Shusterman, N. (2009). Unwind. New York: Simon
& Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Summary: Connor, Risa and Lev are all teenagers who have
one thing in common: they are about to be unwound. They live in a world where
pregnancies must be carried to full term, but guardians may choose to unwind
their children’s physical selves between the ages of thirteen and eighteen and
have their parts given out as transplants to people in need. These Undwinds do
not die nor do they continue to exist in their previous form. But for Connor,
Risa and Lev, heading to the ending of their current lives is only the
beginning…
Response: I had this book recommended to me by a Youth
Services librarian where I work because she found the idea of the book to be
thought provoking. I found it to be just that. The collision of the lives of
Connor, Risa and Lev explodes into a vast array of perspectives altered by their
coming together and holding onto their lives for as long as possible. I was
most touched by Lev’s journey, as someone who is literally born to end, he is reborn
into a second life and is able to see that his neatly packaged life is more of
a complicated web. I feel that this is a great book to prompt discussion about human
lives what the future holds for how we regard it.
(Side note- while I did enjoy the book, I wasn’t as
pleased with the mention of skin color occurring only when a character “of
color” appeared in the story. If the futuristic designation of white as the
skin color sienna, and black as the skin color umber, then it should be
mentioned for all characters, not just a given that the central characters will
be white by the lack of mention of skin tone).
Reviews:
Unwind NEAL SHUSTERMAN
Shusterman
(Everlost) explores one of the most divisive of topics--abortion--in this
gripping, brilliantly imagined futuristic thriller. After a civil war waged
over abortion has almost destroyed America, completely new laws are in effect.
Human life can never be "terminated," but between the ages of 13 and
18, a child can be "unwound" by his parents, an irrevocable decision
that leads to every single bit of his body being harvested for medical use. As
the novel opens, 16-year-old Connor has secretly discovered his parents' copy
of his unwind order, and decides
to "kick-AWOL," or run away. Connor's escape inadvertently sweeps up
two other Unwinds: a ward of the
state who is not quite talented enough to merit her place in a state home any
longer, and the 10th son of religious parents, who gave birth to him just to
"tithe" him. Beyond his pulse-pounding pace, the cliffhangers and the
bombshells, Shusterman has a gift for extrapolating the effects of alien
circumstances on ordinary people and everyday behavior. He brings in folklore,
medical practices, and slang that reflect the impact of unwinding, creating a
dense and believable backdrop. Characters undergo profound changes in a plot
that never stops surprising readers. The issues raised could not be more
provocative--the sanctity of life, the meaning of being human--while the
delivery could hardly be more engrossing or better aimed to teens. Ages 13-up.
Unwind. (2007, November 26). Publishers Weekly, 254(47), 54.
Program: Create a book talk of 3-4 books on social topics in fantasy and
science fiction that are aimed for teens. Present an enticing summary for each
book while highlighting the issues that are framed.
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