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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
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
⭐⭐
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-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
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
I was pleasantly surprised that I loved this audiobook, even though the Admiral sounds just like Sean Connery....
The worldbuilding is what makes this book unique. This dystopia is scary--parents have the option of "unwinding" their children if they want to. In other words, they can give them away and let the government re-use their kids' body parts for transplants. Just don't call "unwinding" killing, because the kids are still alive in other people! Isn't it fantastic?
Shusterman took the pro-life/pro-choice debate to a whole other level. Abortion isn't legal, but storking is. If a woman doesn't want a baby, she can legally drop it on ANYBODY's doorstep and the people HAVE to raise the child. So some people are "storked" with extra kids that they don't want. Gee, guess who will get unwound when they are old enough?
I like these kinds of cautionary tales. Watch out, extremists! You keep going and you might create a world like Shusterman did....
The worldbuilding is what makes this book unique. This dystopia is scary--parents have the option of "unwinding" their children if they want to. In other words, they can give them away and let the government re-use their kids' body parts for transplants. Just don't call "unwinding" killing, because the kids are still alive in other people! Isn't it fantastic?
Shusterman took the pro-life/pro-choice debate to a whole other level. Abortion isn't legal, but storking is. If a woman doesn't want a baby, she can legally drop it on ANYBODY's doorstep and the people HAVE to raise the child. So some people are "storked" with extra kids that they don't want. Gee, guess who will get unwound when they are old enough?
I like these kinds of cautionary tales. Watch out, extremists! You keep going and you might create a world like Shusterman did....
This one was slow going for me until about half way thru, but I really liked the ending...didn’t expect to cry, but def teared up a bit there. I feel like this book is a giant set-up for the series. Still deciding if I’ll read the next one. Def a social/political commentary that makes you think!
Started reading it because of a fanfic inspired by this book because the plot seemed so interesting. And it is definitely very interesting!! But turns out I needed the ship to engage with it lol. the book seems good though, its a me problem!