Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

5 reviews

mokiethe_dog34's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Very good book. Well written and brilliantly paced. However, I am now traumatised and very concerned for what was going on in the author’s head when he wrote this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Hate crime, Suicide, and Ableism

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Sexual assault

dark_marble_eyes's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

I've seen this book as recommended reading for young adults/teens quite a lot, and I can see some merit in it. The main problem with this book is that it doesn't overtly take a stance, yet is promoted as a "conversation starter" on the subject/concept of abortion, the could-be alternatives, and the people on "either side" of the argument. It is purposefully written in such a way that somehow both anti-legal abortion and pro-legal abortion people regularly point to this book as a "see here! this is arguing my point!"
However, it comes across to me as a work written by someone who is either not invested in the issue or only invested in the way that it's a profitably inflammatory subject.

I cannot speak to the original intentions for the book and its sequels, but the opinion I personally have formed after reading the book, some interviews of the author, and the reactions of others, is that it lacks integrity of belief. I do believe that books written with intentional ambiguity can be helpful and valuable -just not this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Suicide, Child death, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Ableism, Death, Abortion, Pregnancy, Police brutality, and Suicide

Minor: War

in relation to my tag on mass/school shootings- I do not remember there being specific mention of school shootings themselves, but there are people called "clappers" who are essentially suicide bombers in this universe who will go to schools or public areas and clap, activating [nitroglycerin?] in their bloodstream causing combustion and explosion.

anniereads221's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Ableism, Blood, Murder, Medical content, Abortion, Body horror, Bullying, Violence, Torture, Kidnapping, Gore, Sexual assault, and Grief

touchegiantsquid's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

The book tries to "both sides" the debate between pro and anti choice laws for the sake of thrills. I would not say it handled that well.

It's hard to take this dystopia seriously since it seems to lack any theory of how politics works. It's just "what if a bunch of terrible things happened? Wouldn't that be terrible?" It doesn't seem to have anything to say about the debate, it just wants to use it to give the appearance of synthesis at the conclusion.

The craft of the conclusion was good, which is why I didn't rate the book lower.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Ableism, Blood, Kidnapping, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Confinement, Death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Body horror, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Violence, and Suicide

magnoliabloomfield's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

While it deals with some very delicate and controversial subjects, the author has characters express a range of thoughts, opinions, and feelings on the matter so it doesn’t come across as the author being problematic. Since it was written a while ago it may not have our current level of sensitivity in 2022, but if you keep that in mind and engage your critical thinking I think you can really find the story fascinating if not entertaining. It hooked me pretty well and then toward the end was a chapter that really blew my mind and terrified me in a good way, it was very skillfully done and amazing though dark and terrifying. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Abortion, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts