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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The last thirty pages were a bit over-the-top with character dialogue and action, but overall the book is an awesome concept that anyone who loves a good YA dystopia should check out. For once, a YA book made me consider my ethical stance on issues like abortion and euthanasia without being preachy.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The resolution of the civil war being unwinding was not very convincing but humanity is unpredictable so who knows maybe it is possible. It left me think a lot and Roland’s fate left me traumatized. It sometime reads as pro-life propaganda or maybe I just feel guilty idk. But those are the reasons why I am rating it so high, because I am still thinking about even after being done with the book.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
inspiring
medium-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Freaking get ready man
The very worst thing about this book is how plausible it seems. Although that is also a good thing for the book, it’s a scary thing for humans…
The very best thing about this book is how much it makes you think. Honestly, I’m not sure where I would stand specifically on the issue of “unwinding.” Granted, the process is, scientifically, a good one. If we had the ability to do such a thing I would strongly promote it as an organ donor program for people who are injured somehow. But to say, “hey, this kid is just bad and I don’t want to waste any more time parenting, let’s unwind him,” is wrong. To “tithe” a child to be unwound because of some ridiculous religious believe is horrific. And to -
Um… I just realized that if you haven’t read the book, you won’t understand my mini-rant there. Sorry about that. Read the book. It is fantastic!
The very best thing about this book is how much it makes you think. Honestly, I’m not sure where I would stand specifically on the issue of “unwinding.” Granted, the process is, scientifically, a good one. If we had the ability to do such a thing I would strongly promote it as an organ donor program for people who are injured somehow. But to say, “hey, this kid is just bad and I don’t want to waste any more time parenting, let’s unwind him,” is wrong. To “tithe” a child to be unwound because of some ridiculous religious believe is horrific. And to -
Um… I just realized that if you haven’t read the book, you won’t understand my mini-rant there. Sorry about that. Read the book. It is fantastic!
Bez šance je pro mě další knihou, kterou jsem si přečetla jen díky společnému čtení. Ne, že bych po ní v době jejího vydání nepokukovala, ale jak čas plynul a já se stále neměla k tomu ji rozečíst, jednoduše zapadla.
O to víc jsem pak byla překvapená, jak zajímavý kousek se z ní vyklubal. Myšlenka rozpojování náctiletých je velice zajímavá a naprosto originální. I když dystopie čtu celkem ráda a často, ještě jsem se s ničím podobným nesetkala. Přes to, že se jedná o příběh zaměřený primárně na mladší čtenáře a svým způsobem jednoduchý, na knize to vůbec nebylo znát a určité má mnohé, co nabídnout i nám starším. Jednotlivé postavy pak naopak dějovou jednoduchost vynahrazují. Jsou sympatické, citově propracované a dotažené. Jejich chování a reakce byly pochopitelné a smysluplné. Děj sám mě pak chytil a vtáhl, už po prvních stránkách. Měl spád a já musela bojovat s tím, abych knihu nepřečetla na jeden zátah.
Z mé strany se jedná o první knihu, kterou jsem od autora četla. Přesvědčila mě a získala si však natolik, že v budoucnu dám ráda šanci i dalším autorovým knihám.
O to víc jsem pak byla překvapená, jak zajímavý kousek se z ní vyklubal. Myšlenka rozpojování náctiletých je velice zajímavá a naprosto originální. I když dystopie čtu celkem ráda a často, ještě jsem se s ničím podobným nesetkala. Přes to, že se jedná o příběh zaměřený primárně na mladší čtenáře a svým způsobem jednoduchý, na knize to vůbec nebylo znát a určité má mnohé, co nabídnout i nám starším. Jednotlivé postavy pak naopak dějovou jednoduchost vynahrazují. Jsou sympatické, citově propracované a dotažené. Jejich chování a reakce byly pochopitelné a smysluplné. Děj sám mě pak chytil a vtáhl, už po prvních stránkách. Měl spád a já musela bojovat s tím, abych knihu nepřečetla na jeden zátah.
Z mé strany se jedná o první knihu, kterou jsem od autora četla. Přesvědčila mě a získala si však natolik, že v budoucnu dám ráda šanci i dalším autorovým knihám.
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Review of Unwind, by Neal Shusterman
A FEW GEMS IN AN OTHERWISE DOUBTFUL BOOK
So, there’s some good things in this book for sure, like certain scenes where I’ve become deeply emotional and that got me to think about life, morality, and fairness in an unfair world and what I’d do if we lived in a world like that of Unwind. That's a clear sign of well-written scenes, and the author definitely deserves much kudos for that.
The scenes I’m talking about are two specifically:
- That one scene near the end. Those who have read the book know exactly what I mean, and it's amazing. The body horror. The injustice. The cold, detached cruelty made routine. I obsessed over the event shown in that scene as if it had been a real-life crime that I had to fix at all costs.
- And the letters scene. Despite me having to completely let go of my disbelief for the book to be readable, this scene was a true human moment that moved me, especially thinking how teens would feel about being sent off to be unwound by those who were supposed to love and protect them.
But...
The entire premise of this book/universe is way too crazy to be believable, and it ruined the book for me. For that, I’m still unsure whether I’d even read the rest of the series. When one really looks into the ‘how’ the world became like it is in Unwind, you have to roll your eyes at best, or actually be offended at the way the author poorly simplifies and fundamentally misrepresents both sides of the abortion debate at worst.
It weirdly feels both insulting and condescending, as if he wanted to convey how unreasonable both sides are while understanding neither of their points at all. To think that pro-life and pro-choice people would be fine with the "unwinding" process is insane.
Pro-lifers believe that even a fetus is a living being and that abortion is murder, but they're okay with killing a teenager? And pro-choicers, who are all about one’s body autonomy, would be fine with teens getting abducted, trafficked, and having their organs harvested? In what universe would that happen or would either side ever be fine with something like that?
Then, there was a particular scene that, I think, showed how the author truly feels about the women who do abortions. This random girl has a POV of her getting rid of her child through “storking” (basically leaving her child on a stranger’s doorstep and she’s legally free of him) so she can be ‘free of her responsibility.’ That line of thinking says everything you need to know.
Also, what kind of parents are all of these people? SENDING YOUR SON TO GET HARVESTED FOR BAD GRADES AND A ATTITUDE? WHAT? Find me a sane-minded parent that would do that. In this book it seems they all do not give a damn about their own children. So, either they’re all psychopaths or the premise is just too insane to ever work.
I literally felt righteous rage throughout the whole read. The whole premise was just too insane for me, sorry. I doubt I'll be reading UnWholly unfortunately, I'd just make me angry at everyone for being gratuitously cruel.
I also found the characters to be underdeveloped or inconsistent. Take Connor’s parents for example. They seem to regret ever signing him off as shown in his early chapters, yet his father still helps in getting Connor tracked down by the authorities, leading to the events in the highway.
Connor was endearing at first, but quickly became a Gary Stu. He’s said to be a bad boy, but he’s literally just a normal, kind, misunderstood teen boy. This is more than fine, I liked him. But then he becomes the best person to ever exist. Every kid signed to be unwind knows about him. He’s so great. He’s a hero. Also, you’re telling me he’s the only kid in decades in their society to fight back at the police? He’s the chosen one of the Admiral etc.
Risa was so, so interesting but then I felt she just falls for Connor for no reason besides them being the only male and female peer protagonists, and she just becomes the spokesperson of how amazing Connor is after a while, even almost getting r*ped so Connor could be the male hero.
Their roles are also filled to the brim with boring gender roles. Connor as a boy is of course hot-headed and he doesn’t think before he acts, while Risa as a girl is the brains that soothes him and that has to look after the two boys. They both had so much potential, but part of me still likes them a bit.
Levi was also complex at first, showing his brainwashing, but I really did not like how the ‘activists’ in Unwind are basically just suicide bombers while the rest of society seems to not give a damn about organ harvesting.
TLDR - Review Points
Pros: The unwind scene is one of the best I’ve ever read in a book, everything about it was so visceral and amazingly written. The letters scene was also very emotional, and Connor shined there for me.
Cons: The whole premise about how the abortion debate led to the unwind process is utterly unbelievable, and borderline insulting to both sides of the debate. The parents seem like psychopaths only because the story could not work at all if they were sane-minded average parents. The characters started off great but slowly devolved into tropes and stereotypes.
2/5
⭐⭐
A FEW GEMS IN AN OTHERWISE DOUBTFUL BOOK
So, there’s some good things in this book for sure, like certain scenes where I’ve become deeply emotional and that got me to think about life, morality, and fairness in an unfair world and what I’d do if we lived in a world like that of Unwind. That's a clear sign of well-written scenes, and the author definitely deserves much kudos for that.
The scenes I’m talking about are two specifically:
- That one scene near the end. Those who have read the book know exactly what I mean, and it's amazing. The body horror. The injustice. The cold, detached cruelty made routine. I obsessed over the event shown in that scene as if it had been a real-life crime that I had to fix at all costs.
- And the letters scene. Despite me having to completely let go of my disbelief for the book to be readable, this scene was a true human moment that moved me, especially thinking how teens would feel about being sent off to be unwound by those who were supposed to love and protect them.
But...
The entire premise of this book/universe is way too crazy to be believable, and it ruined the book for me. For that, I’m still unsure whether I’d even read the rest of the series. When one really looks into the ‘how’ the world became like it is in Unwind, you have to roll your eyes at best, or actually be offended at the way the author poorly simplifies and fundamentally misrepresents both sides of the abortion debate at worst.
It weirdly feels both insulting and condescending, as if he wanted to convey how unreasonable both sides are while understanding neither of their points at all. To think that pro-life and pro-choice people would be fine with the "unwinding" process is insane.
Pro-lifers believe that even a fetus is a living being and that abortion is murder, but they're okay with killing a teenager? And pro-choicers, who are all about one’s body autonomy, would be fine with teens getting abducted, trafficked, and having their organs harvested? In what universe would that happen or would either side ever be fine with something like that?
Then, there was a particular scene that, I think, showed how the author truly feels about the women who do abortions. This random girl has a POV of her getting rid of her child through “storking” (basically leaving her child on a stranger’s doorstep and she’s legally free of him) so she can be ‘free of her responsibility.’ That line of thinking says everything you need to know.
Also, what kind of parents are all of these people? SENDING YOUR SON TO GET HARVESTED FOR BAD GRADES AND A ATTITUDE? WHAT? Find me a sane-minded parent that would do that. In this book it seems they all do not give a damn about their own children. So, either they’re all psychopaths or the premise is just too insane to ever work.
I literally felt righteous rage throughout the whole read. The whole premise was just too insane for me, sorry. I doubt I'll be reading UnWholly unfortunately, I'd just make me angry at everyone for being gratuitously cruel.
I also found the characters to be underdeveloped or inconsistent. Take Connor’s parents for example. They seem to regret ever signing him off as shown in his early chapters, yet his father still helps in getting Connor tracked down by the authorities, leading to the events in the highway.
Connor was endearing at first, but quickly became a Gary Stu. He’s said to be a bad boy, but he’s literally just a normal, kind, misunderstood teen boy. This is more than fine, I liked him. But then he becomes the best person to ever exist. Every kid signed to be unwind knows about him. He’s so great. He’s a hero. Also, you’re telling me he’s the only kid in decades in their society to fight back at the police? He’s the chosen one of the Admiral etc.
Risa was so, so interesting but then I felt she just falls for Connor for no reason besides them being the only male and female peer protagonists, and she just becomes the spokesperson of how amazing Connor is after a while, even almost getting r*ped so Connor could be the male hero.
Their roles are also filled to the brim with boring gender roles. Connor as a boy is of course hot-headed and he doesn’t think before he acts, while Risa as a girl is the brains that soothes him and that has to look after the two boys. They both had so much potential, but part of me still likes them a bit.
Levi was also complex at first, showing his brainwashing, but I really did not like how the ‘activists’ in Unwind are basically just suicide bombers while the rest of society seems to not give a damn about organ harvesting.
TLDR - Review Points
Pros: The unwind scene is one of the best I’ve ever read in a book, everything about it was so visceral and amazingly written. The letters scene was also very emotional, and Connor shined there for me.
Cons: The whole premise about how the abortion debate led to the unwind process is utterly unbelievable, and borderline insulting to both sides of the debate. The parents seem like psychopaths only because the story could not work at all if they were sane-minded average parents. The characters started off great but slowly devolved into tropes and stereotypes.
2/5
⭐⭐