Teen Read Week Review Results

Unwind by Neil Shusterman

Recommended by: Daniel Nasta

Reaction by: Catherine Berntsen, Librarian

Here's the official summary from the library catalog:
In a future world where those between the ages of 13 and 18 can have their lives "unwound" and their body parts harvested for use by others, three teens go to extreme lengths to uphold their beliefs- and, perhaps, save their own lives. 

Here are my thoughts:

With subject descriptions such as: genetic engineering, revolutionaries, survival, abortion, bioethics, terrorism, organ harvesting, and dystopia--  I knew from the start that the book Unwind was going to be thought-provoking… and, boy, was I right!  This book puts a face to the concept of medical progress and makes you examine at what point are we are crossing the line into scary territory. 

Extremely deep and at times unnerving, this book is not at all for the faint of heart.  There are some heavy-hitting and horrifying concepts presented here- one scene in particular (where we witness an “unwinding”) I know will stay with me for a very long time.   But even though the story is deep, there is an overall feeling of hope as well. 

It made me think about the complexity of life: how there is always two sides to every story or issue and how we all are capable of even having two sides within ourselves.   All of the classic story-telling devices are here:  Good vs. evil; monster vs. hero; right vs. wrong; theory vs. practice; myth vs. reality- but I think I enjoyed this book in particular because the questions are not presented in an overbearing way.   I always appreciate a book that makes me explore what I believe in and/or where I stand on issues, whether they are current or in the not-too-distant future.    All of this was wrapped up in a suspenseful plot with well-drawn characters.  I highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of science fiction.

Thank you, Daniel, for recommending this book…  I’m so glad I read it.