Review: Unwind (Unwind Dystology #1) by Neal Shusterman

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Title: Unwind

Series: Unwind Dystology #1

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: November 6, 2007

Pages: 335

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Horror, Fantasy, Thriller

Source: Purchased

Rating: 5

Synopsis
Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives.

The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state, is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.

My Review
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 imperative 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.