[Review] Unwind by Neal Shusterman

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Title: Unwind

Author: Neal Shusterman 

Series: Unwind Dystology #1

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

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Source: Library

Synopsis:

Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives.

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.

Five out of Five Snowflakes! Incredible!

I am so incredibly in love with this story. Make no mistake, this book is dark. It touches on subjects that are heavy and I love the fact that these topics are being questioned and brought up, especially in a YA novel. Not only does it have a great plot, it also makes the reader think. It made me think.

I really just could not deal with Lev and all his religious fanaticism in the beginning, but as the story progressed, man is he hardcore. Lev really grows into his own. I think my favourite character is Connor. I always have a thing for the leaders. He has an aura and a natural ability to lead. I did enjoy Roland though. He's one of those characters that you love to hate and as a Slytherin, I appreciated his grabs at power and his subtle manipulations. Risa's character was enjoyable for her intelligence. I feel that she's almost a Hermione type, though no one can match Hermione's intelligence and ambition. Risa has that same strength and type of intelligence to her. She's a healer and she picks up on things quickly. She's sharp.

I liked that the book swtiched back and forth between different points of view, even for characters that are only introduced for that one chapter. It gives a greater insight into the entirety of the world. Shusterman did a great job with building this world that comes after the Bill of Life and this world is terrifying. I would definitely not want to be in this world, as much as I enjoyed reading it. The switching points of view also gives me this illusion of a grand story at play, like there was in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor. And even though there's a sense of a grand story at play, there's the sense of intimacy when the points of view of Risa and Connor intermingle.

And man, that unwinding scene was intense. I cannot even with how it's described and the whole process of it. They literally do not let you die when they unwind you. Oh geez.

Anyways, some of my favourite quotes from the book really reflect on the dark and desperate tone of the book and Ugh. <3

"But, no, that's not it at all. What he's really saying is: Please be a human being. With a life so full of rules and regiments, it's so easy to forget that's what they are. She knows - she sees - how often compassion takes a back seat to expediency."

"And as she hurries down the street, she thinks how wonderful it is that she can get a second chance. How wonderful it is that she can dismiss her responsibility so easily."

"Who says they don't see it? It's just that the unwinding makes slavery look good. It's always the lesser of two evils." 

This book was truly and simply, just incredible. I look forward to reading Unwholly.

Happy Reading!