Unwind (Unwind Dystology #1) by Neal Shusterman

"A hard hitting, unflinching, dark, disturbing novel but one that is filled with hope, endurance, strength and the characters, as well as the story itself and its message, stays with you long after you read it, as it should."

5 Stars

Pros: This book is both horrifying yet immensely compelling and thought provoking all at once/ The subject of pro-life/pro-choice is so fraught with tension and it seems that people lean one way or the other but Shusterman is great at really making the reader see and consider all sides.

Cons: Shusterman just loves those exclamation points/Not a book for people who are not willing to keep an open mind.

Full Review:

After the second Civil War, also known as The Heartland War, which was fought between Pro-Choice and Pro-Life, both sides come to an agreement and draft "The Bill of Life." It reads as follows.

"The Bill of Life states that human life may not be touched, from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of thirteen.

However, between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, a parent may choose to retroactively "abort" a child on the condition that the child's life doesn't "technically" end.

The process by which a child is both terminated and yet kept alive is called "unwinding."

Unwinding is now a common and accepted practice in society."

The novel follows the lives of Connor, a troubled, angry teenager, Risa, an orphan and ward of the state and Lev, a Tithe, a child born to be unwound as a sign of faithfulness to the Church. Their lives become intertwined in one cataclysmic moment and their stories continue to coalesce as they manage to avoid unwinding and live another day. They each grow as characters and people but in different ways, Connor manages to control his emotions and rely more on rationality, Risa learns to trust more and not be so guarded and Lev, lets his feelings of betrayal, anger and disillusionment that his whole life was a lie fester into something dangerous and dark.

It is an intense book with intense moments. The process of unwinding is explained, even detailed for one unlucky teenager and the scene is horrifying. Shusterman does not shy away from exploring the ideas of pro-life and pro-choice. His characters often wonder when does life begin, if you're unwound, do you really truly die or does your soul live on, only in a divided state? What is there afterwards, Heaven, Hell, something in between? And it's the fact that Shusterman does not shy away from such deep, painful, thought-provoking subjects that gives this novel its power and drive.

The end is truly, only the beginning and I'm excited to continue the series and see how it finally ends. But this book was just as good, if not better, the second time around.

Comments

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

"High Fantasy with lots of interwoven threads of fate getting all knotted up together, as they do. Though Shannon's ambition is incredible and inspiring, in the end it all felt a bit off pace and quickly fell into "information overload." Pros: High fantasy, true and brilliant world building. You have different kingdoms with their own customs and beliefs, Shannon has truly created something incredible. But this is both a Pro and a Con . Cons : Too many characters to remember/Too many countries/histories/legendary figures to keep track of. Full Review: It all starts when Tane breaks her seclusion, wishing to swim in the sea one more time before choosing day. In the morning she'll see if she's earned the revered title of Dragon Rider. But just tonight, she wants to swim and feel free. She's horrified when she runs into a man named Sulyard, who begs for her help. She helps him asking a childhood friend Susa to take him away and she does, allowing Tane t

A Spark of White Fire (The Celestial Trilogy #1) by Sangu Mandanna

"Similar to "Game of Thrones" only in space, there was a lot going on with a lot of different people and they were all important and connected but my tired, overworked brain had trouble keeping up. " 2 Stars Pros: I liked Max as a character, I'm all for the tall, dark, mysterious supposed bad boy with a heart of gold cliche, but the kissing cousins thing just made it weird. Cons: It felt like Game of Thrones, only in space, so there was a bit of a kissing cousins vibe going and I wasn't feeling it/The book tried to have these big, shocking moments I was just non-plussed, unaffected./The presence of the Gods irked me as they did in The Illiad, it's all terribly convenient to have divine intervention for your MCs. I feel like it's the cheapest fake-out cheat of all time 👍🤣 Full Review: My co-worker, who has recommended some amazing reads such as, A Man Called Ove , The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse, and I'll Give You The Sun, r

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

"The classic tale of Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up and his adventures with his Lost Boys and the Darling Children, Wendy, John and Michael. At times fun and whimsical and other times surprisingly dark, it was an interesting read as an adult." 3 Stars Pros: There is something appealing about flying away to a mysterious island where you can play all day and never have to grow up. The thrall of Neverland is a constant for this dreamer. Cons: Peter Pan is truly the most arrogant little brat and very much in need of a mother/I was surprised at the bloodshed because I always thought this was a children's book, it was rather dark at times. Full Review Mr. and Mrs. Darling are the proud yet rather dismissive and negligent parents of three children. Wendy, John and Michael. All three have flights of fancy and dream of an island, with mermaids and pirates. Mrs. Darling dismisses these as the whimsy of childhood but she herself remembers when she too dreamt of the very

All the Books.

Search This Blog