I know I've raved about Shusterman's abilities in other blogs, but I really can't over-emphasize just how talented the man is. Unwind is, so far, Shusterman's masterpiece. It's a gripping, intelligent portrayal of a future where the US has gone to war over abortion issues and reached a compromise. However, the resulting law is more brutal than either alternative. First, all babies conceived must be born. If the mother doesn't want the baby, it can be "storked," or left on someone else's porch. A storked baby must either be raised by the family or turned over to the state. Second, when a child reaches 13, his or her parents can decide to abort the child retroactively. This usually happens because the kid is a trouble-maker or the parents can't afford the kid anymore. They send the child to an "unwind" center, where the kid's body is totally disassembled. Every little piece is donated to another person, so technically, all the parts are still alive, just not together. This solution would supposedly satisfy right-to-life advocates as well as those who are pro-choice.
The story follows three "Unwinds" as they try to escape the system. Connor is a rebel whose parents have given up. Risa is a ward of the state who just isn't worth the investment anymore. And Lev is a tithe, the child of parents who believe it is an act of religious devotion to give up one of their children to be unwound. The trio encounter an underground system that tries to help runaways reach their 18 birthday, the age when unwinding becomes illegal.
The book definitely deserves a PG-13 rating due to violence, language, and mature themes. Heck, my husband got the heebie jeebies just listening to me describe the plot. The chapter that describes an unwinding is unforgettably haunting and the questions the book raises about the nature of life are poignant no matter how old you are. There's only one feature of the novel that could be distracting to readers. While the chapters are short, each is told from the perspective of a different character. By the end of the book, there are quite a few characters, so some readers might want to keep a log of who's who. Other than that, it's the best book I've read in a long time. Unwind deserves all the praise I can give it.
This is quite a long rewiew, Hernandez, but I think the number of words needed to say how great this book was the number of words you put in. My mom thought this book was creepy, but I thought it was thought-provoking and to the point. The only other books that I think deserve to be compared to this one are "The Hunger Games" and "Catching Fire", and I'm positive that "Mockingjay" will live up to it's preceeders. This book was one of those that I would actually buy if I had money (it's rare that I want to buy a book since I'm pretty stingy). The only other thing I can say because my mom's gonna come kick me off the computer is WOW!!!
ReplyDeleteHe is a pretty good author, but some of his books are, to put it bluntly, horrible. The name of the book that I read that was written by him that was really suckish escapes me, but I know you reviewed it somewhere... as soon as I remember, I'll put it.
ReplyDeleteEverlost!!! That's what it was!
ReplyDeleteThere's going to be another book that goes along with it. It's going to be called Everwild. I'm not gonna waste my time!