Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Title: Unwind
By: Shusterman, Neal
Published: 2007
Call #: YA Science Fiction Shust.N

Driven by strong characters caught in a horrible situation, this story pulled me along as if I were on an unstoppable train. “Challenging” teens, thirteen through seventeen, can be unwound if their parents sign the papers or if they are wards of the state or if their religion deems them to be tithes. To be unwound is to be vivisected bit by bit so that all their parts-brain lobes, feet, hearts, teeth-can be transplanted into someone in need. The absolutely horrifying description of the unwinding of a hateful young man is an image I hope to one day forget but also couldn’t stop reading. Many, but not all, adults have become numb to what unwinding really means so there is some hope offered. Two sequels exist though if you like ambiguous endings, this is definitely a stand-alone.

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