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Unwind (Unwind, #1)

Neal Shusterman

Start date: June 10, 2014

Discussion: BUDDY READ: Dystopian/Sci-Fi

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BUDDY READ: Dystopian/Sci-Fi

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* Dystopian/Futuristic/Sci-Fi
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What Members Thought

Jan 04, 2014 Vanessa Gayle ⚔️ Fangirl Faction rated it it was amazing

Shelves: horror, reviewed, young-adult, own-ebook-read, fantasy, favorites, wish-list-physical, science-fiction, dystopian

I don't think that I can put into words the love that I have for this book, but I will certainly try my best. This book is special. Unique. Without a doubt, this book is like nothing that I have read before. I wasn't really certain what to expect when I picked it up. To be simply honest, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. The concept sounded compelling, but I still had my doubts. Needless to say, those doubts have been dashed and slashed to pieces.

What you have to understand about Unwind I don't think that I can put into words the love that I have for this book, but I will certainly try my best. This book is special. Unique. Without a doubt, this book is like nothing that I have read before. I wasn't really certain what to expect when I picked it up. To be simply honest, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. The concept sounded compelling, but I still had my doubts. Needless to say, those doubts have been dashed and slashed to pieces.

What you have to understand about Unwind is that it makes you think. It makes you think hard. It is not one of those light and airy reads and you can blow through and sigh, and then move on to something new without another thought. Unwind lingers in your brain for days after you have read it. It is full of really heart wrenching gray areas. Nothing is ever black and white in this book. You see things happen from so many different points of view.

This theme of this book in centered about Pro-Choice and Pro-Life and what really constitutes "living" and consciousness and when life truly begins. There is no real way for me to describe the way that this book made me feel. I mean, there are really SO MANY feels going on. The amazing thing about this book is the way that it makes you question everything you thought you knew and felt. Everyone has their own stance on this particular issue. I am no different. While reading this book, I found myself questioning the rights and wrongs of each side of the issue. I mean, this book seriously got into my head.

What I liked
I loved reading this in different points of view. I love books that do this on some level. It is sometimes imparative to see things from the other person's point of view to really get the story right in your mind. When things are one sided then it leaves room for prejudice. This book totally satisfied this problem with all of the different points of view.

These characters are intense. They are not all that they seem to be. They are complex and they all bring something very important into the story. The chemistry between all of the different characters is wonderful. All of their interactions felt well paced and natural. The dialogues were great. Nothing that was said sounded out of place.

The pacing in this book is really quite perfect. Nothing felt like it was rushed into, and nothing felt to be happening too slowly. Everything just syncs up flawlessly.

The absolute best thing about this book is the way that it makes you think and question things. This book makes you look at difficult things from another perspective. There is so much to contemplate.

What I didn't like
There is nothing bad that I can say about this book. It has so many awesome things going for it. I have been thinking about it all day and I can't think of a thing that needs improvement. I will say, however, that I was thinking that something could have been added into the story. Even if just mentioned somewhere in the book. With so many unwanted children in the world, I find it strange that child trafficking didn't come up in the book. Since there are so many more small children than before the war, there are that many more children for child traffickers to prey upon. It seems almost too easy for them in this world that Shusterman has created. I know that it is another important issue that doesn't really tie into the issue in the story, but it did cross my mind more than once while reading the book.

Would I Recommend It
In a heartbeat! Yes! I will be honest and say that this book is probably not really for the faint of heart. I personally had a hard time reading a specific scene in this book because it is so horrific and heart wrenching. And I am usually tough as nails. All of that aside, this book is outstanding. It it thought provoking and it makes you feel something real. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 21, 2010 Marla rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: series, adventure, catholic, religion, zz-2013, award-winner, boys, challenged, with-reservations, favorites

Lots of unique story elements and a very discussible (controversial and thought-provoking) book, perfect for book clubs. Story kept me guessing, characters were sympathetic and believable, and 3+ different points of view were fascinating and gave story more depth. WARNING: Chapter 61 is disturbing, consider yourself warned.

This would be a great book for book club! We would discuss it a ton! The ideas about death and a soul are very deep for a YA novel. Loved the reply from ebay about listing a s ...more

1 like · Like · see review

May 12, 2010 Lacey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book was a serious eye opener for me. I've never read a book that quite made me feel like this one. Could you imagine getting betrayed by your own parents and be sent to be "unwound"? In other words, they take apart every piece of your body and sell it away to someone who might need it, whether it be if someone broke their arm or if someone wanted to change thier eyes! Scary to think of isn't it?

Unwind starts out introducing three characters who are about to be sent to be uwound. Connor, th ...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Carly Svamvour rated it it was amazing

Oh, man! Neal Shusterman, you really took me there. A fascinating theme, this story. And this first book is not without a sense of humour;

1)sometime after the 60th chapter (5th disk) the Admiral, proves to Connor that he is not after his teeth - his reaches to his mouth and hurls his dentures to the ground. That's an inside comment - if you're going to read it, you'll think of me, and how amused I am by this, when you come to that part.

Being a denture wearer myself, I found this hilarious.

2)nice ...more

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Mar 20, 2010 Tara rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, 2010-favorites, favorites

This is hauntingly disturbing and thought provoking book. In a world where abortion is retro-active, we follow two teens who are running for their lives, running in order to escape the fate handed to them... being unwound. In an effort to escape they take a hostage, a boy who is a tithe, a child born to be sacrificed (unwound) as a gift to god. Along the way they discover a bit about themselves and what they stand for.
I would hate to give too much away because I think one of the things I enjoye ...more

1 like · Like · see review