#717
Title: Unwind (Unwind Trilogy #1)
Author: Neal Shusterman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Year: 2007
335 pages
Audiobook.
A nicely tense dystopian YA novel, first in a series. The story is enjoyable enough to make up for the somewhat expository and clunky present-tense writing. The basic premise provides an interesting distorted reflection of Ishiguro's
Never Let Me Go: Abortion is illegal, but adolescents can be "unwound" for spare parts.
Logan's Run comes to mind as well. The variety of uses and abuses to which this policy may be put are sometimes shown, sometimes told. The three main characters are engaging and differ sufficiently from each other, and some of the minor characters become more sympathetic over time. I found Lev the most interesting character, and the interpretation of tithing an engaging idea. I don't believe that there would be Jewish tithes, however--Jewish philosophy argues against it, as well as Jewish beliefs and practices around death. Whether it's more plausible for the other religions mentioned is a question I'll leave to others more cultually proficient in those traditions.
Update: I think it's only fair to add the questions that arose as I reflected on the book last night. I'll spoiler tag them by putting them in white lettering. Highlight to see:
1. Why would a rebellion humanize and personalize the unwinds' situation? It might bring it to the public's attention, but time and again, studies of group behavior show that appealing at the individual level ("Mom! Don't you love me?") personalizes, while groups are perceived as scary or deindividuated mobs.2. Why would a rebellion in a holding facility lead to changes in the law that favor the rioters? Blowing stuff up is more likely to lead to more stringent arrangements.
3. Roland is unwound when he is because he has a rare blood type, AB-. I'm not sure how Rh factors into it, but AB is the universal recipient. Though it's a rare type, it's not necessary to have it on hand for AB recipients, at least AB+. Further, Connor receives Roland's transplanted arm. So Connor is also AB-? Since this is true of only 0.6% of the US population, that's too much of a coincidence.
4. I'm willing to live with the conceit that one's consciousness pervades one's organs, but what about blood? Plasma? Lymph? The ending, though poignant, ruptures my suspension of disbelief with a) its wish fulfillment, and b) the implication that indeed, the unwinds are still alive--and even conscious!--as transplanted organs, which kind of kills the idea that unwinding is murder and substantiates the rationale for it.
Still, a good book, but not a 5-star experience.
