After our discussion of How I Live Now, I was reminded of another young adult book I read last October called Unwind. Unwind also puts teens in extraordinary circumstances where they are required to grow up quickly and take care of themselves.The story takes place after a war between Pro-Life and Pro-Choice has ended, and a compromise has been decided on where abortion is illegal, but parents can decide to "unwind" their children between the ages of 13 and 17. The process of unwinding involves donating all of the teens' body parts to those who need them. For various reasons, Connor, Risa, and Lev are on the run from the officers who enforce the unwinding process.
There is also an added twist with the practice of "storking." This involves leaving a baby on someone's doorstep. If the family doesn't catch you leaving the baby, they have to take it in as their own.
The story is at times exciting and heartbreaking. I was impressed with Shusterman's ability to write a story about such a controversial topic without pushing his own opinion on the reader. I could not tell from reading the novel whether he was Pro-Life or Pro-Choice.
Unwind is one of the best young adult novels I've ever read, and I can't say enough good things about it. I couldn't put it down.
1 comment:
I agree, Lennis, this was a great book, though I'm not sure it would make my "best of" YA books list. The concept is just chilling, that of "unwinding" your children, and the actual process, once you read about it, is horrifying. A definite must-read!
Post a Comment