I have been on my paranormal kick for a long time...but this Dystopia was awesome!
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.
Where to begin?! The world that Shusterman created was awesome and he really didn't change it drastically from our current world. The biggest thing is obviously that 18 and younger can be "unwound" for several reasons but it isn't considered killing because they "harvest" the body parts and give them to other people to improve the other people's lives.
Conor - now on my fictional boyfriend list - is irrational and impulsive and extremely tough. He causes a pile up on a highway - allowing him to escape the cops but he gets two more teens with him, Risa - a smart, street-tough girl and Lev - someone who wants to be unwound... They all run and as they do, Risa and Conor develop a genuine bond, it's quite beautiful, actually.
Shusterman does a great job creating realistic characters that are not far-fetched at all. I feel that Lev, Conor, and Risa could have been members of my classroom. His craft is awesome - for aspiring writers, I suggest his books for you!
The ending had me begging for a sequel which is going to come out in 2012 - this one was written in 1998 (I think). I was gasping and shocked the last twenty pages of the book. And it left me with a feeling of hope.
Some quick thoughts:
I cant wait for the sequel - Unwholly
I cannot believe how they unwind people
In my head, Risa and Conor have a really intense relationship- i wonder if others think that?
Shusterman has tons of books out and I want to read more of his work -and I am not that girl.
Conor = hott
As they are escaping it reminds me of Diary of Anne Frank and how they tried to survive right under everyone's noses.
Oh this is really interesting. A book I have not heard of until now. :) Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite book! Need I say anymore...
ReplyDeleteShusterman is pretty awesome. I felt the same way when I read Unwind--I was simultaneously horrified and completely obsessed when I read it and I'm COMPLETELY psyched about the sequel. Even though there's less than zero information about it yet.
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