Unwind (1) (Unwind Dystology)
Three teens fight for their lives and each other in this breathtakingly suspenseful first book in the twisted, New York Times bestselling Unwind Dystology series by Neal Shusterman. After America's Second Civil War, the Pro-Choice and Pro-Life armies came to an agreement. According to their Bill of Life, human life may not be terminated from the moment of conception until the age of thirteen. But between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, the child may be gotten rid of by their parent through a process called "unwinding." By repurposing a teen's organs and other body parts in living recipients, the unwound child's life doesn't technically end. According to society's leaders, unwinding leads to a healthier and safer community, as troublesome and unwanted teens are used for the greater good. Curtis is a rebel whose unwinding was ordered by his parents. Rita, a ward of the state, has been slated for unwinding due to cost cutting. And Lev, his parents' tenth child, has been destined for unwinding since birth as a religious tithe. As their paths intersect, they start to fight for their own destinies. But do they stand a chance of escaping their fate or proving their lives are worth saving?
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Community Reviews
this was my first introduction to dystopia, and i think i'm going to get a lot more of these kinds of books. the characters didn't feel copy-pasted personality wise, the plot is great, and the most unexpected things come up. there are a few disturbing things in this novel, such as a minor sa mention, but if you're comfortable, this is a book that is always going to stay with you.
3.5/4 stars.
Although this book had a slow start and I wasn't really into it for the first half (hence the 3.5 rating), by the end of the book, it picked up and became much more exciting. Or maybe not picked up because it wasn't slow per se, but I actually started caring about the characters more, whereas I didn't so much at first. I did like that this was a very original idea and world, and in a world over saturated by YA dystopia, this was something I hadn't seen before even though it has the elements of every other YA dystopia out there.
This story also brought up really great talking and discussion morality points, which I always really like thinking about, and it didn't try and necessarily preach one side over the other. And the last scene with the Admiral was really bittersweet and I liked that a lot.
Originally I wasn't going to read the sequels because I just didn't care enough to, but now I think I'll come back to this series after I read a few other books.
Although this book had a slow start and I wasn't really into it for the first half (hence the 3.5 rating), by the end of the book, it picked up and became much more exciting. Or maybe not picked up because it wasn't slow per se, but I actually started caring about the characters more, whereas I didn't so much at first. I did like that this was a very original idea and world, and in a world over saturated by YA dystopia, this was something I hadn't seen before even though it has the elements of every other YA dystopia out there.
This story also brought up really great talking and discussion morality points, which I always really like thinking about, and it didn't try and necessarily preach one side over the other. And the last scene with the Admiral was really bittersweet and I liked that a lot.
Originally I wasn't going to read the sequels because I just didn't care enough to, but now I think I'll come back to this series after I read a few other books.
On the one hand, I read this in one day. On the other hand, it's not very good. Also, I don't understand all the reviews that say the author doesn't take a side in the abortion debate; this seems very much to be pro-life propaganda which is maybe why it didn't make for believable science fiction. One extra star for a fun ending though.
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