Author: Neal Shusterman
Release Date: November 6th 2007
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 335
Source: Library
"The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive." (Goodreads)
This book was an amazing read! It has been a long time since I found such a suspenseful and action packed story line but alas, I did. Neal Shusterman creates such amazing adventures in this book that leaves the reader completely captivated until the very end! I have to say that the concept of this entire book is utterly heartbreaking, but there are such exciting scenes and the perfect amount of romance jam packed into this novel. Following Connor, Risa, and Lev's story gave me such a roller coaster of emotions. The mere idea of being unwound gives me chills down my spine.
In Shusterman's Unwound world, Parents have children because they know they will love them unconditionally, but some parents have more sinister ideas in mind. Instead of accepting their children for who they are and trying to work through conflicts and problems, they have their own flesh and blood unwound. When a child is unwound, they are literally taken apart, piece by piece. Although parents only have the option to do this between ages 13-18, a large amount do. There are even religions that believe being unwound is one of the holiest things a person can do. They call them Tithes, the chosen ones. Tithes are literally born into the world to be unwound. When a child is chosen to be unwound, the parents have no chance to stop it once the papers have been signed. After being taken from home, the unwind will be transported to a Harvest Camp, or the Chop Shop as the kids call it. No one really knows what happens once an unwind goes there, the only thing people know for sure is that the old you never comes back. Every piece of what remains will be saved and used for different transplants for another person.
Connor is a rebellious teenager who always seems to act on impulse and find himself in trouble quiet often. He finds out his parents have had enough and have decided to unwind him. Risa, lives in a StaHo (State Home) and is chosen to be unwound do to budget cuts and Lev is tithe who feels being unwound is his divine destiny. These three teens meet unexpectedly and their adventure for survival begins immediately.
The emotions in this book are phenomenal. Along with the characters, the reader also experiences the emotional roller coaster of events. The pain of being rejected by ones own parents is heartbreaking and devastating. Although this book is darker, there are some elements to take from it. Sometimes a person has to create their own family and sometimes a person has to fight for what they believe in only if it's just them. This book was such a page turner and kept me thrilled through the whole thing.
The book is quite old but I am so happy I got the chance to read it! Shusterman is currently writing a sequel for Unwind coming out during the fall of 2012. I highly recommend everyone to read this book! You won't regret it!
Rating: 5/5
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