UnWholly by Neal Shusterman

Summary:
It’s finally here. The long-awaited sequel to the bestselling Unwind, which Publishers Weekly called a “gripping, brilliantly imagined futuristic thriller.”

Thanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa—and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack Harvest Camp—people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of troublesome teens while simltaneously providing much-needed tissues for transplant might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question. However, unwinding has become big business, and there are powerful political and corporate interests that want to see it not only continue, but also expand to the unwinding of prisoners and the impoverished.

Cam is a product of unwinding; made entirely out of the parts of other unwinds, he is a teen who does not technically exist. A futuristic Frankenstein, Cam struggles with a search for identity and meaning and wonders if a rewound being can have a soul. And when the actions of a sadistic bounty hunter cause Cam’s fate to become inextricably bound with the fates of Connor, Risa, and Lev, he’ll have to question humanity itself.

Rife with action and suspense, this riveting companion to the perennially popular Unwind challenges assumptions about where life begins and ends—and what it means to live. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I was so excited when I discovered that Unwind is part of a trilogy - and also really glad I didn't read Unwind when it was first released, because there were 7 years between the first two books!

Luckily for me, UnWholly did not fall prey to the infamous Middle Book Syndrome; it was just as good as its predecessor. The stories of Connor, Risa and Lev are continued in UnWholly along with the addition of Cam (who is pretty much Frankenstein) and Nelson, the antagonist. Normally having a lot of different characters is annoying, but I enjoyed reading about everyone. Cam was definitely one of the more interesting plotlines, as it's super creepy how he was created, but he is his own person.

Pretty much my thoughts about UnWholly are similar to those of Unwind: the story is exciting and hard to put down and the themes continue to be thought-provoking. I'm definitely looking forward to the conclusion, which is supposed to be released sometime in 2013.

Rating: 9 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from the library.

2012/Simon & Schuster/402 pages.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Summary:
Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives.

The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I heard about Unwind from a friend and she was very vague about what "unwinding" actually is (to prevent me from being spoiled) but this summary spells everything out pretty neatly. Even knowing what unwinding is didn't stop me from loving this novel. It was exciting, thought-provoking, and even a little horrifying.

I think Unwind would be perfect for a book club or a literature class. It raises interesting questions about reproductive rights, the rights of minors, and human existence. If you're living in a "divided state" are you still alive? All your body parts are technically alive, so you must be, right? The unwinding process was so creepy, even more so because people are unwound against their will.

The book changes points-of-view between Connor, Risa and Lev, all who are slated for unwinding. All their perspectives were interesting, but I liked how the author added in Lev's situation. He's a tithe, which basically mean he's sacrificing himself to be unwound to please God. It's not really his choice - he's been brainwashed to believe that it's his duty to be unwound. That all changes when Connor's, Risa's, and Lev's paths converge.

Unwind is very plot-driven with a lot of action. Connor, Risa and Lev go to many different places and there's never a dull moment. In each situation, you'll be wondering how the characters will manage to survive, and I'm sure the readers were pleased with the novel's resolution.

When I found out that Unwind is being made into a trilogy, I was very excited. There's so much to be explored in this world. I'm reading the sequel, UnWholly, right now and I'm liking it so far! A review to come soon!

Rating: 9 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from library.

2007/Simon & Schuster/335 pages.