Unwind

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

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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.

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I had trouble getting past the premise for this book, which I just found too unbelievable. The war between pro-life and pro-choice believers is a great and frighteningly plausible idea, but the result - the actual details of the Bill of Life - the author kind of lost me right there on the first

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page. The book itself is a page-turner, but I kept getting stopped whenever I thought too much about the main ideas behind the story. I also found all the characters a little too insightful - everyone could always tell where everyone else was coming from, could read into their words/actions in a way that seldom seems to happen in real life. Somehow despite all this the book is almost compulsively readable, but I kept getting so annoyed with certain events and the whole concept of unwinding that it was distracting. And when we finally get to see unwinding in process - that scene was so horrible and compelling, but through it all I kept thinking how ridiculous it was that they would keep him awake through the entire thing.

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UNWIND is a thrilling tale, following the stories of three teens set to be unwound. The first, and oldest, is Connor Lassiter. He’s a good kid, a caring kid, but he has a temper that just explodes more often than anyone really cares for. When his parents decide that his constant fighting is just

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too much of a hassle for them, they make a decision and sign his unwind order. Everyone knows that once signed, the order is irreversible, so Connor’s only option is to attempt escape.

Risa is a StaHo ward – an unwanted child given to the state to raise. Wards are a hassle to the state; they suck down funding and resources. Every ward has to prove their worth. If not, they are more valuable to the state unwound than they are whole. It has been decided that despite her best efforts, Risa just isn’t talented enough to continue as a ward of the state. When she discovers that she has a date to be unwound, she makes a break for it, running into the wilderness.

Our third teen, Lev, has a story that will stick with me for years to come. He is a Tithe, a child conceived to lead a spiritual life continuing through the day he is unwound. While others beg, plead and run from their unwinding appointments, Lev looks forward to this. He has been raised to believe that his unwinding will be a glorious event where he will transition into a new state, capable of helping many people across the world. When something goes horribly wrong and Lev is forced to see the reality for other kids running from being unwinds, Lev gets a shock to the system that just might save his life.

Imagine a world where Pro-Life and Pro-Choice didn’t exist. In this world, everyone is happy because they have come to a mutual agreement regarding life. Well, everyone is happy except for the teenagers of course. In the world that Neal Shusterman has created, a great battle was fought over the Pro-Life/Pro-Choice issue. In the end, the Bill of Life was signed that protects life from the moment of conception up to the age of thirteen. At that point, between the ages of thirteen to eighteen, parents may choose to unwind their children for any reason. Unwinding is the process of removing every limb and organ while transplanting these into other individuals that need them. Have a broken arm? Get an Unwind replacement. Technically, 100% of the person is kept alive, so life doesn’t technically end.

UNWIND was chilling; absolutely and utterly chilling. I couldn’t put the book down, yet there were many times that I didn’t want to go on. Shusterman spun such a realistic and thought provoking tale that the question of “what if” kept playing through my head. That being said, I did finish the book and I absolutely love it. This is not the sort of book that I would cuddle up with in front of the fire. Rather, this is the type of book I would pull out anytime I wanted to exercise my mind, let the thoughts break free and roam of their own accord. I personally have not read a darker and more powerful tale than this. I would recommend it to everyone, but would warn that there is a message behind the book. Shusterman shows us what the world could turn into and does it in a gloriously gripping way.

If you get squeamish easily, normally I would say that this book is not for you; however, because this is such a great book, I would recommend it anyway. There are a few scenes that I still can not get out of my head. I wasn’t even there. I read a few black words on a grey page and yet they will haunt me for a while. The scenes in question are not graphic to say the least. If one examined the words, I’d say that they would probably be rated PG. Put them all together and allow Shusterman to take control of your imagine and the world will turn just a little bit darker.

UNWIND was intense; it was powerful. It is the kind of book that holds a revered spot on your shelf and the kind of book that you want to hide in a drawer somewhere so you don’t have to see it. Between the covers was such a complex and twisted series of emotions that the reader is left wondering about their own thoughts. It takes a certain kind of author to create a story that digs down to the core of a person and takes root there. Shusterman is that author and Unwind is that story.

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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

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one stays with you and makes you think about where one sits on the issue and why.

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Unwind was very suspenseful and is well done Dystopian fiction. I loved the not so subtle pro-life vs pro-choice debate going on throughout the entire book. Then when the reader is present for an actual unwinding it really forces you to take an even harder look at things. It was a very horrific

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scene and I'm glad that Shusterman went there even though this is a YA book. It gave me chills. My only complaint is that I wasn't particularly attached to any of the characters. That could just be me though.

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Sometime in the future, pro-life and pro-choice groups had a war and the outcome was that there would be no more abortions, but parents could choose to "unwind" a child between the ages of 13 and 18. Connor finds out that his parents have signed the order to have him unwound and runs away; Risa is

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a ward of the state and budget issues mean they just can't afford her any more; Lev is a "tithe" who knew all his life that he was special and meant to be unwound. When these three teens' lives converge, they will never be the same.

Enjoyed is not quite the right word for this book, but I was deeply engrossed from the get-go. The pacing is fast and the scenario so well-imagined and described that while you're reading the book, you believe events could play out like this. The perspectives switch between multiple characters - usually Connor, Risa, and Lev, but some secondary characters too - which helps keep the tension building and allows you to get to know each of them. Exactly what is going on, what unwinding means, and what it this law has done to society, is slowly revealed and builds to the end leaving you breathless.

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Utterly remarkable. Neal Shusterman's idea on this is just amazing. Who would have thought that juvenile delinquents could be disposed just like that. This kind of process can really sweep the streets clean from unwanted thugs and goons. Don't get me wrong though, I'm completely against that

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unwinding thing, besides blood's thicker than water.

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This is a futuristic look at the issue of 'unwanted' children, including the issues of abortion, orphanages, and adoption. In this scenario, children are "unwound" (killed and organs harvested) for a variety of reasons: incorrigibility, tithing, being orphaned. Conveniently, the three main

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characters of the book represent these three alternatives. Schusterman also introduces the concept of "storking" -- a family must legally accept full responsibility for any baby left on their doorstep.

Cardboard characters and facile solutions to complex social issues compromises a book that had great promise. This book gives science fiction a bad name.

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UNWIND is one of the more powerful and disturbing dystopian novels I have read. Many other dystopian books have tackled the theme of reproduction rights, but this book takes it even further, and also poses thought provoking questions regarding population control, organ donation, morality, and

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religion. The idea is that in the future abortion is illegal, but a parent can choose to “unwind” their child between the ages of 13-18. The “unwinds” have all their body parts harvested and donated. There are so many unwind-body parts available that most surgeons just choose to do organ replacements rather than trying to fix an existing organ.

There are a few reasons why a parent may choose to unwind their child, and we follow the lives of three such characters in the book. First, Connor is somewhat of a troublemaker at school and his parents have given up on him. He finds his unwind paperwork and decides to go AWOL to avoid the harvest camp. Next, Risa has grown up in a state-run orphanage. She is well behaved, however her talents as a musician are unexceptional. The state budget simply does not have the money to keep everyone. Finally, Lev, is the tenth child in his family, and for religious reasons was raised to be a tithe. Lev has grown up all his life with the realization that he was born to fulfill his destiny as an unwind. On their way to harvest camp, the three teens find themselves thrust together as they try to survive.

The characters go on a dangerous journey to try to avoid being unwound. If they can stay hidden until they turn eighteen, they are safe. On their adventures we meet other kids who have gone AWOL. The burden of running and hiding has caused the teens to be mistrustful of one another, and different faction’s and bullying behavior develop. With many lives at stake, tensions run high.

This story gripped me with the first pages. The story is chilling and provides a lot of food for thought. The characters are strong and sympathetic, fully formed beings. The story is told in multiple points of view, and I liked reading each character’s perspective. The book is fast paced and delivers a thrilling and horrifying story.

I listened to the book in audiobook format. The reader does an excellent job of portraying the different character’s voices and conveying the appropriate mood of the story. Some of the scenes are very difficult to read and made my stomach churn as I was listening to the story.

The book has a satisfying ending on it’s own, but also leaves itself open for a sequel down the line. This is the first book I have read by this author, but I am intrigued to read more. Recommended for mature readers and dystopian fans. UNWIND is a book you won’t soon forget.

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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

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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.

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The premise of Unwind is that abortion is such a divisive issue that a civil war was fought over it, The Heartland War, at the end of which "The Bill of Life" was passed. It states that human life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of thirteen. However

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between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, a parent (or guardian) may choose to retroactively 'abort' a child... on the condition that the child's life doesn't 'technically' end. The child is "unwound", all the organs, skin and tissue, every bit of the body, is transplanted into other people. Now you might think, what parent wouldn't want to unwind their 13 year old? That's one of the basic ideas. What kind of a country would it be if teenagers could not rebel, could not make themselves unlovable to their parents? How much more conformist would this society be if all the non conformity was weeded out.

I loved this book, I loved the idea of "unexpected deliveries". What would the anti-choice crowd do if scads of unwanted babies were suddenly showing up on their individual doorsteps? Shusterman manages to cover religion, politics, teenagers, humanity and make it all interesting. There's a smattering of Lord of the Flies and a smattering of We Need to Talk About Kevin. Highly recommended to anyone who likes YA dystopias or who likes an easy, thought provoking, enjoyable read.

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What would you do if with three strokes of a pen your parents had signed your death away - along with your life? Connor ran.

What would you do if your talent wasn't quite good enough for the State to keep feeding and clothing you past its legal obligation, so you're bound for harvesting? Lisa

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ran.

What would you do if you were the one tenth, the Tithe, raised from birth to be a sacrifice? Lev didn't run....

In a future where Pro-Life and Pro-Choice factions have gone to war, a settlement was reached: your right to live can be revoked retroactively, but only so long as you don't actually die... you're simply unwound.

Absolutely visceral. I was expecting maybe mildly creepy, not riveting, and thought-provoking. I was up until all hours finishing.

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This book is set in the future, after the second civil war. Abortion is illegal. However, there is a procedure done to unwanted teenagers known as "unwinding". Unwinding seperates all the body parts so they can be used for transplants.The book is about three teenagers who are going to be unwound,

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and their quest to escape it.

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This is a very disturbing book, raising questions about what determines the end of a life, the nature of the human soul, and the role of law in human morality. Some very intense discussions will result among readers of the book. The description of an "unwinding" was horrifying and I don't think I

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will ever forget it. I'm not sure I would recommend this book to any child at my middle school--maybe high school kids could handle it.

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In a future world, where abortion is banned, parents are given the option of “unwinding” their child, donating the entire child’s body for use in medical transplants, between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. Troubled Connor accidentally discovers tickets for a Thanksgiving trip to the

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Bahamas, but, while there are tickets for his parents and younger brother, there is no ticket for him. While searching further he finds an Unwind order in his name. His only hope is to run away from home and stay hidden from the authorities until he turns nineteen.

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pretty creepy!! This would be a great book to read with a high school class talking about the abortion debate.

Would fit really well with a futures unit. Unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts in this sci fic thriller. Connor runs from his family after finding out he's going to be unwound. He ends up grabbing Lev, a tithe, to use as a shield against the Juvy police who will tranquilize him. The

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commotion flips over a bus carrying the third unwind, an orphan named Risa. The 3 lives are linked in surprising ways, and even when they think they've seen the last of each other, they haven't. They are brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation. If they can survive until they are 18, they are safe, but 18 is still a long way off. One of Shusterman's best.

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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

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-- "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.

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This was a perfect example of an idea based sci-fi novel. In this future the pro-choice/anti-choice lobbies come to war over their ideologies and in the end the most absurd proposition is what stops the war. Abortion is illegal but children between the ages of 13-18 can be "unwound" by their

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caretakers. 99.4% of their bodies must be used in other people so in that way they are still "alive" just not all together. But, there are people fighting this way of life, especially three teenagers all slated to be unwound for different reasons who band together. This story is thought provoking and filled to the brim with adventure. An overall excellent read.

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Shusterman, Neal . (2007). Unwind. New York: Simon and Schuster. 352 pp. ISBN 1-4169-1204-5 (Hardcover); $16.95

Connor is an Unwind, which means that he is a teen between the ages of 13-18 whose parents have decided to have him retroactively aborted. Well, not really aborted but harvested for parts.

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If readers are able to get past this detail, the rest of the book reads exceptionally well. Unwind features lots of drama and interesting, layered characters. It turns out that the Unwind have their own hierarchy and social customs and habits. These often funny details accent the horror of body part harvesting that is becoming less fiction and more nonfiction each year. Pair this one with Nancy Farmer’s The House of the Scorpion.

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Although abortion was outlawed after the civil war between the pro-lifers and the pro-choice factions, parents can legally "unwind" their unwanted children when they become teenagers. This amazing novel focuses on three Unwinds, who are trying to escape their fate and become unlikely allies. The

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premise of this novel is breathtaking and as Shusterman's characters fight society, including their parents, to stay alive they also learn about themselves and mature into adults and become voices of reason in their otherwise unquestioning society.

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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

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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.

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Set in future America after the "Heartland Wars" where the physical battle for abortion between pro-choice and pro-life groups has ended with the result being that abortion is illegal, but parents and other legal guardians, have the choice to "unwind" unwanted teens between the ages of 12 and 17.

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Unwinding involves donating the living parts of teens, anything from vital organs to cosmetic features, to those who can afford or qualify. The story mainly centers on three teens who are destined to be unwound: the angry Connor who is a disappointment to his parents, the promising Risa, a ward of the state that can no longer afford her; and Len a "tithe," the tenth child of a religious family, raised to be unwound as a gift back to God and others who will benefit from his body. The three are suddenly thrown together and the story follows each character's feelings and action in the different paths they may take.
The title was nominated as one of the Top Ten for 2008, but did not make the ultimate list, which surprised me, but I'll be sure to read those that did. Unwind was a gripping, thought provoking, fast-paced read, that managed to amplify a modern controversial topic without choosing sides.

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Unwind is a dystopia in which it is an accepted practice in society for parents to choose to 'unwind' their teenagers between the ages of 13-18. It is seen as a solution to abortion and it is argued that the person unwound is still living as all of their body parts are salvaged to use as

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transplants.
In the book three teenagers Connor a troubled boy who's parents
this book is very thought provoking if a little bit disturbing but I would highly recommend it.

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