on a certain percentage, people who wish to be free of storked children, religious fanatics who donate a child to be unwound as a tithe or donation to God, and of course, those troubled teens whose families just can’t deal with them anymore.Although the premise is far-fetched and I personally couldn’t see either pro-life or pro-choice activists settling for this solution, I found myself willing to suspend my disbelief as I became totally invested in this dystopian story of teens trying to escape their unwinding. There were definitely parts of this book that were difficult to read, and, I was left feeling a little dissatisfied by the ending, I guess I thought as this is a YA story everything would be tied up neatly at the end. Nevertheless, Unwind is a good story that manages to pose some very interesting questions.
    • 4/5
      I have heard nothing but amazing things about this series, so I had pretty high expectations going into this book. I was expecting something incredible, and somehow I was still blown away.I read this in one sitting. Which isn’t easy for me to do these days because of my eyes, but I just pushed through. I was so into the story and I cared so much about the characters, that I just ignored my eyes and kept going. I had to know what was going to happen next. How would it end? I had to know.I unfortunately got Unwind from the library and they didn’t have the next book, UnWholly. I hope to buy the entire series soon. I need the next book in my life right now.
    • 4/5
      I wasn't sure what to expect with this book as I've had quite a few lackluster reads lately, especially from my local library. But this one, I am happy to say, was quite awesome. The pace is perfect. We're always moving, never still, and find out something new each page. In that way the novel reminded me of The Knife of Never Letting Go, a similar feeling of being in constant motion. We have three lead characters in Connor, Lev and Risa, as well as delving into the head of a handful of people through the novel. It's very clever in what it reveals and when. I had all these assumptions for what the characters would wind up doing and becoming, and I was wrong about all of them. I like all the lead characters, especially Risa who is a strong, independent female character who relies on only herself. She develops a bond with Connor, but she never changes who she is and they thankfully never have a cringe worthy "I am SO in love with you and would literally DIE without you!" moment. The narrative approaches quite dark subjects with an almost cavalier attitude that make them that much darker. For example, when Roland is being unwound and we literally are with him as piece by piece of his body is removed. It's so clinical but so effective. There were some unanswered questions, but as this is first in a series, I figured there would be. I will definitely be looking into book 2 :) Definitely recommended to fans of Dystopia! :)
    • 5/5
      Wow...what an amazing book.It is so harrowing and so truthful in many ways. I found myself wondering what if this really did happen? I enjoyed the entire read and wasn't bored once. From beginning to end it's fast paced and it is completely set up for a second book, though I don't know if the author will be writing one or not It's scary to think how close our world is to making a decision like the one in this book. It sets up so many different discussion points that I could be here all day fighting with myself...

      SPOILER ALERT:

      The whole unwinding process in Roland's P.O.V. was out of this world! I was stopping every couple pages just filled with dread. I love that the author had no fear in explaining everything out. I don't think the book would have been complete without that scene, ALL the stuff with CyFi, and the amazing ending...I can't wait for this to become a movie. Intense and Outstanding. 10/10.
    • 4/5
      READ IN ENGLISH

      I think everyone who has read the description on Amazon or some other site, will have thought 'Eghh'. It sounds awful, the idea, not the premise of the book. Unwinding itself is almost evil itself. And even worse, it is presented as something for the better ( it reminded me a bit of Never Let Me Go)

      I got this book as a Christmas present, and was very curious about it. There were parts I thought were really interesting, some parts that were quite boring, and some that were truly disgusting/shocking. Overall, it was a nice Dystopian read and I'm planning on reading the next book as well.
    • 4/5
      As an English teacher I am alwaar looking for books that would be great reads for young adults. And this is definitely a great read! It's exciting, fast paced and thought provoking. An excellent book to use for an oral examination of ESL pupils.
    • 4/5
      Unwind by Neal Shusterman ask the reader to suspend disbelief, a lot of disbelief. If you can play along, you're in for a thrilling ride of a story.Unwind is set in a dystopian future, after the second American Civil War fought between the pro-choice and the pro-life factions. A strange peace accord was reached wherein abortion was outlawed but every parent has the right to have their children "unwound" between the ages of 13 and 18. Unwinding consists of taking the child apart and using their organs, limbs, tissues, etc. for transplants into other people. Since the entire body is used, the person is still considered alive just in a different form. Unruly children beware. Reader, begin suspension of disbelief now. It will be worth it.The story concerns three children who are to be unwound. Conner is a difficult child. He gets into fights at school and does not have very good grades. His younger brother is the family golden child, and Conner just can't really compare or compete. So his parents sign the papers to have him unwound. The day before the van is due to arrive and take him to a Harvest Camp, Conner decides to run away. He hitches a ride with a sympathetic truck driver but is soon caught by the police who track him down via his cell phone. He makes a desperate break for freedom and runs across a busy freeway. Almost run over by a passing car, he grabs 13-year-old Levi from the backseat and, using him as a hostage, continues his escape. A bus is forced off the road to avoid the two boys, and passenger Risa, an orphan who is also on her way to the Harvest Camp where she'll be unwound, joins Connor in order to make her own escape. Connor and Risa soon find out that Levi is a 'tithe', a tenth child pledged to be unwound as part of his parents extreme from of fundamentalist Christianity. They give one tenth of everything to charity, including their children; Levi is their tenth child. The three children form an unlikely alliance and enter an underground railroad of sorts that takes run-away Unwinds through a series of safe houses to an airfield in Arizona where they are kept until they turn 18.The story is a gripping thriller. The journey to the Arizona camp and what happens there is full of near captures, narrow escapes, unusual twists and turns. I soon forgot how unbelievable the story was and found myself immersed in the tale. The book is very hard to put down, and the characterization is very impressive. The three lead characters are well drawn individuals. I could easily see a second novel featuring any of them. The supporting cast is actually memorable which I found to be a pleasing surprise. In so many thrillers like this the supporting players are simple stock figures, but here again I could easily see many of them filling their own volume. While the situation is too far-fetched to be believable enough for the book to become a meaningful commentary on contemporary society the way many dystopian novels do, the writing in Unwind certainly drew me in enough to make me care about the characters and the plot kept me glued to the page. So, I'm giving Unwind by Neal Shusterman four out of five stars. It's an excellent summer read.
    • 5/5
       Connor Lassiter is just like every other teenager in America: just focused on doing his best in life until he can safely see his eighteenth birthday. In a world after a civil war between Pro-Lifers and Pro-Choicers nearly tore the country apart, a new bill declares that abortion is illegal until the child reaches the age of thirteen. From then until his eighteenth birthday, the child is eligible for Unwinding--a sick, twisted form of organ donation from living teenagers. For Connor, he realizes his eighteenth birthday may never come when he finds the Unwinding papers signed by his parents. Now on the run with two other Unwinds, Connor seeks to find a refuge from the juvie cops intent on harvesting every last of his organs.I remember when this novel was on the public school reading lists. A friend read it and low-key obsessed over it, urging me to read it by giving me the general summary of the world and concept. I was disgusted to think teenagers would read about a psycho abortion dystopian for fun. But as I grew older, my curiosity in the book grew as well until I picked it up one day. To my amazement, the book was well-written, carried a compelling plot, and impressive themes--themes I was surprised to find in a secular best-seller.For example, one of the Unwinds in the book is what they call a Tithe. Tithes know from birth that they will be given up for the unwinding program as their parents' "ten percent" to God. The character counts it an honor to have a purpose for something greater than himself. While this seems to be a twisted, heresy theology, the novel doesn't shy away from discussing the concept of God, the Bible, and other Christian principles. The character goes through a personal struggle between saving himself and giving himself up to this "god" that mankind has created and becomes a sort of prodigal son in a way I wasn't expecting. While the novel doesn't outwardly set the "Christian" community in the novel straight, the decision the character makes by the end of the book will satisfy evangelicals reading the book.Another point in the novel that surprised me was the author's position on abortion. While I originally thought Unwind would be a political statement to glorify the "right to choose" for the next generation, I found the author's mostly-unbiased opinion admirable. While he does discuss both sides of the issue, and relatively keeps himself from taking sides, he manages to find common ground between Pro-Lifers and Pro-Choicers by aging the children in question to teenagers instead of unborn babies. Suddenly the children have a "right to choose" just as much as the parents do. Suddenly the "right to life" seems to be put in a more obvious light. The author takes scenes to discuss where human life begins, and who's choice is it to decide the murder of another. While I didn't always agree with what the characters believed, the author made sure each voice was heard equally with the other. Of course, there is no way to justify the adults in this book, so in the end, I believe the themes favor the Pro-Life movement more clearly than the Pro-Choice movement.Several disturbing concepts are detailed within these pages, and despite the fact that the intended audience starts at thirteen, I would recommend being on the other side of sixteen to read this one. Although the writing is simple, the concepts and scenes are deep. Even if a thirteen-year-old's parents would be okay with their kid reading the graphic scenes, the child may appreciate the themes and adult concepts better as a high schooler or older.Things to Watch Out For:Romance: Several characters kiss; a boy comes close to raping a girl and alludes to it; teenagers commonly get pregnant and bring their children to school with them.Language: Several words including G, D, and H, but nothing worse. Words like "crap" and "piss" are also occasionally used.Violence: The whole concept is rather violent when you think about it; a gruesome scene near the end of the book depicts a teenager being unwound as he's conscious and watching, which made my stomach threaten to lurch several times. The problem wasn't so much as graphic description as it was the lack of it, leaving the reader's mind to picture whatever he wanted; teenagers live in constant fear of adults turning them in and harvesting their organs; a car wreck on a bridge kills one man; several teenagers suffocate; several teenagers commit suicide for a cause they believe inDrugs: There's an explosive drug that can be injected into characters' bloodstream that make them into living bombs.Nudity: NAOther: A character compulsively steals; a character has two dads who are "Mmaried" as he spells it, though the dads are such flat characters that they don't even have physical descriptions, let alone dialogue; a character who's religious rejects his faith and lives a reckless life,but is partially resolved by the end of the book; Christians believe that human sacrifices (or tithing their own children) is a biblical commandment and demanded by God; teenagers discuss the concept of abortion and give opinions on when human life begins. Although several opinions favor the Pro-Life view, none of them define life as starting right at conception; a scene depicts an unnamed woman giving up her "mistake" child at a doorstep and remembers the days where mothers would simply dump their unwanted babies in the Dumpsters; a disturbing scene involves a character with two parts of two different people's brains in his head, resulting in a torturous split personality. One scene in particular has one part of the boy's brain believe it hasn't been unwound yet, which leads to a disturbing set of events.
    • 5/5
      this book was very good.