Find my reviews on Blogger ~ Reviews by Bookish Sarah 
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 Unwind is set in a futuristic world (the exact year is not mentioned). The argument on abortion caused a second Civil War known as the "Heartland War" - a war that ended when abortion was outlawed and "Unwinding" was introduced. When a child reaches the age of 13, their parents, legal guardians, or the state (in the case of orphans) may choose to have the child Unwound. Unwinding is a process in which at least 99.44% of the child's body is used for donor parts. They don't consider this death, as the person is technically "living on" within the bodies of the people who need their organs, bones, body parts - ALL OF IT. 
 People outside of the "harvest camps" don't know for sure how the process works. Many of them ask questions such as: What happens to your consciousness when you are Unwound? Where does your soul end up? Do souls even exist? Do you know what's happening to you when you are being Unwound? Does it hurt? 
 Connor is 16 years old. He is being Unwound because his parents find him to be a problem child. Fighting, skipping school, bad grades, etc. 
 Risa is an orphan. She lives in a state home and is being unwound to "cut costs". 
 Lev is a tithe. He is being Unwound as soon as he is 13 years old due to the religious beliefs of his family. He is their 10th child, which makes him special. He has been taught since birth that his being Unwound serves a higher purpose. He is ready to embrace his Unwinding with open arms. 
 These three teens come together by chance and end up on the run and fighting for their lives. 
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 Holy cow, I really can't believe I waited so long to read this book! I snatched it up from my local library last week on a whim. I've had it in my TBR pile forever. I guess it's good that I didn't read it when it first came out, though, yeah? The sequel has taken years! Now I just have to wait a few months. 
 The premise is just scary. Really. Let me say right up front that when we finally get to read on what the Unwinding process is, detail by detail (from the victim's POV), I was terrified. I almost burst into tears and skipped ahead. It was just that scary to me. This entire idea is so singular and so impressive that I am literally in awe of Neal Shusterman. Unwind is intense. 
 The characters are complex and memorable. Sometimes they are easy to love, while others they are hard not to hate. Connor - Loving, emotional, forgiving, and impulsive. He can be a hot-head, but also quite calm and cunning when the need arises. He's protective to a fault and has a really huge heart. I loved his character a ton! Risa - Talented, intelligent, kind, and a little bit stubborn. She is also a bit motherly, which I like about her. She has made the most of a crappy situation and continues to do so throughout the entire story. She's strong and independent and a perfect match for Connor. Lev - Poor, brainwashed Lev. He's innocent in all of this, and turns out to be the one person in the book to completely lose his marbles. He's a sweet kid who was led down the wrong path by the people he trusted most. It's easy to sympathize with him and the situation he has to deal with. I think, despite some of the messed up things the kid does, I admire him most of all. They are all a very impressive cast of characters. 
 The writing is fantastic. From the imagery, the intricacy of the plot, all the way down to the narratives. There are multiple third person POVs in this book. Connor, Risa, and Lev, of course - but it is also sprinkled with supporting characters and some omniscient narration. Shusterman did a fantastic job of creating the perfect imagery and descriptions, including the emotions and feelings of his characters. The plot was incredibly well thought out. Every time I felt a question was going unanswered I'd end up with that answer within a few chapters. I can't say that I disliked even one minute detail of this novel. It was interesting and gripping without too much violence, without too much romantic gooey-ness, without sexual content or bad language. It's just pure genius. 
 Before I babble on anymore (and I could!), I'll wrap this up. My last words? Unwind is one of the most impressive books I've ever read. It's powerful and thought-provoking. The plot is unique and intensely chilling. This is truly one of those books that'll get up under your skin and stay put. It's spellbinding. I laughed, I cried, I got pissed and yelled at the pages. The characters are ones that you'll never forget and their individual and combined stories will pull you in and twist your emotions into knots. This future is not one that I'd ever want to be a part of. Shusterman has woven a terrifying and unfair dystopian world that'll have you thanking your lucky stars it's just fiction. Unwind is a book I will be recommending for a long time to come. Definitely read it if you have yet to. 
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 Book source: Library! 
 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers