Book info

• Title Unwind
• Author Neal Shusterman
• Year 2007
• Genre Young adult

Unwinding: the process by which a child is both terminated and yet kept alive. Unwinding is now a common, and accepted, practice in society. Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their 18th birthday, they can't be harmed - but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, is wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away...

Thoughts

Unwind adds to a long list of young adult dystopian fiction, but there’s something different about this one. Rather than there being a cataclysmic event that forces the world to think differently about life (and usually it’s teenagers), this is a realistic portrayal of what could happen if those that make the law take a wrong turning somewhere. Based around the thorny area of right to life, the story tells the tale of a couple of plucky heroes who attempt to change a world that could see the end of them.

It’s the start of a series but is absolutely a standalone book in its own right. The characters are really well done, slightly off kilter but absolutely relatable, particularly as they find themselves in each growing predicament. The actual scene in the centre was very raw, very moving, and it really made me incensed about the situation, despite knowing it is fiction and not reality. None of it is comfortable reading, but given the basis, it’s perhaps important.

Thus, I am definitely going to read more of the series and I’m glad to see a young adult book that steers clear of the now traditional Hunger Games style tropes.

Rating: 4 / 5