Dear Reader,

Recently I read Unwind by Neal Shusterman. It is a book about a dystopian future where parents can choose to unwind their 13 to 18 year old. The main character Connor is chosen to be unwound by his family however he runs away and meets with characters Risa, a teen in a state home who was chosen to be unwound after budget cuts. They also meet Levi a tithe, a very religious person who is born and is meant to be unwound from birth. Together they travel around the country trying to find a place to stay until they are 18 and can’t be unwound. They find a safe house and meet a old woman named Sonia. She keeps them until they can go to a place in Arizona called the Graveyard. It is led by an old general called the Admiral. He takes in unwinds and keeps them safe and gets them jobs in the real world. Connor is suspicious of the Admiral and thinks he may be selling kids to the government for money. The Admiral shows him he doesn’t and recruits him to find who is spreading distrust through the Graveyard. Connor suspects Roland, a kid who is strong and bullies his way into leadership roles. The Admiral has a heart attack and they have to fly him in a helicopter to the nearest hospital. Roland is the only one who knows how to fly the helicopter and turns them into the police when they arrive at the hospital. It turns out that the Admiral was unknowingly helping the police keep the unwinds of the street. The police send Connor, Roland, and Risa, who accompanied them to the hospital, to the closest harvest camp, where they unwind kids. It turns out that Lev is also going there but he is there to blow it up with 2 accomplices. They blow up the harvest center, known to the unwinds as the “Chop Shop”, just as Connor is going to be unwound. Connor is then found with an I.D. with the photo burned off and the name Robert Mullard. The book ends with Connor meeting new unwinds at the Graveyard.

 

I liked the way that the author connected all the characters together. It reminded me of Stephen King books because every character is somehow connected in someway in even ways they don’t know. The resolution to the Connor’s problem is solved yet isn’t that ends in a way that leaves you hanging as he is severely injured in the explosion and loses his arm. He receives the arm of Roland who was unwound minutes before Connor. This leaves the book off in a way that is resolved however the main character is not yet complete with who they are as a person. I was surprised with the way the author had the climax towards the end of the book when Connor is going to be unwound. As you reached the middle of the book you began to wonder when the problem was going to be resolved leaving you more excited when it reached the final part of the book. I would give this book a 9 out of 10 because the author was really good at connecting the story together and leaving who on the edge of your chair to see the final result.  I would recommend the book to anyone as it is a great read.

 

Thanks,

Trajan Keane