Scan barcode
vyoletkyss's review against another edition
4.0
Very good. Asks a lot of hard questions in a surprisingly well done fashion.
heartpages's review against another edition
4.0
Seconds in trilogies have tough jobs: they have to a) introduce new characters while b) keeping the first-story characters interesting and c) expanding on the first story enough to create something fresh. Shusterman does a really good job with all three things, especially (c). Given the unwinding premise, having a boy 'rewound,' or put together from nothing, is a terrific addition. None of the first book is rehashed; instead, it's expanded upon, and the reader understands so much more of the background of unwinding that it feels like it actually could happen. The perfect storm of new technology with a public fear can create a very scary world. Shusterman does an impressive job following up.
I only take one star off, probably unfairly, because this one reads like a YA book. A page-turner, yes. But the characters are at once far too eloquent and far too emotional to make me buy them wholesale.
I only take one star off, probably unfairly, because this one reads like a YA book. A page-turner, yes. But the characters are at once far too eloquent and far too emotional to make me buy them wholesale.
bespectacledbibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
It was... okay. Nothing to rage about, but nothing that really struck me, either.
The best portions were certainly those with Cam discovering himself. There was line which called back nicely to the
However, this book didn't capture me in quite the same way that the first did. Maybe it's that this book is trying to extend a nicely self-contained story (ambiguous ending or no). Maybe it's that it lacked the same ongoing threads, like the story of "Humphrey Dunfee." Maybe it's that there were so many new characters, most of whom didn't feel as fleshed out as Lev, Risa, and Connor did. Maybe it's that there wasn't the same sense of urgency for the characters I cared about. Maybe it's that the ordinary teenagers I saw in the first book (albeit that they were in extraordinary circumstances) are now transformed into three different variants of The Chosen One. Maybe it's that there is now a.
It just didn't work for me in the same visceral way that Unwind did. It's not a bad book by any means. It's just okay.
The best portions were certainly those with Cam discovering himself. There was line which called back nicely to the
Spoiler
unwinding of RolandHowever, this book didn't capture me in quite the same way that the first did. Maybe it's that this book is trying to extend a nicely self-contained story (ambiguous ending or no). Maybe it's that it lacked the same ongoing threads, like the story of "Humphrey Dunfee." Maybe it's that there were so many new characters, most of whom didn't feel as fleshed out as Lev, Risa, and Connor did. Maybe it's that there wasn't the same sense of urgency for the characters I cared about. Maybe it's that the ordinary teenagers I saw in the first book (albeit that they were in extraordinary circumstances) are now transformed into three different variants of The Chosen One. Maybe it's that there is now a
Spoiler
secret organization behind the process of unwinding which takes away from the horror of the complacency of the citizenry in UnwindSpoiler
And maybe it's just that, unlike Unwind, it didn't have a scene that punched me in the gut with emotion. I needed the scene where Roland was unwound. I can't think of a single scene from this book that made me feel that way.It just didn't work for me in the same visceral way that Unwind did. It's not a bad book by any means. It's just okay.
catherine_the_greatest's review against another edition
5.0
I thought UnWholly was great, even better than [b:Unwind|764347|Unwind (Unwind, #1)|Neal Shusterman|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1297677706s/764347.jpg|750423], as it picks up where the first book left off and builds the dystopian world, characters, and conflict in a consistent and fascinating way. The ending of the second installation very obviously sets the stage for [b:UnSouled|12792658|UnSouled (Unwind, #3)|Neal Shusterman|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nocover/60x80.png|17940593], the final book in the trilogy. Why always a trilogy with these middle grades & young adult series?
The three main characters, Connor, Risa and Lev, all survived the first book, and continue to grow through their many trials. We're also introduced to a handful of new characters, including a storked AWOL, another escaped tithe, and a boy made entirely from parts of unwound teens. We find out a lot more about how unwinding came to be the solution to the a war over reproductive rights, and who really stands to benefit. I love how Shusterman prefaces each section with excerpts from actual news articles, blogs, etc., that show how possible his dystopian vision actually is.
I just have one bone to pick with Mr. Shusterman. Several characters repeatedly reflect on how the world is not black and white, people are not entirely good or evil, and these reflections tend to center around our protagonists, the ones that we're supposed to see as being mostly good. However, the antagonists (Starkey, Nelson, Roberta, etc.) are purely evil. We're given the slightest glimpse (at least in the case of the first two) of why they are the way they are, but not really, nothing to justify the horrible things they do. So although Shusterman pays lip-service to the whole yin-yang concept, he's not actually illustrating it for his YA audience. On the other hand, his antagonists are so fun to hate.
I'm looking forward to seeing how Shusterman ends this ride. UnSouled comes out in October!
Merged review:
I thought UnWholly was great, even better than [b:Unwind|764347|Unwind (Unwind, #1)|Neal Shusterman|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1297677706s/764347.jpg|750423], as it picks up where the first book left off and builds the dystopian world, characters, and conflict in a consistent and fascinating way. The ending of the second installation very obviously sets the stage for [b:UnSouled|12792658|UnSouled (Unwind, #3)|Neal Shusterman|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nocover/60x80.png|17940593], the final book in the trilogy. Why always a trilogy with these middle grades & young adult series?
The three main characters, Connor, Risa and Lev, all survived the first book, and continue to grow through their many trials. We're also introduced to a handful of new characters, including a storked AWOL, another escaped tithe, and a boy made entirely from parts of unwound teens. We find out a lot more about how unwinding came to be the solution to the a war over reproductive rights, and who really stands to benefit. I love how Shusterman prefaces each section with excerpts from actual news articles, blogs, etc., that show how possible his dystopian vision actually is.
I just have one bone to pick with Mr. Shusterman. Several characters repeatedly reflect on how the world is not black and white, people are not entirely good or evil, and these reflections tend to center around our protagonists, the ones that we're supposed to see as being mostly good. However, the antagonists (Starkey, Nelson, Roberta, etc.) are purely evil. We're given the slightest glimpse (at least in the case of the first two) of why they are the way they are, but not really, nothing to justify the horrible things they do. So although Shusterman pays lip-service to the whole yin-yang concept, he's not actually illustrating it for his YA audience. On the other hand, his antagonists are so fun to hate.
I'm looking forward to seeing how Shusterman ends this ride. UnSouled comes out in October!
The three main characters, Connor, Risa and Lev, all survived the first book, and continue to grow through their many trials. We're also introduced to a handful of new characters, including a storked AWOL, another escaped tithe, and a boy made entirely from parts of unwound teens. We find out a lot more about how unwinding came to be the solution to the a war over reproductive rights, and who really stands to benefit. I love how Shusterman prefaces each section with excerpts from actual news articles, blogs, etc., that show how possible his dystopian vision actually is.
I just have one bone to pick with Mr. Shusterman. Several characters repeatedly reflect on how the world is not black and white, people are not entirely good or evil, and these reflections tend to center around our protagonists, the ones that we're supposed to see as being mostly good. However, the antagonists (Starkey, Nelson, Roberta, etc.) are purely evil. We're given the slightest glimpse (at least in the case of the first two) of why they are the way they are, but not really, nothing to justify the horrible things they do. So although Shusterman pays lip-service to the whole yin-yang concept, he's not actually illustrating it for his YA audience. On the other hand, his antagonists are so fun to hate.
I'm looking forward to seeing how Shusterman ends this ride. UnSouled comes out in October!
Merged review:
I thought UnWholly was great, even better than [b:Unwind|764347|Unwind (Unwind, #1)|Neal Shusterman|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1297677706s/764347.jpg|750423], as it picks up where the first book left off and builds the dystopian world, characters, and conflict in a consistent and fascinating way. The ending of the second installation very obviously sets the stage for [b:UnSouled|12792658|UnSouled (Unwind, #3)|Neal Shusterman|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nocover/60x80.png|17940593], the final book in the trilogy. Why always a trilogy with these middle grades & young adult series?
The three main characters, Connor, Risa and Lev, all survived the first book, and continue to grow through their many trials. We're also introduced to a handful of new characters, including a storked AWOL, another escaped tithe, and a boy made entirely from parts of unwound teens. We find out a lot more about how unwinding came to be the solution to the a war over reproductive rights, and who really stands to benefit. I love how Shusterman prefaces each section with excerpts from actual news articles, blogs, etc., that show how possible his dystopian vision actually is.
I just have one bone to pick with Mr. Shusterman. Several characters repeatedly reflect on how the world is not black and white, people are not entirely good or evil, and these reflections tend to center around our protagonists, the ones that we're supposed to see as being mostly good. However, the antagonists (Starkey, Nelson, Roberta, etc.) are purely evil. We're given the slightest glimpse (at least in the case of the first two) of why they are the way they are, but not really, nothing to justify the horrible things they do. So although Shusterman pays lip-service to the whole yin-yang concept, he's not actually illustrating it for his YA audience. On the other hand, his antagonists are so fun to hate.
I'm looking forward to seeing how Shusterman ends this ride. UnSouled comes out in October!
littlekiwifrog's review against another edition
5.0
This books was so perfect in so many aspects that I am going to have to list them out lest I be drowned in fangirl feels.
The story!
A brilliant continuation of the last book--it didn't feel like many sequels do, that is, haphazardly glued on to its predecessor. Instead, it felt like a continuation of the story, like a logical progression of the events that took place in the first one instead of feeling like the author desperately stretching out their idea to squeeze out another book. It was very well paced and continually interesting, and I was impressed by how well the multiple story lines were handled, even thought the characters were geographically distanced.
The characters!
What was really impressive about Unwind was how different each character seemed, though they didn't seem out of character. A very good job was done of making each of them seem older and more world-wary after the events of the first book, but still make them seem like the same person. There were also just enough new characters so that it didn't seem overwhelming, and oh my goodness Cam. Cam! Between the modern-Frankenstein-ish concept behind him, and the way Cam is shown to think and speak, he was hands down my absolute favorite in this book.
The world!
Shusterman did a really great job of expanding his world and showing the implications Unwinding could have on a society, and how it really is something to be debated about and not just a dysutopian government instilling this entirely evil thing on its subjects. We see that it saves people, that it employs people, and this book really emphasizes that Unwinds (or "Whollies" as the escaped ones call themselves in this book) aren't just typical teens randomly selected for death--they're usually unlikable, unwanted delinquents, or else can't be taken care of. The whole concept of an unwinding black market was really interesting too, especially when the Juvy cop Connor tranq'd in the first book was brought back as a vengeful bounty hunter. (And I do love bounty hunters).
All in all, this is definitely one of the best books I've read this year and I'll definitely be looking forward to its last installment!
The story!
A brilliant continuation of the last book--it didn't feel like many sequels do, that is, haphazardly glued on to its predecessor. Instead, it felt like a continuation of the story, like a logical progression of the events that took place in the first one instead of feeling like the author desperately stretching out their idea to squeeze out another book. It was very well paced and continually interesting, and I was impressed by how well the multiple story lines were handled, even thought the characters were geographically distanced.
The characters!
What was really impressive about Unwind was how different each character seemed, though they didn't seem out of character. A very good job was done of making each of them seem older and more world-wary after the events of the first book, but still make them seem like the same person. There were also just enough new characters so that it didn't seem overwhelming, and oh my goodness Cam. Cam! Between the modern-Frankenstein-ish concept behind him, and the way Cam is shown to think and speak, he was hands down my absolute favorite in this book.
Spoiler
I didn't quite understand his fixation on Risa, however. Surely just having a sliver of the brain of somebody who had a crush on her wouldn't cause such desperate feelings...?The world!
Shusterman did a really great job of expanding his world and showing the implications Unwinding could have on a society, and how it really is something to be debated about and not just a dysutopian government instilling this entirely evil thing on its subjects. We see that it saves people, that it employs people, and this book really emphasizes that Unwinds (or "Whollies" as the escaped ones call themselves in this book) aren't just typical teens randomly selected for death--they're usually unlikable, unwanted delinquents, or else can't be taken care of. The whole concept of an unwinding black market was really interesting too, especially when the Juvy cop Connor tranq'd in the first book was brought back as a vengeful bounty hunter. (And I do love bounty hunters).
All in all, this is definitely one of the best books I've read this year and I'll definitely be looking forward to its last installment!
shewreads's review against another edition
4.0
I love this series. I'll admit that at first I was none too thrilled about the new characters Shusterman introduced in this sequel to Unwind, but as the plot developed, I realized just what a crafty author he is. Additionally, the story allows young readers to explore utilitarianism via a very controversial topic. Thanks for making them think about ethical conundrums, Story Man.
jmkizer's review against another edition
3.0
Three and a half stars. The book moved the story started in Unwind forward a notch. The book was good but I think that readers would benefit from reading the first one in the series. I'm not sure that it stands on it's own very well.
libraryoflei's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
breezyjean's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0