Kirkus Style Review--Unwind by Neal Shusterman

America’s Second Civil War, fought over reproductive rights, produced a solution—Unwinding.  Parents can choose to “Unwind” teens (ages 13-18); all organs are harvested and transplanted into different donors and therefore their life will not technically “end”, but what are the implications for the teens that are slated for this “solution”?

Unwind follows the fates of three teens: Connor, a difficult teen whose parents no longer want to deal with him; Risa, a ward of the state who is not special enough for the government to support her as a “living” person; and Lev, a tithe raised as a religious sacrifice to God.  Connor’s escape during his transport to the Harvest Camp brings these three characters together and entwines their lives.  While unwinding is the central conflict within the novel, the characters are confronted with dangers at every turn in the form of Parts Pirates, Juvenile Authority Police, and fellow teens slated for unwinding that have found solace in anger and violence.  Can they stay alive while saving each other?

Neal Shusterman creates a dystopian world that is an incredibly realistic and believable future.  The complicated characters are so carefully constructed they lead the reader to question the validity of life. This fast paced and thought-provoking novel will stay with readers long after they have reached the final page.