By Neal Shusterman - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This book works as a stand-alone (in my opinion), but is apart of a series called; Unwind Dystology. It revolves around three different types of outcasts, Conner, your usual out of control rebel who's just slightly below average in anything he tries doing. Risa, an orphan with fingers made for piano. Lev, a super religious child of faith.
They live in a world where abortion is outlawed, and instead as a compromise; children of ages 13/18 cam be sent to the Harvest Camp to be "Unwound."
Which is where they pick you apart piece by piece and donate all your organs to others all while you're alive. So technically, you never experience death. Ever. Simply live on with others. Sounds kinda cool, right?
No?
Connor and Risa didn't think so either. Even so, Connor's parents already signed the Unwind order (an irreversible decision) and Risa's orphanage just simply doesn't have the funds to keep her around as a whole. So after a string of events happening in the first three chapters, the two find themselves on the run from the Government to loophole themselves to freedom. Of course, what kind of kids would they be if they let the younger, clearly brainwashed, tithe kid, be sent off to his obvious death? Protagonists we wouldn't root for, that's for sure.
"Nice socks."
Start / End: 10.20.19 / 10.21.19
Page Count: 337.
Reading Format: Physical & Audio.
Owned Copy(s): Hardback.
Song: This Is War by 30 Seconds To Mars
How I Met This Book?
So I admit, when I saw the paperback cover I was not interested. Even less so by the hardcover's design. But because this was a book I remembered watching a YouTube video about years ago, It was on my TBR list for the longest time. Before picking up a copy, I had the expectation that this book would be dialogue-heavy and just a bunch of politics shoved down your throat with only one chapter dedicated to what we all came here for the- unwinding. If this is your expectation as well, let me tell you straight up right now;
This book is definitely not as boring as you might think. It's not boring at ALL.
Well, maybe the first four chapters but that's only because it's the beginning and there are three protagonists Shusterman has to establish. Not to mention this book was published back in 2007s, times were different.
"Look at you!" he screams. "You've destroyed everything! How could you have done this? You should all be unwound. Every single one of you! YOU SHOULD ALL BE UNWOUND!"
The Bookish Checklist.
Concept
The biggest complaint I've seen about this book is that it's far too unrealistic. Which just... surprises me. I don't really go into my fictional books that are filed under YA fantasy with the expectation that they be written realistically. If do you, then I suggest you don't pick up a copy because yes--this book is quite unrealistic. Our world would never go into a war over pro-life/abortion rights. And we are light years away from discovering how to cut people apart without actually killing them with the science of nerve grafting.
But a parent most definitely would sign their child up to be Unwound under the right circumstances. Like, out of spite. Or they favor their younger child more. Or the child is too much to deal with. Or the original parents died, and the aunt doesn't want to have to deal with an extra mouth to feed. Adults are selfish, this is realistic.
I was immersed in this world setting. I loved where Shusterman went with it, and it was only the first book! I had never come across a concept like this before, I do think it quite original. Were there plot holes for the world settings? I do believe there were a few, but none that was so gapingly huge it distracted me--or that I bothered to remember them.
Storytelling
The pacing went by really fast, but as a reader, I never got the sense that it was rushed. It all sort of fell into place, nothing ever felt like "That's too soon." I never had to pause and recount the timeline, either. So I personally felt the flow of the events and the time in between each arc were neatly placed and had smooth transitions.
That being said A LOT went down. I'm surprised by the low page count, considering I've read longer books and less occurred. Though I will say that the characters did suffer from that--Risa in particular. (More on that below!)
When I went back to read chapter one, and then the last chapter, I was just in awe by how different the tone of the book was. Which was really odd because it was always the same thing on the line. Their lives. From the get-go, we know what's at risk if they're caught. Their freedom and their right to live. But in the beginning, it didn't seem like that had sunk in. Not for me, as a reader, and not for the protagonists. As the book continues, the situations become more tense and dramatic. The undertone becomes more solemn, and dark. The twisted shadows that we know are there start to really become active. They start to surround this little bubble we, as readers, have when reading a book. Towards the end, that bubble pops with the mind games it's played as we're sucked into this world. Finally, we understand that it's our lives at stake.
At the very least, that was my experience. I hope it's yours too.
Characters
As I mentioned, the plot and action are quick-paced and moves smoothly. But the page count only 337 pages. With three protagonists, and so much plot to unpack, the characters did suffer a bit from this. Risa in particular. While she was extremely likable, she was also very stale. She was a bunch of tropes that was well-liked, combined into a person. At one point, she did something and I had to pause and reread that scene because it honestly didn't sound like her character.
That was when I realized Risa didn't really have an identity. She was a plot device, and not very well disguised.
Risa is your stereotypical stone-hearted badass female lead. But in a very vanilla way, so it wasn't all that out of character whenever she reacted to situations not as badass as she seems. But it did always feel out of place.
Connor had the most growth and development. But a lot of development was off-page. Chapter 1 Conner is very different from Chapter 69 Conner. He doesn't carry a tray of traits that makes him--him. Which made the character feel a lot more authentic. (Because no one's ever really a list of traits.) But most of Connor's growth happens off-page, or whenever we're in someone else's POV. By the time we jump back to Connor, he's grown, he's adapted, he's always somewhat a little bit different. Which was nice, but left a hollowness to his character.
Now Lev. Lev had the most changes done to him, and a lot of the time I questioned whether or not it was true to his character. Again, I realized Lev didn't quite have a character, he was more of a concept. A way for the world to be expanded and gain more landscape. Personally, I didn't mind. Why?
Because the side characters were not stale whatsoever. While our protagonists suffered from the quick pacing, any side and or minor characters did not. No one was ever introduced as a way to advance the plot, and no one was ever there for the sake of being there. Everyone had a role in our trio's storylines. While the role our protagonists had was to simply experience the story.
Would I Recommend?
Yes. one thousand percent, yes. It isn't graphic when it comes to the twisted parts. But the writing style does make you imagine more than what the words are saying. So if you've got an active imagination and get queasy when it comes to blood, hospital-related things or human anatomy. I'd say don't read it. Your brain hates you and will make you suffer. (Or get a friend to proofread it to you and tell you what pages to gloss over.)
Unwind is a story about all kinds of teenagers coming from all kinds of backgrounds, who have no voices. This story is their journey for fighting to take the right to speak out into their own hands. It really holds a special place in my heart because I was a child who played the role of a victim in an adult's selfishness. Seeing these kids hold themselves up despite the smack in the face life gave them was very endearing for me to read.
So I might've been a little biased, regardless: 10 out of 10 would recommend.
"Hi, Lev. How are things...?
"Shh."
"My arm hurts," Connor says lazily. "Did you bite me again?"
This concludes my rambling disguised as a review on Unwind by Neal Shusterman.
Thank you for your support and for listening to me go on and on!
-Amethyst Majestorye
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