Unwind (Unwind Dystology Series, #1) (Unwind Dystology, #1)

by Neal Shusterman

[Angie]

As improbable and unbelievable as I found this society to be, I could not put Unwind down. It brings up a lot of deep questions, which mostly don't have answers. It really made me think about things and question how our own society is run at the same time as I was question how anything in this book would be possible. If you like your Science Fiction to be realistic, this is not it. But if you like it to challenge your beliefs, then definitely give it a try.

I'll start with what kept me from loving Unwind. I just could not buy into this society. I know that's not really the point of the book, but it bothered me. I can't believe that something like the Bill of Life would ever be drafted. In a way, I can see the logic behind it. Pro-Life people think abortion is the worst thing ever, so let's outlaw that. But let's use unwanted teens for their parts so they don't go to waste! Waste not, want not, and all that, but really? "Aborting" a teenager is better than aborting a fetus? I don't think so. Also, how in the world is it possible to keep someone alive while you harvest every single piece of their body? It's not. And if they had synthetic blood for the teens being unwound, why couldn't they give that to patients who need blood rather than taking it from someone else? The only part of this society that I could see actually happening was "storking." There's really nothing to stop young women from dropping off babies at the first house they come across if no one sees them do it.

Anyway. On to what I did like. Unwind is told mainly from three POVs, and I found them all interesting. First up, we have Connor whose parents have decided to have him unwound due to bad behavior and slipping grades. It's messed up, but apparently he'll be of better use in pieces. Second, there's Risa who is an orphan at a state home. There's some budget cuts, so they sign her over since the world doesn't need more musicians. Again, messed up. Finally, and to me the most interesting, is Lev. He's from an overly religious family who believes in donating 1/10 of everything they have, including their children. Lev is set to be their tithe and he believes that this his purpose. That is the most messed up of all. There's also chapters scattered throughout from other POVs, mostly adults who are helping the run away teens or are otherwise involved in their lives, but everything is connected. Nothing is gratuitous or unnecessary. It all adds to the bigger picture.

There's not a whole lot that I can say about Unwind without spoiling it all. I seriously could not put it down as Connor, Risa, and Lev are on the run. Once I thought they were safe, something else would come up and get me back on the edge of my seat. The story is quite disturbing at times, especially when we start to learn the fate of the harvested parts. While I had to suspend belief (quite a bit), I still thought what the author came up with was really interesting. Unwind does read like a standalone, but clearly there's more to come. Luckily, I have the second book handy.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.