From the Bookshelf of Apocalypse Whenever…

Unwind (Unwind, #1)

Neal Shusterman

Start date: September 20, 2013

Finish date: October 1, 2013

Discussion: AW BOOK CLUB (spoilers)

Why we're reading this: The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable fro…more
[close] 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.

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What Members Thought

Oct 12, 2011 Gertie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dystopian

After an uncertain start, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which just zoomed by. It starts off feeling like just another ok YA book, but as the story unfolded, the horror of the concept of Unwinding starts to sink in more. There is one scene of an actual unwinding that is particularly creepy. Now, this isn't something that I think would ever happen, but with little bits dropped here and there about the Why of it, it starts to be just believable enough to begin to hate the people submitting their ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Sep 06, 2012 Deena Thomson rated it really liked it

wow that was a interesting read. I had a hard time believing that parents would send their kids to be unwind and that there could ever be a world so close in the future that would accept this idea of "unwinding" teenagers, but enjoyed the story so much that I decided to ignore that fact and pretend it was a different world where yes, this could happen. Glad I did because I loved it! Even got emotional at the end.

I felt attached to all the characters, even the shady ones I rooted for.

Enjoyable r ...more

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Jul 21, 2009 Kaye rated it liked it

Shelves: youngadult, sci-fi

This is an incredible story of a society that doesn't advocate abortion, but between the ages of 13 and 18, parents can choose to have their child "unwound", which is the harvesting of all of their parts. Since the parts are living on in others, it isn't perceived of as a technical ending of the child's life, just a re-purposing. The setting was fascinating, and the actual peek into an unwinding procedure was very chilling. This book would offer great discussion opportunities for young adult boo ...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Cindywho rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy-sf, ya

This one just didn't work for me. The improbable world building and overwrought tone didn't mix pleasingly and I didn't like the audiobook narrator's voice. I think the author was trying to say something about reproductive choice, but I'm not sure what. ...more

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