Sunday, August 19, 2012

#72- Unwind By Neal Shusterman

#72- Unwind

Rating- 9/10

Unwind is set in the future, to a time where after the world had a big war, the Pro Life team versus the Pro Choice team, when both teams get together and try to make a compromise an interesting conclusion is made. It is decided that instead of having abortions before children are born, people are forced to have these children and if they decide by the age of 13 that they dont want them to be living anymore, they have until they turn 18 to make the decision to unwind them.

Unwinding is a process of taking every single organ and piece of matter in someone and giving it to others for a transplant. Shortly before the war someone came up with a new technique so that every single cell was used with no waste. They decide that since people are technically being killed, they are being spread throughout the world with different people in the shape of an arm or a leg or brain stems, that it isnt murder and its an acceptable new form of dealing with unwanted pregnancy.

Now of course there are exceptions, people who dont want their children at birth can have the choice to "stork" them which means dropping off the baby at a doorstep and if no one sees you do it, the baby is now the person who lives at that house. There is also the state system, that houses children that no one claims or wants.

The story follows several different characters, mainly Lev, Connor, and Risa. All three are being set to unwind, with different circumstances getting them to that point. Connor is a trouble maker and his parents sign the order. Risa grew up in the state system and when they no longer have room for her she is set to unwind. Lev is something called a "tithe" its a religious sacrifice that his parents have decided to make. They all have different stories, but one major thing in common... they will do whatever it takes to make sure that they wont be unwinded.

The story is both chilling (I was literally afraid to go to sleep one night) and eye-opening to a world that has let their children down and the lives that are harmed in the process.

“...One thing you learn when you've lived as long as I have-people aren't all good, and people aren't all bad. We move in and out of darkness and light all of our lives. Right now, I'm pleased to be in the light.” 

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