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A review by cocoanut7
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
5.0
This book. This book, my friends, is something else. The science fiction aspect of this pales in comparison to the moral dilemmas, characters development, and overall plot of the novel.
Risa, Lev, and Connor all bring such unique personalities to the table that it's really quite unexpected. I thought Connor had such a great mix of charisma and anger. Rather than a lovable, quiet hero which YA seems to really focus on lately, Connor is passionate and no nonsense. He is grumpy and snarky and irritable, but he feels so genuine and he's got some really tender moments that make him quite human. He made me laugh out loud quite a few times as did many of the other characters because they were so sassy. Risa has a delightful level of clear-thinking and kindness while also having enough strength to not let herself be pushed around. I like the level of gentleness she exhibits while also being stubborn. Her blunt statements and clear insights make her a really great female character in a very male-heavy cast. Lev is such an enigma - as the book points out - and his development is both frustrating and entrancing. I hated to see him change throughout the story, but I also hated how naieve he was at the beginning. These characters manage to break some of the recent trends in YA heroes and heroines and I found it quite refreshing.
Characters aside, can we talk about this story? The basic premise is that the debate over abortion was finally resolved by this new law regarding "unwinding." Basically, between the ages of 13-18, parents can sign a form that sends their kid off to be unwound. When you're unwound, doctors literally take you apart bit by bit and use every single part of your body to help someone else. In this way, pro-life people "win" because supposedly no life is lost (as all the parts of someone are used and kept alive? Gross I know) and the pro-choice people "win" because you can choose to eventually unwind your child. Talk about grounds for some deep philosophical and moral thought. Questions begin to unfold (I won't say unwind) that are hard to address. Do we have souls? If so, where does the soul go if you're unwound? Are you still "you" and "alive" if you're split up into tiny pieces all over the world? Doesn't this highlight the importance of life? Or, perhaps more controversially, does it explore the idea that sometimes it's better to allow mothers to choose abortion before forcing their child into an unlucky and unfair circumstance?
Shusterman seems to have a lot of faith in adolescents: this book condemns adults for assuming 13-18 year olds cannot change and that once a delinquent, always a delinquent. Kids with lots of potential get shut down and unwound for mostly selfish reasons. This novel almost argues that kids can make educated decisions as well and that, perhaps, their decisions are a little more pure and untainted. Not only that, but he fights the stereotype of delinquent kids as those who are a burden to their parents - Shusterman seems to say that you cannot give up on these kids because they have just as much potential as the next kid.
Honestly, I think this book is quite fascinating. It has great characters, believable character development, fascinating ethical and moral questions, and a really unique view of what the future can hold. I would recommend it to almost anyone.
Risa, Lev, and Connor all bring such unique personalities to the table that it's really quite unexpected. I thought Connor had such a great mix of charisma and anger. Rather than a lovable, quiet hero which YA seems to really focus on lately, Connor is passionate and no nonsense. He is grumpy and snarky and irritable, but he feels so genuine and he's got some really tender moments that make him quite human. He made me laugh out loud quite a few times as did many of the other characters because they were so sassy. Risa has a delightful level of clear-thinking and kindness while also having enough strength to not let herself be pushed around. I like the level of gentleness she exhibits while also being stubborn. Her blunt statements and clear insights make her a really great female character in a very male-heavy cast. Lev is such an enigma - as the book points out - and his development is both frustrating and entrancing. I hated to see him change throughout the story, but I also hated how naieve he was at the beginning. These characters manage to break some of the recent trends in YA heroes and heroines and I found it quite refreshing.
Characters aside, can we talk about this story? The basic premise is that the debate over abortion was finally resolved by this new law regarding "unwinding." Basically, between the ages of 13-18, parents can sign a form that sends their kid off to be unwound. When you're unwound, doctors literally take you apart bit by bit and use every single part of your body to help someone else. In this way, pro-life people "win" because supposedly no life is lost (as all the parts of someone are used and kept alive? Gross I know) and the pro-choice people "win" because you can choose to eventually unwind your child. Talk about grounds for some deep philosophical and moral thought. Questions begin to unfold (I won't say unwind) that are hard to address. Do we have souls? If so, where does the soul go if you're unwound? Are you still "you" and "alive" if you're split up into tiny pieces all over the world? Doesn't this highlight the importance of life? Or, perhaps more controversially, does it explore the idea that sometimes it's better to allow mothers to choose abortion before forcing their child into an unlucky and unfair circumstance?
Shusterman seems to have a lot of faith in adolescents: this book condemns adults for assuming 13-18 year olds cannot change and that once a delinquent, always a delinquent. Kids with lots of potential get shut down and unwound for mostly selfish reasons. This novel almost argues that kids can make educated decisions as well and that, perhaps, their decisions are a little more pure and untainted. Not only that, but he fights the stereotype of delinquent kids as those who are a burden to their parents - Shusterman seems to say that you cannot give up on these kids because they have just as much potential as the next kid.
Honestly, I think this book is quite fascinating. It has great characters, believable character development, fascinating ethical and moral questions, and a really unique view of what the future can hold. I would recommend it to almost anyone.