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A review by lyndagabby
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
5.0
This is an awesome book for lots of reasons. I started writing a really long review about all the different aspects I loved, the three dimensional characters that had real flaws, the excellent world building that doesn't feel the need to explain every detail right as it comes up but lets it hang there until just the right time, the style and lay out of the chapters alternating between characters, the real life facts and events that precede the different sections of the book. But the fact is Unwind is so much more than the sum of it's parts.
Unwind is primarily the story of three teens, Connor, Risa and Levi, that are chosen for unwinding. Every single part of their body will be harvested and used by other people, thus they will technically not be dead, since every part of their body is alive just not whole. The book brings up a lot of questions on topics like abortion, consciousness, and the lack of organ donors. How do factors like religion, politics, socio-economic standing play a role in who we are and how our lives are shaped. The beauty is that Shusterman explores all of these things but is not so pretentious as to tell us the answer. It's something we have to figure out for ourselves. It also brings up the precarious position of teenagers who may sometimes be seen almost as non entities in society. Neither innocent children nor legal adults able to make decisions for themselves.
It's deep. Basically. Is what I'm trying to say. And please don't let me scare you away by saying that. It's subtle. It's really entertaining and exciting and fun to read too. There are explosions and romance and action! You will not be disappointed. I promise.
Unwind is primarily the story of three teens, Connor, Risa and Levi, that are chosen for unwinding. Every single part of their body will be harvested and used by other people, thus they will technically not be dead, since every part of their body is alive just not whole. The book brings up a lot of questions on topics like abortion, consciousness, and the lack of organ donors. How do factors like religion, politics, socio-economic standing play a role in who we are and how our lives are shaped. The beauty is that Shusterman explores all of these things but is not so pretentious as to tell us the answer. It's something we have to figure out for ourselves. It also brings up the precarious position of teenagers who may sometimes be seen almost as non entities in society. Neither innocent children nor legal adults able to make decisions for themselves.
It's deep. Basically. Is what I'm trying to say. And please don't let me scare you away by saying that. It's subtle. It's really entertaining and exciting and fun to read too. There are explosions and romance and action! You will not be disappointed. I promise.