“Connor had known other kids at school who disappeared over the past couple of years. One day they just didn’t turn up. Teachers would say that they were ‘gone’ or ‘no longer enrolled’. Those were just code words, though. Everyone knew what they meant.”
The Heartland War is over now, a bitter battle over the sanctity of life. As per the new agreement, life begins at conception and cannot be tampered with until a child reaches the age of thirteen. However, between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, parents can choose to have their children “unwound”, by sending them to a “harvest camp” and having all of their organs donated to others. That way, life doesn’t technically stop; the teen keeps living, albeit in the bodies of many other recipients. If you are not able to raise your baby until he or she reaches the age of thirteen, you can “stork” it: leave it on someone’s door stop and run away. Finders, keepers, according to the law.
Unwind is the story of three teens. Connor has behavior problems, and his parents have signed the unwind orders because they just can’t handle him acting out anymore. Risa is a ward of the state, a piano player who simply wasn’t talented enough to be allowed to continue living (what with budget cuts and all, there isn’t enough money to invest in anyone but the most skilled). Lev is a tithe, a child who was born to be a sacrifice under the tithing code, where ten percent of all wealth is given to the government. They are all slated to be unwound, when Connor initiates a series of events (bus crash, human shield, lots of confusion) that allows all three of them to escape. The three must then navigate the underground world of escaped unwinds, learning how to survive without drawing attention to themselves. If they can make it until their eighteenth birthdays, they are home free. But it certainly won’t be easy…
This futuristic tale is riveting; built around an interesting concept and driven by strong, complex characters. Shusterman creates an elaborate world of these characters, and each one of them is interesting enough to merit a personal story. His universe is populated by the Clappers, a dreaded terrorist group, a wizened antiques dealer whose shop is a front for the unwind version of the Underground Railroad, and an eccentric who creates a large-scale shelter for unwinds in the middle of the Arizona desert. Everyone’s got a back story, and Shusterman lets us all in on it, which I absolutely love. Even though it is a complicated world, with a lot of unfamiliar political and social situations, it is still very accessible to readers. That’s a tricky balancing act for many writers. I really enjoyed that the story was not predictable, either. I was expecting a daring escape, but there is just no way to guess where Shusterman will take readers next. Awesome!
Unwind won two of the big awards: it’s an ALA Best Book, as well as a Best Book for Reluctant Readers. It also won about a billion state awards, including a placement on the Oklahoma Sequoyah Award list (my home state, folks!). This is a fast-paced, engrossing read that covers heavy topics like the definition of human life, reproductive rights, politics, the ethical concerns of organ donation for profit, and governmental power. I think you’re going to love it! And if you do, you’re certainly in luck, because there’s going to be a movie version released, and also, Shusterman has written a ton of other incredible books! So, while you’re waiting for the movie, you might want to try his crazy-popular Skinjacker series, which includes the books Everlost, Everwild, and Everfound.
Happy Reading!
Author’s website: http://www.storyman.com
Movie website: http://unwindmovie.com
Shusterman, Neal. Unwind. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007. 335 pp. Ages 13 and up.
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