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Unwholly (Unwind Quartet #2)

by Neal Shusterman (Goodreads Author)

4.3 of 5 stars 4.30 · rating details · 7,578 ratings · 1,478 reviews

Thanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa — and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack Harvest Camp — people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of troublesome teens while simultaneously providing much-needed tissues for transplant might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question. However, unwinding has become big business, and t...more

Paperback, 402 pages

Published September 27th 2012 by Simon & Schuster UK (first published August 28th 2012)

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Dec 02, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- marked it as need-to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: to-buy-shelf, dystopian-worlds-hells-and-cesspits

WHOA. I was always hoping there would be a sequel to Unwind (that ending was just too open-ended!!), but now that it's confirmed that there *will be* one. . . Oh my goodness, I'm so excited, and I know nothing about the plot (more twists, turns, and suspense, of course), the timeframe (taking place a few months or YEARS after the first book?), or the characters (same cast or not?). That is definitely the mark of a GREAT first book if I'm wondering about the sequel even YEARS before it may see pr...more

like 75 likes · see review

Feb 02, 2013 Brigid *Flying Kick-a-pow!* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, on-my-kindle, 5-star-books, addicting-as-crack, favorites, young-adult, badass-ladies, sci-fi, futuristic, scared-the-shit-out-of-me

Putting out a sequel five years after the first book came out is pretty risky. And honestly, I was a bit skeptical. I mean sure, I was excited, because I get excited for everything Neal Shusterman writes. But still ... I'd spent several years with Unwind lodged in my brain; even though I read it when it first came out about five years ago, so many of its details are still crystal-clear in my mind. It's such a memorable and brilliant book, and I'd basically put it up on a pedestal. Therefore, I h...more

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Sep 25, 2010 Ammi marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia

Actually, I really like the title :), makes me think of Lev...:)

I don't know whether to rejoice or start crying that there's a sequel to 'the best book ever- no I mean it this time dude', Unwind. Some authors and series should quit while they're ahead *coughMaximumRidecough*. But I'm sure it will be excellent. The ending was very open and that's how I liked it. It allowed hope and optimism.

The only thing I'm dreading is a Risa/Connor sex scene :P.

like 40 likes · see review

Aug 30, 2012 Kenzie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-dudes, favorite-ladies, ouch-my-heart, well-that-was-creepy, all-time-favorites, almost-made-me-cry, starring-my-husbando, read-in-2-days-or-less, packed-with-action, left-me-emotionally-unstable, favorites-2012, couldnt-stop-thinking-about-it, dat-ending, made-me-want-to-punch-someone, fuggin-love-triangle, best-friendships, did-not-see-that-coming, arc-or-bookstore-got-it-early, high-expectations-were-met, riled-the-emotions, great-characters, i-clapped-at-the-end

Getting this out of the way first: Neal Shusterman, I swear, if you make me wait five years for the next book, I will die. Like, actually die.

My expectations were high, high, high for this one, considering how spectacular the first one was. Well, this did not disappoint in the least. Hot. Damn.

Damn it. DAMN IT. Neal Shusterman is an absolute master at two things: introducing a bunch of new characters, more than you'd think you'd be able to handle and it makes you want to groan and just think oh...more

like 45 likes · see review

Sep 02, 2012 Jessica is currently reading it · review of another edition

HOLY...!!!!!!!
No way! No WAY! I can't even type right now, I'm so shocked. Keep having to backspace. I can't believe it. Just when I thought my obsessive waiting for a sequel was over (Been waiting for Mockingjay and read it after almost a year of waiting). I wonder if it'll be the same characters, or if we get new ones.
But wait. I have to wait till 2012! NNNNNNNOOOOOOOooooooo...... (Trails of indefinitly)

Edit Dec 20, 2011: YEA!!!! It's going to be a triology!!!! Yea, yea, yea, yea!!!!

Only 280 m...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Wendy Darling rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-publication, august, dystopian-post-apocalyptic-utopian, male-ya-author, young-adult, ala-2012, read-2012, 2012-favorites, action-packed

4.5 stars Brutal. But spectacular.

Review to come.

like 27 likes · see review

Sep 07, 2012 Maggie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

I felt about UnWholly the way I felt about this season of True Blood.

I kid (and shamelessly take advantage of any opportunity to use an Alexander Skarsgard gif). But for the majority of the season, I was banging my head against the wall and yelling, "Stop trying to make Arlene happen!" And I'm pretty sure ifrit is Arabic for "waste of fucking time." But then just when I'm ready to wipe my hands of the show, it finally wraps up the extraneous storylines and gives me what I really care about -- Er...more

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Sep 19, 2012 April*procrastinator and proud* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: awesomesauce-heroines, best-characters, best-endings, best-male-leads, best-of-2012, book-that-better-be-in-to-movies, books-i-can-t-live-without, books-i-own, character-growth, cliff-hanger-endings, cool-i-dea, dystopia, favorite-authors, favorites, friendship, heart-warming-books, insanity, intense-endings, life-and-death, series, skin-crawlers, so-much-more-than-just-a-book, unpredictable-books, i-don-t-need-sleep-anyways, i-cried-hard, fangirling, favorites-of-2011, favorites-of-2013

This book was perfectly perfect and everything I wanted it to be. When I read this I pretend Lev is older, because if I don't I feel like a pedophile. He

like 13 likes · see review

Oct 09, 2010 ♫ נєηη - ѕσυℓ σƒ ѕσυη∂ ♫ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: actually-interested-in-reading

DSFLAJSDLFKJASDF.

I can't believe there's going to be a sequel! *throws confetti up in the air*

Okay, so Unwind really doesn't need a sequel, but that's okay. I still wanna read it. A lot.

like 18 likes · see review

Aug 23, 2012 Kira marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I CAN'T.

THE EXCITEMENT--

THE JOY--

THE PUPPY-LIKE PEEING--

I JUST--

I--

...FIVE DAYS?

I need to stop abusing capslock.

like 18 likes · see review

Apr 04, 2013 Ariana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, series, dystopia, to-review

A few years ago I read my first dystopian book (Unwind) and it really blew my mind.

The world settling, the characters, the storyline, everything was perfect and in that moment I wished for the book to be part of a series.

My wish came true: a sequel (for one of the most emotional stories) finally found its way to my door and I was able to enjoy once more the terrifying world of unwinding.
Truthfully, I don’t think this story needed a sequel, but of course I did enjoy every single word.

THE GOOD

* T...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Lisa Walsh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: really-want-to-read, young-adult

03/02/11: OH-MY-GOD! A sequel?! Normally, I would expect and/or want a sequel for great book, but Unwind was just so frickin' PERFECT that I didn't think it needed a sequel. But HOLY-MOTHER-OF-JESUS! I can't wait! Sad that it's coming out next year, but I know it will be worth the wait! :D

----------------

06/11/12: I honestly have no words. I loved this book. I loved how to characters from the previous book have grown, I loved the general plot and story; I honestly can not praise this series enou...more

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May 24, 2011 Denise Chavis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I heard Neal Shusterman a few weeks ago. He said in this book he will take it to a new level with something called organ printing. He told us to look it up. I did, and here is what I found. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/stor... I can't wait to see where he goes with this. For all who did not want a sequel, he did not plan one at first, but his mind starting going in this new direction, and he must write!

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Sep 25, 2012 Annalisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, dystopia, speculative, guy-lit

3.5

I always categorize authors into two groups: those who are awesome storytellers and those who are beautiful writers. Sometimes authors can be a little but of both, but usually they are one or the other. Shusterman is definitely a storyteller, and an exceptional one at that. When I heard he was writing a sequel to Unwind, I was a little worried he'd milk the story into a trilogy when there wasn't much to add, but when asked why, he said there was still more to the story he wanted to tell. I co...more 3.5

I always categorize authors into two groups: those who are awesome storytellers and those who are beautiful writers. Sometimes authors can be a little but of both, but usually they are one or the other. Shusterman is definitely a storyteller, and an exceptional one at that. When I heard he was writing a sequel to Unwind, I was a little worried he'd milk the story into a trilogy when there wasn't much to add, but when asked why, he said there was still more to the story he wanted to tell. I could picture him sitting in his writing cave imagining a future for Connor and Risa and Lev, holding on to this world he'd created because it was larger than himself, something that lived and breathed on its own. That's the kind of sequel I like to read.

At first Unwholly read a whole lot like Unwind version 2, but once Cam was introduced the story changed. He was my favorite character, probably because he was the most fleshed out, the most complicated, in a way that none of Shusterman's characters have ever felt for me (even if I did have trouble picturing his blended skin and hair). I was at times fascinated, disgusted, sympathetic, and annoyed with him. And he gave me a lot to think about. I contemplated his meaning to this whole Unwind universe and I'm not sure I like what it brought to the discussion.

(view spoiler)

While I was into this story and enjoyed it immensely, I knew it wouldn't reach the level of Unwind. Here, I was a little more aware of Shusterman's at-times clunky writing, his plot formula, and his less-than-perfect characterization. It's worth it for the story though. There are some strong villains here and unexpected turns. I like that the story took me someplace I wasn't expecting. I can't wait to read the conclusion.(less)

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Nov 10, 2012 Kyle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, awesome-cover, awesome-writing-style, boring, dystopian, massive-dissapointment, need-the-sequel-to-live, overhyped, really-excited, sequel-not-as-good, where-for-art-thou-plot

To read this review and more, visit my tiny little corner of the blogosphere Living Is Reading!

You know, I had a very full-length review of this book written, but my brother is pissed at me and when I stepped away from the computer for five minutes he got on and deleted it. So, I can't possibly re-write it all, I'm just going to tell you briefly what I disliked, why it was dissapointing and what is good enough that I'll read the final book.

I didn't enjoy how the new characters felt like charact...more To read this review and more, visit my tiny little corner of the blogosphere Living Is Reading!

You know, I had a very full-length review of this book written, but my brother is pissed at me and when I stepped away from the computer for five minutes he got on and deleted it. So, I can't possibly re-write it all, I'm just going to tell you briefly what I disliked, why it was dissapointing and what is good enough that I'll read the final book.

I didn't enjoy how the new characters felt like characters from the first book, yet didn't evoke any emotion from me. Starkey is a mix between Connor and Roland, Miracolina is a more annoying version of Lev when he was a tithe, Lev is beginning to resemble a mix of Connor/The Admiral, Connor reminds me too much of The Admiral, and I felt like the only characters who brought something new to the table was Cam, Nelson, and Risa.

Too many unneseecary POVs. I think you could completely cut Miracolina out of the book and not miss too much. Her storyline was wrapped up so neatly it was ridiculous. Starkey . . . I fucking hate this guy. Seriously, he's just as bad as Roland, but at least I could muster up some sympathy for Roland in the first book when (view spoiler) Seriously, if this guy doesn't die in the next book, I will be dissapointed. I understood where some of his animosity came from, but this dude clearly has some mental unstability/anger issues.

Pacing is too all over the place. Sometimes it would be like a rocket, others like watching paint dry. Too much exposition because of all the new characters, and those first two opening chapters were literally 2/3 of Unwind in 45 pages. Even in the middle it was a little sluggish.

I lost the emotional connection I had during Unwind. The first book is easily one of my favorite books of all time, my favorite dystopian of all time, and potentially one of my favorite reads of 2012. This book . . . I couldn't even muster up the emotional connection I had for characters I had the connection in the first one!

Still, the plot twists and final 1/4 of this book saved it from being a complete disaster. However, it is obvious that it should've just stayed as one book. If you have read and loved Unwind and don't own the sequel, and the library doesn't have it, I wouldn't reccomend reading this. Trust me, it'll just completely taint your memory of Unwind.

Where Unwind is probably my favorite read of 2012, UnWholly is the biggest dissapointment. I'll still stick around for UnSouled but I'm not salivating over it like this one.(less)

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Sep 13, 2012 Raeleen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, received-as-gift, 2012, favorites, sexy-cover, made-me-cry

June 7, 2012
I want this... I want this so baaAAaaAAD, it's driving me mad.

September 8, 2012 (just finished)
My emotions are so confused. See---> ):( TOO MANY FEELS IN DIS BOOK.

VIDEO REVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfmpZ...

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Aug 08, 2010 Enna Isilee (Squeaky Books) marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: review-pile

What?! All you authors are killing me! Writing sequels to perfectly good books. *sigh*

like 5 likes · see review

Apr 10, 2013 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sequel-must-reads, awesome-covers, didn-t-see-that-coming, oh-so-meh

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
3.5 stars
I was disappointed. Unwind was such a well written and developed book so I had extremely high expectations for this. UnWholly takes off with a boy named Starkey, he's heard of the Akron AWOL and he thinks that he is dead from what he heard in the media. I had a mini hearth attack reading that but it's alright! False alarm.

Starkey is annoying. I could just stop there because its just the plain truth, but let me elaborate. He fools Connor, is single m...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Scott Pilgrim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alternating-povs, favorites, dystopia-post-apocalyptic, must-read-2012, male-pov, science-fiction

Find this review & others at Scott Reads It
I still have to process how incredible this book was.
Unwholly is a roller coaster ride of a novel. This book will tear you up again and again. Unwholly picks up where Unwind left off: Connor is in charge of the graveyard, Risa is in a wheelchair, and Lev has become a symbol of the down fall of society.
I really loved how Neal Shusterman showed us more of the characters of Unwind and they seemed alot more developed than in Unwind. Besides the retu...more Find this review & others at Scott Reads It
I still have to process how incredible this book was.
Unwholly is a roller coaster ride of a novel. This book will tear you up again and again. Unwholly picks up where Unwind left off: Connor is in charge of the graveyard, Risa is in a wheelchair, and Lev has become a symbol of the down fall of society.
I really loved how Neal Shusterman showed us more of the characters of Unwind and they seemed alot more developed than in Unwind. Besides the returning characters from Unwind there is also a whole new bunch of characters. One of the new characters is Cam a "rewound"- a person made from parts of different unwinds. At the same time I hated and really liked Cam, I hated what he represented but loved his personality!
This book has tons of insane and epic action sequences. This book isn't only action there alot of dramatic scenes that really messed me up. I love how Neal Schusterman added Pro-Unwinding articles between sections of the book. Also if you read Unwind a while ago the book has a bit of a recap in the beginning which was very helpful. Another aspect of this book that was really fantastic was the alternating point of view. The alternating point of view helped you see into the mind of many AWHOLS and pro Unwinding people. I really got a clear sense of the world of Unwinding from the alternating pov. Possibly one of the greatest parts of the book is you find out why Unwinding started, yes in Unwind they explained it but in Unwholly you get a better sense is how could anyone want to unwind someone.
I need Unbroken right now. I have a feeling that Unbroken will make me feel unwinded and then rewound. Neal Shusterman has a reputation of messing with my emotions with his Unwind books. I really want to read all of Neal Schusterman's books and I think I will start with the Skinjacker Trilogy. Hopefully there won't be a 5 year wait until Broken but who knows?
I recommend Unwholly for those who loved Unwind and are ready to be brutally torn apart with emotions. This is definitely one of the best dystopias I ever read and that's a big deal considering I have read a decent amount. I think Unwholly surpassed Unwind in all aspects! There's tons of great dialogue, plot, action, adventure, emotional scenes, and so much more. Unwholly is one of those great books that once you finish you're not really done because you won't be able to stop thinking about it. Unwholly is practically everything a book needs (except for a sneak peek of Unbroken).
5/5 Stars
(less)

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Sep 14, 2012 Kait rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, all-time-favorites

I can't decide if I'm more excited or worried about this book.
Unwind is one of my favorites & I was pretty satisfied with the ending even though it was open-ended. Please, oh please, don't let it be tainted by a sub-par follow up.

----------

I've been waiting to read this follow up to Unwind for almost five years, even though I actually didn't know I was waiting until year three. I was very concerned going into this book. How can any book match the genius that is Unwind? Will this be another m...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, dystopia, sci-fi, series, series-book-2, yes, 5-star-faves, 5-stars, read-in-2012, signed-by-author

So I have to admit that reviewing Unwholly feels nearly impossible in some ways...so much happens and from so many perspectives, that putting it all together in a review feels impossible, not to mention I don't want to inadvertently insert any spoilers! Reviews of this book are probably better left to the extremely talented reviewers on here, rather than my very amateur self haha, so that being said, I will just give a brief review of how I felt about this book and what I loved about it :).

Unwho...more So I have to admit that reviewing Unwholly feels nearly impossible in some ways...so much happens and from so many perspectives, that putting it all together in a review feels impossible, not to mention I don't want to inadvertently insert any spoilers! Reviews of this book are probably better left to the extremely talented reviewers on here, rather than my very amateur self haha, so that being said, I will just give a brief review of how I felt about this book and what I loved about it :).

Unwholly continues the story of Unwind and with an additional cast of characters who weren't present in the first book. Some of these new characters are VERY unlikable and they are so well written that I genuinely felt angry with them. It was difficult to read from the bad guy's point of view (it would have been like having Roland's point of view in Unwind) and it can make for a difficult read, but it also provides a great deal of insight into the manipulation and destruction these psychos are capable of. And of course, we read from Lev's, Risa's and Connor's viewpoints again as well. I feel the frequent changing of viewpoints with such a large cast of characters both worked for this book and didn't...it built up the suspense and gave me a better understanding of the motivations of different types of people, but at times I felt a bit bored or felt like I just wanted to get back to Connor, Risa or Lev. What I loved about the character development in this book is that I feel like I truly got to know these characters so much better than I did in book 1, particularly Lev. Even by the end of Unwind, I didn't have strong feelings one way or the other toward Lev, but he is quickly becoming perhaps my favorite character in this series - there is something so endearing about him!

While I don't want to give anything away, this book also reveals MANY of the motivations and reasoning behind things you may have wondered in the first book (such as why they allow the Graveyard to exist) and it's explained in such a way that it easy to understand and believable.

One of my favorite little extras in this book was all of the little advertisements and news articles peppered throughout. The articles were in fact the most disturbing aspect to me in some ways, as they were real articles - I clicked on the links and it took me to the original articles - which really made me see how our World could get from here to there...talk about terrifying!

I also love that the author didn't feel the need to have some absolutely ridiculous cliffhanger. He clearly understands that he can end with some semblance of closure, even if there are some open-ended aspects and people will still buy the next book. Many authors don't seem to get this and it makes me mad :P!

I have to say that overall this is one of my favorite middle books I've ever read in a trilogy - it definitely didn't suffer from the typical scenario of the middle book being the weakest link. I didn't go in with very high expectations, because I thought that there was no way any follow-up could live up to the original and I didn't want to be disappointed. I realized by the end that I had nothing to worry about, because this book is incredible and on par with the original. I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait for the final installment!!
(less)

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Apr 25, 2012 Karin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads, dystopian, youngadult, science-fiction

UNWHOLLY is a book I’ve been waiting for since 2008 when I finished UNWIND. Neal Shusterman really set the bar high with UNWIND and I was hoping he could keep up the momentum with the next book in the trilogy. Well, he didn’t let me down.

UNWHOLLY picks up where UNWIND left off. Shusterman does a great job catching up the reader so you don’t feel lost. However, I still recommend reading UNWIND before diving into this book. Since it doesn’t come out until August you have time to read it now. This...more UNWHOLLY is a book I’ve been waiting for since 2008 when I finished UNWIND. Neal Shusterman really set the bar high with UNWIND and I was hoping he could keep up the momentum with the next book in the trilogy. Well, he didn’t let me down.

UNWHOLLY picks up where UNWIND left off. Shusterman does a great job catching up the reader so you don’t feel lost. However, I still recommend reading UNWIND before diving into this book. Since it doesn’t come out until August you have time to read it now. This review is intentional vague. I don’t want to spoil anything for people who haven’t read either book.

After a terrible war between the Pro-Life people and the Pro-Choice people, an agreement was made to add The Bill of Life to the Constitution. Basically, life is protected from conception until the age of 13. Once a child reaches 13 a parent then has the right to Unwind their child. Unwinding is a process where the child officially remains alive – but in a “divided state.” Every part of the body is harvested at a Harvest Camp and preserved and later used for people that need replacement parts. For instance, if someone is suffering from heart failure – instead of have bypass surgery you just get a new heart that once belonged to a child that was Unwound. A parent or legal guardian can sign the unwinding order until the child reaches 18 (now 17 after an amendment because of developments in UNWIND). Chilling, huh? Well, just wait!!

UNWHOLLY follows the characters we connected with in the first book, Lev, Connor, and Risa. They face horrible and dangerous situations at every turn. Shusterman provides us with several new characters – some you grow to like and others you grow to hate. Together, they are forced to make ethical decisions that will determine whether they live or die (a.k.a. live in a divided state).

This book brings up questions about what it means to be alive. How far would you go to survive? Would you take a new arm, new spine, new eye knowing they came from a kid between the ages of 13 and 17? A kid that became too much trouble for the parents? A kid that didn’t want to “die” anymore than you do? It really makes you think.

Absolutely fantastic! That is all I can say. If you liked UNWIND then you’ll love UNWHOLLY. If you haven’t read UNWIND yet, get on it NOW!(less)

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Dec 27, 2012 Kayla rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Once again, Shusterman I love you.

Unwwholly starts off about a year after Unwind or something? Maybe a few 8 months or so. Anyways, the beginning was a little bit boring to me, but the book as a whole made up for it. I enjoyed the new characters. Shusterman has a way of introducing new people without having the reader saying WHERE'S THE MAIN CHARACTER FOR FUCK'S SAKE, which is just plain awesome. Once again, the multiple point of views did the story justice, everyone of them were important to th...more

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Oct 23, 2010 Victoria marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: can-t-wait

OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!!! HOLY CRAP!!! I'm so excited right now!!!!!! It just sucks that it doesn't come out 'til 2012. I can't wait that long!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And one other thing that bugs me is that, will they make a movie out of the book??!??! I really hope so!!!!!! And if they do they better not make it look low budget or very stupid. I just hope that, if they do its just as good as the book.

But other than that i'm pshyched!!!!!!!!

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Aug 28, 2012 Saniya(Will Herondale is mine) marked it as to-read · review of another edition

OMFG! THE AWESOME ~~FUCKING~~ TRAILER! SHIT! THE DOCTORS IN THE END! I AM SCREAMING WITH EXCITEMENT RIGHT NOW! O__O <33
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgc3Rf...
I.want.this.freaking.awesome.book.right.now!
I.want.to.read.this.freaking.awesome.book.right.now! xD

****EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE****
I am so excited!!! :DD

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Oct 03, 2011 Clickety marked it as to-find · review of another edition

Okay, I am NOT as stoked as everyone else seems to be. Unwind struck me as a stand-alone story. I'll definitely be interested to see what Shusterman does with this, but... well. There have been a LOT of series lately that went sharply downhill after the first book.

I hope this one provides a pleasant surprise.

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Jan 04, 2013 Scarlet rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites, made-me-cry, beautiful-endings, chills-n-thrills, best-of-ya, 5-stars-worthy, 2012-releases, it-stays-with-you, best-books-i-read-this-year

I could not have asked for a better book to start 2013 with.

Unwholly is a SPECTACULAR sequel to Unwind.

Gut-wrenching. Disturbing. Cruel.

Beautiful. Inspiring. Profound.

But more importantly, Thought-provoking.

And here are just some of the things that this book made me think about: Ethics. The Sanctity of Life. Parenting. Rebellion. Retribution. Corruption. Power. Terrorism. Religion.

I know, deep down, that this cruel, horrible world that Neal Shusterman has imagined does not exist. I don’t want it...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Trisha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: shopping-spree

I really enjoyed Unwind, so I was ready to get my hands on #2 as soon as I could!

Unwholly is altogether a new book to me. Same world, some of the same characters - but they are all different. I loved the new additions - Cam, Trace, Roberta (Okay, no I hated her), and Starkey (okay, no, I hated him too). Nice to be back with Connor and Risa.

But this series has taken a very dark turn. I guess it was necessary. War and fighting - especially when we are fighting for the lives and wellfare of kids -...more

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Sep 14, 2012 kari rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, 5-star, ya

It was with some mixed feelings that I started this sequel. Unwind was so perfectly done that I wondered whether another book could equal it, not only in the power of the storytelling, but the concepts that are put forth. I shouldn't have been concerned as this is every bit as good if not better than the first and builds on the ideas there.
What does it mean to be human? Do humans have souls? Where does the soul reside if the body if unwound?
These are deep questions and the book doesn't answer th...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Lawrence rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, dystopia, sci-fi

This was an enormous disappointment for me. I had really waited for about a year for this one to come out, and read it within a few weeks of it's release. Maybe my expectations were too high? Or maybe the author was just phoning it in on this one.

Something which struck me immediately was that the first chapter summarizes this hero-esque unwind and his brush-with cum escape-from the cops, life on the run, and then winding up at the graveyard. In the first book, that took two thirds of the book, a...more

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About Neal Shusterman

Award-winning author Neal Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he began writing at an early age. After spending his junior and senior years of high school at the American School of Mexico City, Neal went on to UC Irvine, where he made his mark on the UCI swim team, and wrote a successful humor column. Within a year of graduating, he had his first book deal, and was hired to write a movi...more Award-winning author Neal Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he began writing at an early age. After spending his junior and senior years of high school at the American School of Mexico City, Neal went on to UC Irvine, where he made his mark on the UCI swim team, and wrote a successful humor column. Within a year of graduating, he had his first book deal, and was hired to write a movie script.

In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.

As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.

Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.

Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”

Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.

Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.

Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."

And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.

Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!(less)

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Trivia About UnWholly

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Quotes from UnWholly

“Words don't hurt you." Which is one of the hugest criminal lies perpetrated by adults against children in this world. Because words hurt more than any physical pain.” — 88 people liked it

“The measure of a man is not how much he suffers in the test, but how he comes out at the end.” — 40 people liked it

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Unwholly (Unwind Quartet #2)

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