Unwind Book Review by Difan Li

 Unwind Book Review by Difan Li

Unwind is the first book in a series written by Neal Shusterman. It is set after what is known as the Heartland War, a war over abortion that ended in a new method called unwinding. Though abortion is no longer legalized, parents have the choice to have their children unwound between the ages of thirteen to eighteen. This means that all the organs of the child are harvested and donated, keeping all of them alive, just “in a divided state.” Connor, one of the main protagonists, is a troubled kid that cannot be controlled with parents that choose to have him unwound for his own good. Risa, a ward of the state, becomes the percentage of excess children shipped off to the harvest camps. Lev, a tithe, grew up knowing his destiny was to be unwound. The story follows these vastly different characters as they come together and struggle to survive the world outside and ultimately, themselves. Though a piece of fiction, the book touches on important subjects and describes a world that is chilling, terrifying, and could all too easily come true. As a dystopian story, it makes us question how our actions may truly bring about this kind of future and how this future is not one that should come to pass at all. This book kept me hooked from the outset and I would highly recommend it to any teenage reader, whether young or even slightly older. It is an incredible series and will surely be something you think back to numerous times even after finishing.