City News
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Reviewed by Shaan
In a futuristic America, after the Second Civil War of the USA, a horrifying dystopia has been created by master storyteller Neal Shusterman. The Second Civil War was fought over abortion, and the agreement after the end was gruesome, but effective. The solution was that a child cannot be harmed from conception to 13, but from ages 13-18, parents have the option to Unwind their child. Unwinding is a process of surgery in which the child in question will be dissected, and all of his or her body parts will be used as transplants for ailing or injured people. In the novel, Connor, one of the main characters, finds out that his parents have signed the Unwind order. However, his parents don’t know that he knows he is essentially on death row. Therefore, Connor, with self-preservation in mind, plans an escape to survive until he is 18, where he cannot be Unwound, but he may serve jail time for running away. Risa is a ward of the state, and she has been selected to be Unwound because she was not skilled enough in classical piano, what she practiced at the state home. She has to be Unwound to make room for more state wards, and she too has to escape to survive. Lev is a wealthy christian who is sent to be “tithed”, a prestigious version of Unwinding where the same thing happens, yet the “tithe” has prepared to be Unwound for their entire lives. Therefore, Lev has no intention of escape, until Connor pulls him out of his car, liberating him from the duty of tithing. The three learn how to get along, and Lev has to understand the ethical flaws with the duty of tithing. The three Unwinds meet other Unwinds, and they all have to figure out where to go to get to safety. They must find a way to save themselves, or they may die trying.
This book had a great story, but it was written in a way that slightly muddled the plot. The book was written in third person, yet it kept changing “perspective”. The book would shift from Connor’s perspective to Risa’s perspective. In most books, this would not pose a great problem to the reader, but since it was third person, it was hard to distinguish whose perspective it was, and that would cause readers to go back and check the title of the chapter. For example, it says, “Connor isn’t so sure,” at the beginning of his chapter. However, later it says, “Connor’s parents don’t know that Connor knows that he is being Unwound.”, and that phrase can belong in any chapter from anybody's perspective, not necessarily Connor’s. This book was interesting, but it was a little hard to understand at times.
This book kicked off the incredible Unwind series. This book is suitable for children 13 or older. There is a somewhat graphic and twisted scene where it may be advisable to skip, and the book is somewhat sad and depressing. However, the quality of writing was superb, and it left me wondering what the Unwinds’ next move would be. This book had the ability to make readers feel how they would feel if they were in the Unwinds’ positions. The book made readers feel the desperation and fear mixed with determination and adrenaline as the characters faced obstacles. I would rate this book an 8/10 as the writing got confusing at times. However, it was one of the greatest stories and dystopias that I have read. Also, having read the rest of the series, it has one of the most powerful endings to almost any other book that I have read.