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Unwind (Unwind, #1)

Neal Shusterman

Start date: May 1, 2010

Finish date: May 31, 2010

Discussion: MONTHLY BOOK DISCUSSIONS

Why we're reading this: Won for May book read
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MONTHLY BOOK DISCUSSIONS

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What Members Thought

Oct 18, 2010 Cassi aka Snow White Haggard rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopian, read-in-2011

This was the type of book that I had trouble putting down--which was good because I'd been on a bit of an up and down rollercoaster with books lately. Some I loved (Chaos Walking), some I felt disappointed by (The Replacements). Unwind really captured my attention, keeping me up for just one more chapter (when I am old enough to know that it a slippery slope).

The character are well developed and interesting. While we don't learn everything that led to Connor's parents decision to Unwind him, we This was the type of book that I had trouble putting down--which was good because I'd been on a bit of an up and down rollercoaster with books lately. Some I loved (Chaos Walking), some I felt disappointed by (The Replacements). Unwind really captured my attention, keeping me up for just one more chapter (when I am old enough to know that it a slippery slope).

The character are well developed and interesting. While we don't learn everything that led to Connor's parents decision to Unwind him, we see enough of his personality to figure it out. But what's interesting about Connor--his rash forgetting to think moments are just as prone to heroics as problems. He's just as good a kid as he is a bad kid--only in this world parents take no responsibility for their kids shortcomings.

The unfairness of Risa's situation might be the most obvious, but all three characters have been wronged by the adults who were suppose to protect them. Risa had no parents or no one to love her. Lev's parents never even gave him a chance though, raising him as a tithe on a set path with no chance to discover himself or become his own person.

The best thing about this book is the way it raises questions. I haven't researched Neal Shusterman's political views but I have a guess. However the novel never falls into preachy or political prose. It puts questions about life and the soul out there, but doesn't tell the reader what to think. As a reader I prefer open ended questions because too often people try to oversimplify these issues.

Now there were a few points that bothered me with this book that really held it back from being a 5 star read.

1. I have trouble believing that the pro-life & pro choice crowd would agree on the Bill of Life. I know they try to deal with this in the novel but to me that decision never makes sense. The whole novel is based on the Bill of Life--but this issue doesn't hold the novel back as much as it could (and maybe should) because the story is just so compelling even if the basis doesn't make much sense.

2. In the Judeo-Christian (Abrahamic) tradition there is no practice of human sacrifice. It's one of the thing that separated the God of Abraham from all the other religions of the time. So to say their are rabbis and all kinds of religions that are participating in what is essentially human sacrifice just doesn't work from a theological standpoint. Read more about Abraham/Isaac here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binding_...

3. Unwind is not futuristic enough. Considering they have developed this whole process of Unwinding and replacing human body parts, everything else in the novel Unwind seems strangely un-futuristic.

4. Changing the names of races seemed unnecessary and intruded into the text.

Overall you can tell that I did in fact love this book. But the misunderstanding of the theology and my disbelief in the Bill of Life made loving this book harder. In fact it made me question whether I should love a book with so many flaws. But sometimes story wins over logic and that's the case with Unwind. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Apr 15, 2010 Ariel Acupan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This novel tries to resolve a very much debated question: is it right to end a life if it's still unborn and unwanted?

PRO-LIFE VS PRO-CHOICE

ANSWER: "THE BILL OF LIFE"

"It states that the human life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of thirteen. However, between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, a parent may choose to retroactively "abort" a child . . . on the condition that the child's life doesn't "technically" end. The process by which This novel tries to resolve a very much debated question: is it right to end a life if it's still unborn and unwanted?

PRO-LIFE VS PRO-CHOICE

ANSWER: "THE BILL OF LIFE"

"It states that the human life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of thirteen. However, between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, a parent may choose to retroactively "abort" a child . . . on the condition that the child's life doesn't "technically" end. The process by which a child is both terminated and yet kept alive is called unwinding."

This is the first novel that I've read written by Neal Shusterman and I really don't know what to expect. After reading the first chapter I got hooked already. It fascinates me how he always try to merge the line dividing insanity and possibility, making all of his ideas (even though not thoroughly explained) believable. He taunts your mind to imagine things so morbid and creepy you would want to stop reading just to remove the thoughts but still read it simply because you want to know every gory details and there's nothing you would want to miss.

A great book, I enjoyed reading it even though there's a lot of disturbing parts but I think those are the one that makes this book so unique for me. The idea of having a kid for the sole purpose of being an organ donor is not new to me (My Sister's Keeper), it was the way it was presented that makes the difference. It could also make you sympathize with the "unwinds," to feel their pain, the state of being unloved, be angry, disgusted, scared and the feeling of being worthless. Shusterman also makes an effort and succeeded on making every character on this novel interesting because they have their own story to tell. There are also parts of the book that stands out. I like how the three main characters (Connor, Risa and Lev) ended being together when they escaped (or on the case of Lev, kidnapped) being unwound. Also the rumored story of Humphrey Dunfee, how twisted and sick it was. Same goes with the part where the Admiral shows Connor the "crate." It was the most disturbing part for me, the picture that my mind imagined it would look like keeps popping in my head. I also like the part when Roland was being unwind part by part, organ after organ while he is conscious (it reminds me of the movie "Awake," the only difference was that in "Awake" the patient was in a state called anesthesia awareness). Lastly, I really like the Akron AWOL story that inspires the "terribles" to revolt against the system at Happy Jack Harvest Camp after the clappers detonates and for me it is the climax of the book.

I'd give it a two thumbs up and if I could raise my feet with them,I just might. ^_^ ...more

2 likes · Like · see review