Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

22 reviews

cozyscones's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Child death, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Medical content

Minor: Racism and Abortion

malik12345's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Mass/school shootings, and Violence

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Murder

bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition

dark hopeful tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, War, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Medical content, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Child death, Child abuse, Murder, and Racism

ronniek's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Murder, and Child death

dark_marble_eyes's review against another edition

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.

moonytoast's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

3.75

i don't think there's ever been a more apt time to read this series than right now.... RTC

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Bullying, Child death, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Death, Confinement, and Body horror

Minor: Child abuse, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Blood, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

oliverreeds's review against another edition

dark hopeful tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Car accident, Confinement, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Abortion, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Violence

kshertz's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I am obsessed with Neil schusterman currently. His books make you think, his dystopia is entirely plausible and this is no exception. The concept of not allowing for abortions was hard to hear especially right now. The bill of life and storking so painful because they were not at all hard to comprehend. To see that children might then become disposable for parts, scary but still possible. I could not put this book down and see it for the warning it is. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Abandonment, Body horror, Gore, Child abuse, Death, Murder, Blood, Child death, Medical trauma, Medical content, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Violence

cepbreed's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I really love Neal Shusterman, I love the YA dystopia genre and I miss its golden age. Doesn't mean this doesn't hold up today! I really enjoyed this book and finished it in one school day so I think I'll finish the second tomorrow, but I'm interested to see how the series continues, this didn't exactly end in a way that needs continuation. I bet it's a new cast of characters. If that's the case I'm really going to miss the intellect and the impulse. How in the hell did Shusterman manage to sneak a fake-dating trope in a dystopia and why did I love it so much!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Body horror, Bullying, Gaslighting, Medical content, Murder, Violence, Abandonment, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Abortion, and Sexual assault

Minor: Blood, Gun violence, and War

_morgan's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, Violence, Child death, Murder, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Confinement and Abandonment

Minor: Grief, Gun violence, Abortion, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury