This is one of those books that, the longer you sit and think about it, the deeper it becomes. The basic premise upon which Shusterman founds his dystopian world is that a second American Civil War was fought over the pro-life/pro-choice debate. The horrible result is the compromise known as "unwinding." Essentially, life is sacrosanct until age 13, at which point kids can be broken down into their component parts for use in transplants. It is every bit as disturbing as it sounds.

When I understood the magnitude of the situation, of what this meant for a society, my initial reaction was incredulity. Surely, humanity could never arrive at such a decision. But even before the thought had finished forming, I knew it was thin. We live in a fallen, broken world, where any atrocity is possible given the right set of circumstances. Had I not grown up with the existence of nuclear bombs or the Holocaust, I might have thought those impossible too. The plain truth is that it could happen. Such a war, such an agreement could exist, which makes this novel all the more heart-rending. Like the best authors, Shusterman presents a story which inevitably leads the reader to question their own beliefs and assumptions.

This depth of field, ultimately, operates in the background of a very fine character-driven story. Connor, Risa, and Lev are fully-realized and distinctly written. They are all struggling to come to terms with the various roads which led them to unwinding, as well as the startlingly mature question of what they will become in the time they have left. There are many adults, myself included, that would likely shut down in a similar situation. The fact that Shusterman has his leads constantly evolving as people in a life of unsure length keeps his book from falling into an action-driven shallowness.

To be sure, there is plenty of action and intrigue throughout, but it acts in support of the story; it is not, in and of itself, the story. Shusterman's prose is so unobtrusive that it's nearly transparent. There are sections of the book which almost seem to appear before you, unfolding without aid of the words. This is most powerfully true in the scene in which one of the characters is actually unwound. Shusterman forces the reader through the entire process, keeping the focus tight to the unwind. Without question or hyperbole, it is the most disturbing, chilling passage I have ever read. That experience alone is worth the price of admission, but, fortunately, the book is much bigger than even this. ( )

Holy Cow, this book was intense, in part because it really seems like something that could happen in America's future. Loved it. ( )

Disturbing. But good. ( )

When I was a child, my mother took me to a pediatrician that had a plaque hanging on his wall that said "Kids Are People Too." Quite a few characters in this book seem to have forgotten that - or never seemed to have realized it at all. The complete disregard that society has for these teenagers is unreal. That they can "unwind" them and justify it by saying they are not dead but simply going on living in a "divided state" is astounding. Unwinding just shows how far people are willing to go to get the parts they need, how far man will go when science has advanced too far, and how far the pro-life/pro-choice zealots can take their feud.

It took a little while, but I came to feel for these characters in the book. Connor and Risa, I wanted nothing more than for the two of them to escape to their freedom. Lev, there's a love/hate relationship with that kid all through the book. He just came across to me as being so conflicted. Roland, I just loathed, but wouldn't you know that HE is the one the author chooses for unwinding? Reading through the unwinding process, knowing it was happening to Roland, a character that I despised, I still found myself feeling terribly sorry for him. It was not a pleasant thing to read.

All in all, this book was amazing. Shusterman definitely knows how to write a page turner. Even though I purchased this book out of the Young Adult section, I have to say, this is definitely a book for ALL ages. It's been a little while since I've enjoyed a book this much. I'd give it more stars if I could. ( )

In the near future, after a second civil war over reproductive rights, the US lives under the Bill of Life, which makes life inviolable until the age of 13. From 13-18, though, a person’s parents can choose to have their child unwound, a process by which every bit of the body is harvested and used as grafts and transplants. Doctrine states that his isn’t death, but that the Unwound live on through the lives of the various people who receive those…parts. The book follows three teens who have been scheduled to be unwound and find themselves thrown together as they try to escape.

Charlie read this one and immediately handed it to me, saying that I *had* to read it. So, of course, I dropped all other books and read it. And he has excellent tastes when it comes to books. This was fantastic, and I’ll absolutely be continuing with the series (Charlie’s already halfway through the second book). The characters are really well drawn, the story is unique and interesting and really uncomfortable (in the best way) in parts, and there are some wild twists along the way. ( )