Book Review: UNWIND by Neal Shusterman

A story of life and the nature of organ use is the focus of a dystopian thriller entitled Unwind by Neal Shusterman.

The events take place in the US after the second Civil War, otherwise known as the Heartland War, which was fought over reproductive rights and abortion.

A compromise is eventually reached by the new government allowing parents to sign an order for their children to be “unwound” between the ages of 13 and 18 where their organs will be donated to those who need them. According to the propaganda being dispensed, “unwinds” technically don’t “die” because 100% (or 99.44%) of their body is used, allowing the unwind to live in a “divided state” where the body parts live on in other people. The book follows three main characters and is told with multiple points of view.

The main characters are Connor, Risa, and Lev who are all Unwinds who are going to be unwound, and  the three of them are very different. Connor is a troubled teen whose parents signed the unwind order, Risa is an orphan who was brought up in a state home and was considered not talented enough to live, and Lev is a ”tithe” which means his family brought him into the world for the purpose of unwinding in the name of religion. Despite their differences, they have been brought together as a result of their escape, and the book follows their journey to survive despite what’s been planned for them.

Unwind is recommended to high school-age students or anyone who likes action or adventure. The twists and turns keep readers on the edge of their seat. It does contain violence and implied violence/death so that should be considered. Overall, I would give this book a 9/10 even though the book is very jam packed with action. It is a very beautifully written book at the same time and has some awe moments in it.