I have been on a role lately! Honestly I’m kind of proud of myself for sticking to 1 book per week haha. Being able to accomplish anything for yourself when you’ve got kids, a husband, and a billion other activities to do can be tough #amiright?
Based on what books I have reviewed so far, you can probably tell that I tend to gravitate toward “young adult novels.” I am a fan of dystopian worlds and anything that involves a thrill. This week I am reviewing a novel that does not fall short of any of those descriptions – Unwind by Neal Shusterman.
The description according to Goodreads:
“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.”
The description according to me:
First of all, I am excited that this is a series. Unwind hooked me from the very beginning and kept my interest through to the very end…I will definitely be getting the series to see what happens next! I personally listened to the Audible version which was narrated by Luke Daniels. Based on previous experience, if you have a terrible narrator, you will lose interest in a book quickly so I feel like this is a key part of any Audible experience. This book was narrated very well. Luke changes his voice for each character so you can really engulf yourself in that world and keeps your interest the whole time.
I will give a bit of a warning though – if you’re sensitive to anything involving reproductive rights, adoption, and surgical procedures, this book may not be for you. The entire book revolves around children fighting for their right to live once their parents have unwound them between the ages of 13-18, parents . Although the books description doesn’t truly give any official details away, it certainly does give you that wide-eyed, horrified feeling doesn’t it?
After reading the first book in the series I was left in a ball of emotions. I honestly had no idea how I felt other than it left me wanting more. I was angered by some of the characters behavior, saddened by one of the “bad guys” being unwound (mostly because that is the only description of the actual events that occur during the unwinding and listening to his recount of growing up actually made me well up), and rooting for the “little guys.” Unwind is very well written, well structured, and you really get to know the main characters so investing in them is easy to do.
Although the entire plot of the book was built on is a very touchy subject, it’s important to note that there is always hope to grasp onto (in the book and in life). Between sheer determination, a community of people willing to help those being unwound, and the will to live, this book really contains it all. Trust me when I say, this will not disappoint!