AuburnChick's Adventures

Saturday night, I stayed up rather late…

Until 4am!

Why?

Well, I could not put down the following book…

I ordered this book, Unwind (by Neal Shusterman), from Amazon after Christmas.  My friend, Barb, had suggested the title for one of my students.  He likes books that are a little “out there.”

I couldn’t resist reading it first, and let me tell you…WOW!

I was blown away.

The book is set in the future after the Second Civil War has been fought over reproductive rights.

As a result, a compromise was met whereby children between the ages of 13-18 can be “unwound.”  What this means is that they are sent to harvest centers where their body parts are removed to be used for transplants.  Meanwhile, the party line is that being unwound means that your life becomes meaningful, and you live on in others’ lives.

This book brings up a number of controversial topics, making the reader think…a lot.

The book brings together three main characters along with a host of other minor characters who are trying to avoid their sentence.

I won’t spoil the climax, but I will say that someone gets unwound, and the description of it is heartbreaking.

I think this book would make a wonderful read aloud, but it is a bit long…over 300 pages.

Still…maybe…

The book is the first in the trilogy, although there is Unstrung, a short story, about one of the characters and his adventures that we did not learn about in the first book.

I’m going to purchase the other books, eventually.

If you’re looking for a thought-provoking read, this is the book for you!

By the way, I write all of my book reviews of my own volition.  As a reading teacher, it’s my job to motivate students to read.  I like to share the gems I find with anyone who reads my blog.

Filed under: Books, Teaching | Tagged: education, reading, Shusterman, teaching, Unwind |