Book Stats:
Title: Unwind
Author: Neal Shusterman
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
# of Pages: 352
Published:
- by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
- In 2009
Unwind: Neal Shusterman has created a masterpiece with this one. The book takes place after the Heartland War, a second civil war fought over the morality of abortion. Pro Life and Pro Choice were at each other's throats. In the words of the author:
"You see, a conflict always begins with an issue - a difference of opinion, an argument. But by the time it turns into a war, the issue doesn't matter anymore, because now it's about one thing and one thing only: how much each side hates the other."
Dumbledore-like wisdom, huh? The brutality was finally halted by a compromise. The two sides came together and created the Bill of Life. The Bill outlawed abortion and introduced the concept of unwinding.
When a child is 13-18, they have a chance of being unwound. Like abortion, it is a way for parents to ditch their kids. A sick and deranged way to ditch their kids. Unwinding (as you can see in the back cover summary) consists of taking a kid apart. They pull apart all the body parts and give them to people who need (or simply want) new parts.
This is how the Unwind world justifies the disassembly of children: only bad kids would be unwound. It dually cleans up the streets and donates organs to people in need. It's perfect! This deluded world doesn't bat at eye at the thought. Troubled kids are shipped off... as well as good kids in overcrowded orphanages, and children who are submitted as tithes- kids born for the express purpose of being unwound (all for religious reasons, I assure you).
The premise of the book as well as the events inside it trap your brain. Your eyes are glued to the page. Neal Shusterman has a way of keeping you on the edge of your seat with new creative ways to refresh the horror. He's a master in the 3rd Type of Scary. As a horror reader, I have come across three kinds of scary.
#1: The "NO! DON'T OPEN THE DOOR! THE KILLER'S IN THERE! OH GOD-" Scary.
#2: The "Oh, that's not that scary.... Oh God, the psycho's in my closet isn't he?" Scary
#3: Finally, The "Oh my God... what? *whimpers and hides under covers*" Scary
Yeah. 3rd Type.
Now onto characters. I've got to say, I like these characters very much.
Connor: He's that kid you used to know. The one that was always getting in trouble, fighting with other kids and skipping school. Well, that's who he was in the beginning. Over the duration of the story, he grows into "who he's meant to be". You get it. It's one of those character evolutions. It's been done, yes, but Connor's got other personality dynamics that make him quite likable.
Risa also fits into the "familiar characters" category. She's the rational one. Resourceful and smart, she's the brains of the operation. But, she isn't just the "smart girl" character. It's her personality that makes her stand out. She's cynical, distrustful and tough... with a soft-heart at the center. Sort of like a blow-pop. Hard on the outside, soft on the inside! Anyway, she's the one who keeps the two boys in check. She's fun to read, and she's sort of a reassurance for the reader. Whenever something bad is happening, you can wipe the sweat off your brow and say, "Oh, Risa's there. It's gonna be fine guys."
While both Connor and Risa are strong and interesting characters, Lev is by far the best. It seems like he's always changing... Being born for the sole purpose of being unwound definitely makes Lev strange to encounter at first. He knows what he was "meant to do", accepts it, and even wants to fulfill his "destiny". You see all my sarcastic quotation marks? Anyway, he's brainwashed and crazy when you first meet him. With exposure to Risa and Connor, he begins to change... dramatically. In fact, Lev is a very volatile person. You never know what he's going to do next. He's extreme in all his actions. You hate him, you love him... Lev's a bombshell.
Unwind is a definite read for everyone. Well, for younger readers, I would wait until you have a thorough understanding of topics such as abortion. But Unwind is a thriller. It's packed with action and horror and is guaranteed to leave you questioning the morals of society.
Spoilers! Reader Beware!
Here, Ted and I are going to talk about some specific scenes. If you haven't read Unwind, go do so! Don't spoil it for yourself!
Here we go, then.
Favorite Scenes:
Bill: My favorite scene? Yikes... Well, I do love horror. I think the most memorable scene was when Roland was being unwound. My favorite single moment? Definitely when Connor saw that he had Roland's arm. That was brilliant.
Ted: Yeah... But what I thought was creepier was that he broke up the unwinding with page breaks and timing. 15 minutes in... 28 minutes in... And Roland talking to the nurses while it was going on! So unbelievably creepy.
Bill: *Shudders* Yeah, that scene's not going to leave my mind any time soon. One of the greatest action scenes in the book I think was the one with the Clappers. I mean, they're suicide bombers! And Lev! Good God, the kid's insane.
Ted: I love Lev! I hated him at first, of course, but by the end... I just love him! He's really good friends with Risa too... I like Risa.
Favorite Things About the Book:
Bill: The main characters didn't walk away unscathed. Connor is scarred and lost one of his arms. Risa is paralyzed. Lev's got residual explosive liquid in his body. Hurt and flawed characters are essential in any story. You can't have all the main characters live happily ever after. Life doesn't work that way. Even though it breaks my heart, it makes the story better. Just look at the Hunger Games or Harry Potter!
Ted: My favorite thing about the book was the setting of the story. The world was so different from ours and horrible things are accepted. Everyone takes unwinding as if it's a necessary thing in life. It's that nonchalant consent to it... Jeez, it's disturbing.
Thoughts About The Author:
Bill: Neal Shusterman is a genius. He can get that unnerving scary that sticks with you. My absolute favorite thing about him is his ability to make such quotable sentences:
"Stupid dreams. Even the good ones are bad, because they remind you how poorly reality measures up."
"...One thing you learn when you've lived as long as I have-people aren't all good, and people aren't all bad. We move in and out of darkness and light all of our lives. Right now, I'm pleased to be in the light."
"In a perfect world everything would be either black or white, right or wrong, and everyone would know the difference. But this isn't a perfect world. The problem is people who think it is."
"Sure, I can talk like you, but I choose not to, It's like an art, you know? Picasso had to prove to the world he could paint the right way, before he goes putting both eyes on the side of a face... See if you paint wrong because that's the best you can do, you just a chump. But you do it because you want to? Then you're an artist...You can take that to the grave and dig it up when you need it."
"You can't change laws without first changing human nature.'
-Nurse Greta
'You can't change human nature without first changing the law.'
-Nurse Yvonne"
Ted: The way he writes is really good too. I mean, he'll hit you with this crazy stuff that is simply repulsive... but you can't stop! You have this need to keep reading. His writing is magnetic.
Well, that's all from us on Unwind! Catch ya later.
~Bill and Ted
