Reviews

I really enjoyed the extra stories in this book and I think they made an amazing conclusion to an incredible series. I did skip Levi's story because I don't like him but damn. Everything else was top tier writing. So sick, must read.

madhatter360's review against another edition

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4.0

I thought it would be entirely stories taking place after the series, so I was pleasently surprised to find backstories and scenes that took place during the main narrative.

jessewatt24's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.5

bookedbrunette's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious sad tense fast-paced

5.0

“𝕕𝕠 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕘𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕦𝕣𝕘𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕖𝕩𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕦𝕚𝕤𝕙 𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕗 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕, 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕓𝕖 𝕒 𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕤𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕡 𝕘𝕦𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕪.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Unbound

Neal Shusterman (and company)

305 pages

FC: Colton, Thor, Bryce, Divan.

I don’t know why I didn’t read this book sooner. I always have a negative mindset about books that don’t overtly follow the story but deal with the same world and characters from the actual series but, Unbound blew me away.

This book was a delicate addition to the series in a wonderful way. It told of the loose ends that the readers aren’t even hoping for at the end of the series. But getting these loose ends tied ANYWAY?

MAGICAL!

We were not only thrown into multiple stories that told of the “after” but we finally got a visual addition of the past that created the world we know from the Unwind series.

It’s actually so good. I could write a whole paper on the entire series but this book specifically takes the cake.

Firstly, Neal Shusterman (and company, he wrote this with a couple of authors and his two sons), really are exceptional at telling stories. I don’t know if his editor is just fantastic but HE NEVER MISSES!! So good.

Writing aside, these characters are all so complex. In a world that is run by the level of money someone’s parts are worth, everyone alive seems worthless. There are moral dilemmas that I don’t have solutions too, questions that I get dizzy thinking of answers for and, best of all, my heart is able to accept everything this book has to offer. Even the villains of the world have a place of origin and a childhood, I’m glad I got to experience some of that.

So many interesting things this book touches upon that really exist between the spaces of words are too heavy and deep to recount.

But, the topic that was shown in every instance and made me so uncomfortable ALWAYS, was the level of power.

There are 5 groups that hold the world together.

the government
Burmese dah Zey
Black market/parts pirates
Anti divisional resistance
The AWOL unwinds

If you haven’t read this series, this’ll sound like mumble jumble. But if you have, I hope it makes sense :)

Anyway, all of the people involved not only believe they are on the right side but usually use one (or two) other groups to vindictively take apart the groups they dont like.

Every single leader thinks what they do is correct, for money, for fame, for the saving of lives, for justice, for…and the list continues.

The world Shusterman was able to create, the living, breathing characters who I love like true friends, the moral dilemmas, the war, the bloodshed and the over all possibilities of a world like this coming to be are all thoughts and fears that wrack my brain.

But I LOVE IT.

Some favorite quotes of mine, too good not to touch upon.

“How do you dream of a future when you’re not supposed to have one? How do you keep going when the world has disowned you?” • “I keep reminding myself that I’m right, and the world is wrong.” • “but how do you know?” • “I believe”
“and maybe they’ll come back someday and maybe they won’t. But I think they’re happy. Not happily ever after kind of happy, because no one gets that. I mean we all get sick, and get hit by trucks, and fall out of love, and stuff, but I swear I can see Connor and Risa dangling their feet off that catamaran, saying, sure, as hell beats Sonia’s basement.”
“In every memory is his music, and she hears it again every day, playing in the wind through the trees to tease and torment her. Or maybe to comfort her and remind her that nothing and no one is ever truly lost.”
“Funny how morality, which always seems so black-and-white, can be influenced so completely by what you were raised to believe.”
“That’s the problem with unwinding - it’s not about problem kids, it’s about problem adults”

The only thing I have left to say is one all encompassing phrase: nice socks ;)