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    Unwind
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    Unwind
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    Unwind
    Audiobook10 hours

    Unwind

    Written by Neal Shusterman

    Narrated by Luke Daniels

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    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 talented 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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateNov 1, 2009
    ISBN9781423373117
    Author

    Neal Shusterman

    Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty award-winning books for children, teens, and adults, including the Unwind dystology, the Skinjacker trilogy, Downsiders, and Challenger Deep, which won the National Book Award. Scythe, the first book in his series Arc of a Scythe is a Michael L. Printz Honor Book. He also writes screenplays for motion pictures and television shows. Neal is the father of four, all of whom are talented writers and artists themselves. Visit Neal at StoryMan.com and Facebook.com/NealShusterman.

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    Reviews for Unwind

    4/5

    1,772 ratings222 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Holy buckets, this is a disturbing read! It’s YA, but I loved the writing style, the main characters, and the whole premise of the book is just terrifying.
    • 4/5
      Well, this YA novel has one doozy of a premise. It seems the United States fought a civil war over reproductive rights and abortion, with both sides ending up the losers. In the end, a bizarre "compromise" was worked out. Now, life is considered inviolate from the moment of conception until the age of thirteen. But if, at that point, the kid isn't working out, you can have them "unwound": basically, cut up for parts. Since every single part of the person is still alive, wherever they might end up, they're technically not dead, so it's okay. Right?Which sounds like a particularly pointed political satire, but, oddly, it isn't. There is a bit of mocking commentary on the way in which we've let issues like this divide us, but Shusterman somehow manages not to come down one way or the other on the whole pro-life/pro-choice debate. I can't decide whether that's rather clever, or just deeply disingenuous.Either way, it's a premise as absurd as it is horrifying, and Shusterman piles a few more absurdities on top of it all, too, in ways that give the suspension of disbelief quite a workout. But what he does with those absurdities isn't bad. The plot is a variation on a fairly common YA dystopia kids-on-the-run narrative, and more than a little rambly, but it's interesting enough. The writing is very readable, if perhaps a bit too prone to summarizing events the author wants to skim over. It definitely gets some points from me for not insisting on the usual tedious YA love triangle, for whatever that's worth, and the little bit of romance there is didn't annoy me the way it sometimes does. It also features one scene that is possibly one of the most effectively, disturbingly, hauntingly horrific things I've read in recent memory. Overall, I'd probably call the novel just "not bad," but that bit was genuinely impressive.I should point out that this is actually the first book in a series. But while it definitely ends with a sequel hook, it stands on its own well enough. I'm not sure if I'm going to want to continue on with the later books or not.
    • 5/5
      I teach high school ELA, and I cannot keep this book in my classroom for more than five minutes. I get engrossed in the story, and they do too.
    • 5/5
      This book has a pretty controversial plot line, but I thougt it was excellent. It's about a society where the Pro-Choice and Pro-Life groups come to an agreement. Abortion of infants is no longer legal, however, when a child reaches the age of 13, if the parents so choose, the child will be unwound. Unwound, meaning they are taken apart piece by piece and harvested for other uses. If the child can reach the age of 18, by law, they can't be unwound. The book follows three unwinds on a journey to escape being unwound, and ultimately find a purpose for their lives that their parents so willingly gave away.
    • 5/5
      I very much liked this book, but the play on words in this first book seemed to catch me off. Granted, the book was great and I felt very much into it. So, I really cannot complain. The story line is magnificent, and the plot kept me on edge the whole time.
    • 4/5
      I read this book because it seems like something my high school students would like and be drawn into. Unwind was recommended to me by the VP who is looking for a good book to do a Whole-School Read; that means everyone in our school building (both teachers and students) read a book and then discuss it in their various classes. We also read it because there is no movie version yet, but a film is in production. Sometimes you have to give kids something to look forward to!As a reader, I was riveted by this book. Even with a busy schedule (and while reading a couple of other books), I got through it in just a few days. It is a longish book for students who don't like to read; but if a student gets into it, there will be a huge payoff for teachers like me... because there are a bunch of sequels in the series! I'm taking this to school to add to my classroom library. Can't wait to see what the kids think!
    • 3/5
      Hard to over come the ridiculous premise but once I got over that I came to like the characters and most of the plot was unexpected.
    • 5/5
      read this a while ago, all I can remember is that it was a really weird book, but very interesting nonetheless.
    • 5/5
      This book is a great read. While the premise of the story is creepy and unwinding seems like something people would never ever agree to the book is well written and the world is made believable to the reader. Initially I found the large number of characters perspectives confusing however this worked well to paint a rich picture of the world and the range of ethics and beliefs of the people that make up the world. Unwind is interesting, creepy and thought-provoking.
    • 4/5
      So basically this book is about this future society where abortion is outlawed. So instead of abortion parents will send their child to a harvest camp where they will be unwind into pieces. Later on the pieces will be install into another needed human being. I think this book has a really cool concept and I think this issue is very important in today's society. I had the pleasure to met with the author at a convention and he said that he got inspired by an article which is very cool.
    • 5/5
      Seriously thought provoking series and something you could easily imagine in the future. I even discussed this with my husband who only reads in the bathroom. Ha! Reaches across all age groups and makes for some good debates.
    • 5/5
      I downloaded the first few chapters of this novel from Amazon, and immediately bought it.There are only a few novels that really stick with me days and weeks after I read it, and this was one of them. While the beginning premise may have been a little unrealistic, I turned the page and quickly became engrossed in the characters, the plot, and the ethics of the world that I was immersed in.Images that will haunt me forever: the band playing as the kids marched into the building to be unwound, the description of the unwinding process, the celebration party where all the "parts" of a certain child were brought back together, and the story of a child that was raised for the unwinding process--to be the ultimate sacrifice.I still get chills even thinking about it. The fact that I can remember these details almost a year after reading the novel, just gives you an idea of the staying power of this book. It is a must read, and by far in the top 5 dystopian YA novels written to date.
    • 4/5
      This is a book with a very interesting, and daring, premise: what if the abortion debate were resolved in a rather, let's call it, unexpected fashion? Now, of course, it is a book, so the method devised isn't wholly believable as a manner of agreement, but it still contributes to a very interesting book that leaves a reader with many questions. In a world where a method has been found to allow society to rid itself of their unwanted children, while outlawing abortion, the dynamics of the new world and its problems are dealt with in interesting ways. From overcrowded "state homes" that are forced to cull their numbers every year due to budget problems, through to a "storking initiative" that resolves the problem of unwanted babies in dumpsters by forcing them as an often unwanted obligation onto the shoulders of whatever unlucky person has the misfortune of finding them on their doorstep, there are many unexpected angles explored, in a storyline that really doesn't hold back its' punches. And, this is before we even get into the unwinding process itself. How do you get rid if an unwanted child in a fashion that involves neither abortion nor murder? That is perhaps the most chilling and intriguing aspect of them all, and one that I won't spoil here. Suffice it to say, I was very surprised by where this book went, and where the series doubtless still has to go. And yes, I realize I'm way behind and the rest of the series is out already, but really, all the better for me to be able to get to the other books sooner.
    • 4/5
      After the war against abortion, an agreement is made that kids ages thirteen through eighteen can be sent to be unwound. Unwinding is where teens from 13 to 18 have their organs, limbs and bones physically taken from their bodies and donated to people who need them. Once you are unwound, you live in the divided state. Connor, Lev and Risa have been sent to be unwound and meet by chance in a car crash. Connor and Risa, who are against unwinding (like many other teenagers and very, VERY few adults) take Lev and go AWOL. Connor and Risa get separated from Lev later in the book. Connor and Risa eventually find themselves in a place called the Graveyard. The Graveyard is a safe haven for all AWOL unwinds until they turn 18. One day the man in charge of the Graveyard has a heart attack, so Connor, Risa and a threatening AWOL named Roland (who has a shark tatoo on his arm) take him to a hospital. At the hospital, a nurse recognizes the three teens as AWOL unwinds and has them sent to harvest camps. Roland gets unwound and shortly after the harvest camp gets blown up leaving Connor with a crushed arm and a destroyed eye and Risa with a severed spine. Connor wakes up with a new arm and eye from an unwound teen, the arm comes from the much hated Roland with the stupid shark tattoo. I really liked this book. The only reason I read it was because i was told that the book was scary, but the book wasn't very scary though. There were a few slow parts where i found myself rereading pages or just not wanting to read the book anymore, so that's why i gave it four stars. I really like the characters personalities, except for Roland, there were also a few characters who i thought weren't necessary. There were sevral moment where i did not want to put the book down so if you like fast paced stories i would recomend unwind. I would definitely suggest this book to people who want a fast paced quick read.
    • 5/5
      This book is about a medical procedure called unwinding. Unwinding puts misbihaved kids into a "divided state" by removing their body parts to give to other people in need of them. These three kids named Connor "The Akron AWOL", Risa, and Lev. Lev is a tithe (a person who wants to be unwound), Connor is a misbihaved child, and Risa is an orphan that needed to be unwound, because of budget cuts. Connor escapes his home, and unwinding by becoming the Akron Awol. Risa escapes, because Connor causes her bus to crash, and she runs and joins Connor in the woods. Lev doesn't want to escape, but Connor takes him as a human shield, and convinces him that unwinding is bad.I liked this book, because it was very interesting. My favorite part is how the old woman helped Connor and Risa. My least favorite part is how Lev turned in Connor and Risa. My favorite person was the baby. My least favorite people were Lev's parents. I really like the graveyard, because it housed AWOLs. That is my opinion of this book.
    • 5/5
      Great book! Terrifying read. Neal Shusterman is comparable to Stephen King
    • 5/5
      Horrific. Disturbing. Incredible.
    • 5/5
      Enter this book with caution. It's an excellent story, but creepy as can be.
    • 5/5
      I found this book to be very telling about how the future could be. We live in a throw away society and children are routinely treated as throw aways. The characters were clear, intelligent, and very believable. It is easy to forget while you are reading this book that it was written for teens. Very good story....well worth reading for any age.
    • 5/5
      A brilliantly conceived, complex, provocative thriller.
    • 4/5
      Keep your head covered and the moralistic bashing might not hurt you too badly.Very interesting concept, and I certainly can see the attraction of unwinding some of the azzhats I see bumming around the streets, but it does take a huge (Huge) suspension of disbelief to buy into the underlying concept of this novel.I am not sure which part I couldn't accept: that a parent *would* unwind a 13 year old they raised from birth, or that any parent would *not* unwind a surly 17 year old.Lots of room for exploration of more adult themes which were not touched on here in any depth: selection based on race, gender, orientation, disability, etc. And, really, would our world be the same in every other manner if we unwound unwanted teens? Or would our entire mode of existence have to be altered to accommodate this?Anyway, it is YA, so no deep thoughts on the nature of a society that would allow unwinding, but, otherwise, it is kinda interesting and, while we really don't care about most of the characters, I think that is the point...
    • 4/5
      A book like this, I usually have to see if my sister's read it so that I can talk about it with her to focus my thoughts. But my first impression is this:

      Pros:
      -Interesting enough to get halfway through the book, to the point where the story begins to develop and it becomes much more dramatic.
      -Characters were well written.
      -The story is really good at evoking an emotional response and I found myself feeling a lot of compassion for the characters.

      Cons:
      -The premise is not very believable, but the author tries to justify the premise toward the end and I found it satisfying enough.
      -It's a third person narrative that tries to tell the story from the viewpoint of multiple characters. Each chapter switches the viewpoint, which means there's some backtracking in the story line, which I didn't care for.
    • 5/5
      strange but surprisingly good
    • 4/5
      This book has some obvious problems with the premise in that despite the author's best attempts it never feels like it is a logical progression from our world today. With that said, if you can read this as a fantasy novel, one where the premise should be accepted just because that's the way *that* world works, it is a great book.

      I particularly enjoyed the ending, which I won't spoil here. It was skillfully executed and exciting. I couldn't stop reading.
    • 4/5
      I read this straight through in one compelling read - not something I often have chance to do these days!I have always liked books where the characters have to survive outside of the law and the mainstream but you know that they are right and this is another one of those. It is set in a future where children can be sent to be "unwound" for spare donor parts between 16 and 18 and these are the runaways.The only part that jibed was towards the end when a character's arm ends up attached to another character. This just seemed like too much of a coincidence - especially as the author had mentioned that the first character had a special blood type but made no mention of this for the second.... Also, there was no mention of who had paid for this, when previously there had been a lot of discussion of the varying money value of different body parts!
    • 5/5
      Definitely different than what I normally read but I enjoyed it
    • 2/5
      Ah, yes.

      The YA dystopian novel. I've figured out I'm just really not into this genre at all.

      I thought the story was solid and I did finish reading it, but the story or characters didn't really stick with me.

      I thought the concept was interesting, but overall, I really just wasn't drawn into the story at all. I ended up giving it away because I knew I'd never read it again.

      I feel like lots of other people totally love this book, and if you like YA dystopian novels, then you'll love this. But this book and this genre just really aren't for me at all.
    • 5/5
      A fantastic start to a fantastic series. The Unwind Dystology is my favorite book series, and it all started with Unwind back in high school. I loved it then, but I love it even more since the series has been completed. Unwind is an emotional rollercoaster that gets more intense with each book you read. I cheered for these kids on their journey, wanting nothing more than for them to survive. Neal Shusterman does a great job with his characters and world building. I was very invested in both right from the get go and all the way to the end.This book is also scary. I love fiction for the escape, but fiction like this is my favorite because it’s right on the cusp of reality. It makes you think and consider things maybe you wouldn’t have if you hadn’t read it.This is the book that shot Neal Shusterman up to my #1 favorite author. It’s been that way for years now. I buy his books on the day they are released.
    • 3/5
      Despite having an utterly unbelievable premise, this book has some of the most effective moments of body horror (and general horror) I have ever read.
    • 5/5
      An amazing composition that makes us all think about the relationship between life, death, laws, and freedom.