Unwind (Unwind, #1) in CLCSC Pasadena Area Book Group

Apr 19, 2009 David rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2009-books, scififantasy, youngadult

Very few books end with me angry and emotionally moved. The last one I remember was 1984. Unwind is a disturbed sample of young adult literature. I would encourage more people to read it. I know some people won't have the fortitude to complete the entire book... but I think the experience is really important. ...more

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Nov 12, 2013 Nick rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, science-fiction, dystopian-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. While I liked most of the characters in the book, I had trouble suspending my disbelief far enough to enjoy the story, because Shusterman's world didn't convince me that you could "get there from here," and just didn't hang together. The adventure story was exciting, but the weaknesses kept getting in the way of my enjoying the story. I only gave it three stars because it has some elements that are legitimately thought-provoking.
As one instance, the religion, medical ethics and science are all p While I liked most of the characters in the book, I had trouble suspending my disbelief far enough to enjoy the story, because Shusterman's world didn't convince me that you could "get there from here," and just didn't hang together. The adventure story was exciting, but the weaknesses kept getting in the way of my enjoying the story. I only gave it three stars because it has some elements that are legitimately thought-provoking.
As one instance, the religion, medical ethics and science are all painfully bad. If you look at his world, NO ONE has any deeply held religious, moral or ethical beliefs. Everything is about convenience, including convenience of ethics. That's the only reason the "compromise" works.
The compromise itself was another problem. A compromise, by its very nature, moves toward a solution that isn't what either side entirely wants, but gives something to both. This one went in a third direction that would have been horribly repugnant to both sides. For story purposes, though, it ended the fighting, so everything's hunky dory.
Then there are the doctors and ministers. Yes, there have been some priests, preachers and rabbis whose morals are "flexible," but ALL of them? The way Shusterman defined the transplant technology calls into question the idea of determining when someone is dead. Is it when the last of their brain dies? When the last body part dies?
Then, there's the religious "tithing" option. The idea that there are enough churches that do this that there are common customs seemed kind of jarring. I mean, if an announcement came out that, say, the Presbyterian Church now endorsed human sacrifice, would all Presbyterians go along with it? Based on human history, the real result would be to splinter the church.
Okay, so allowing for the possibility that all religions somehow agree that the Unwound are non-human, soulless entities that fall outside their faiths, there's the whole point of medical ethics. For reasons never explained, other than to horrify the reader, living transplant donors are dissected under local anesthesia. Surgeons and nurses apparently have no problem with this.
Then, there's Lev. None of the subplots involving him made a lick of sense, mostly because his personality and beliefs change every few pages.
The idea of the "clappers" was interesting, but Shusterman seemed to think that triglycerides are chemically similar to something like nitroglycerin, and also that a high concentration of something like nitroglycerin in the bloodstream, high enough to be explosive, would be both survivable and not detectable. In a world with such a high level of medical technology, that one derailed the whole Clapper concept. ...more

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Aug 04, 2010 Marianne Wallace rated it really liked it

Shelves: adult, young-adult

Do your homework, take out the trash before you're asked, nurture a special talent - do everything you can to ensure your whole self is worth more than your parts. Unlike Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, where organ donation is not a choice, Neal Shusterman's Unwind hits you harder: your parents and society determine whether you have enough value as you are or if it's better to spread you around and give all your little bits and pieces to those in need. And then as a bonus, you - or the parts t ...more

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