Monthly Review: Unwind

    Neal Shusterman's Unwind is a sci-fi dystopiac thriller that is by far one of the best books I have read to date. Set in a parallel universe not unlike our own, Unwind tells of a society where unwanted teens are harvested for their bodies and how three kids fight for their survival. Connor Lassiter, the main character in the story, has always been a problem child. When his parents, overburdened by his troublemaking, signs him off to be "unwound", Connor runs away and begins his new life on the run. Along tyhe way, he encounters Risa and Lev, a runaway ward of the state and a human tithe, a religious sacrafice set to be unwound. Together, these three run across the country to sanctity, fighting the society that would have them salvaged for body parts. I beleive that this amazing story would be best suited for sci-fi lovers and dystopia fanatics, or people somewhere along the line of thirteen to seventeen years old.

"Stupid dreams. Even the good ones are bad, because they remind you how poorly reality measures up." — Neal Shusterman (Unwind)

    Perhaps this is the reason as to why Shusterman wrote this amazing story. To escape this reality and create a fascinating world that both excites and frightens. I very much doubt that he wrote this for no reason. Perhaps we should believe the common conception that he wrote this just to entertain, and not read too much into it. But alas, I must read too much into it. In all honesty, I cannot determine the purpose of Shusterman's novel. There are just too many messages, too many ideologies. That, and because I was too into the book to actually spend time analyzing and interpreting. One of the many messages I've come across is:

I was never going to amount to much anyway, but now, statistically speaking, there's a better chance that some part of me will go on to greatness somewhere in the world. I'd rather be partly great than entirely useless. - Samson Ward

    This quote was pulled from my first Lit. Circle Letter, and it's already analyzed in the letter... But just to recap, I'll repeat myself. I believe that this quote displays one of the many messages Neal Shusterman tried to get across throughout the course of the story. Everyone is influenced by their enviorment and society. If society tells you that you're unfit and useless, you beleive it without exception. Mayhaps Shusterman is trying to show us that we shouldn't let outselves be judged by the standards of others? One person's conception of beautiful is not the same as another's. The same goes for intelligence, worthiness, and usefulness. I assume this message was meant as a wake-up call to those who are too self-concious and have low self-esteem. I can only speculate on what Shusterman's purpose on writing this novel is; To find the truth, we'd need to ask the man himself.
    I must say that this book would appeal the most to dystopia fans like myself. Nothing fascinates us more than a parallel world much like our own, but changed into something we couldn't even begin to comprehend. I guess you could classify us as sci-fi junkies. Personally, I beleive that this amazing story would be best suited for sci-fi lovers and dystopia fanatics, or people somewhere along the line of thirteen to seventeen years old. But then again, books are for everyone, and I can't dictate who can read a book or not. As long as you enjoy the story, why the hell shouldn't you read it? I truly do believe that people will love this book, no matter your preferences. It has plenty of action for the action-lovers, thrill and suspense for the shock-lovers, and enough Cy-Fi for the science-lovers. Hell, it's even got some romance goin' on, sort of. I'd recommend this book to just about anyone, because it's just that awesome. If you've previously read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, then you would love this book. Granted, it dosen't have as much action as Ender's Game, nor does it have a war with aliens, but the aspects are sort of the same. Also, the main characters, Connor, Risa, and Lev all appeal to kids their age, from thirteen to seventeen, because throughout the story, they face problems that are very much like our own as teens. As I stated in my second Lit Circle letter, some concepts in this story would be a bit over the top for some people. Overall, I'd striaght up recommend this book to anyone, but perhaps it'll be a bit too confusing for anyone under twelve.
    One of the major weakness I didn't really care for was the lack of plot. I'm not saying that the story wasn't good, but I just feel that Shusterman could have expanded the story a bit more, or atleast extended it. The very concept of a society that salvages body parts from unwanted teens is thrilling and ingenius, but I feel that Shusterman could've added more. This is the first I've ever seen or heard of this outrageous and sci-fi idea, and I loved it. I only wish that Shusterman would've continued the story and maybe wrote a sequel or something. It'd be awesome and interesting if there were more of a plot/storyline. I'm not saying the story wasn't good, but it was predictable. It was sort of obvious that the main characters would somehow escape (I mean, there wouldn't be a story if they didn't) and somehow find a safe haven (As in every other fictional book ever made). To his credit, Shusterman still found a way to suck me into the story and make it into a good read.

    In conclusion, this book was just great. I friggin' loved it and would recommend it to everyone. The story was amazing and fun to read. You guys should stop reading this blog and start reading the book instead. =D

Hi, okay bye!