Unwind (novel)
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Original hardcover edition
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| Author | Neal Shusterman |
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| Cover artist | Daniel Roode |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English and |
| Genre | Science fiction, biopunk, adventure, dystopia, dystopian fiction |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
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Publication date
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2007 |
| Media type | Hardback, paperback |
| Pages | 335 |
Unwind is a 2007 science fiction novel by young adult literature author Neal Shusterman. It takes place in the United States, after a civil war somewhere in the near future. After a civil war, known as the Second Civil War or the Heartland War, was fought over abortion, a compromise was reached, allowing parents to sign an order for their children between the ages of 13 and 18 to be unwound—taken to “harvest camps” and having their body parts harvested for later use. The reasoning was that since 99.44% of the body had to be used (the other 0.56% are vestigial organs), unwinds did not technically die because their individual body parts lived on. In addition to unwinding, parents who are unable to raise their children to age 13 for retroactive abortion have the option to “stork” their child by leaving it on another family’s porch. If they don’t get caught, the “storked” baby then becomes the other family’s responsibility.
Unwind received positive reviews upon release, with praise focusing on the novel’s immersive environment and sociological implications. It also received many awards from young adult literature authorities[citation needed]. A film adaptation of Unwind is currently in production by independent producers.[1] A second novel titled UnWholly was released in August 2012,[2] and a third in December 2013, titled UnSouled and a fourth in October 2014, titled UnDivided. A novella, UnStrung, was also published. UnBound is the newest edition to the Unwind Dystology. It’s written by Neal Shusterman (Creator), Michelle Knowlden, Jarrod Shusterman, Terry Black, and Brendan Shusterman. It was published December 15, 2015 by Simon & Schuster. This collection of novellas gives the readers more insight into the secrets and lost stories of the Unwind world.
I can vouch that this is a fantastic novel to teach in high school. It touches on so many themes of what constitutes humanity, whose life (or death) is mournable or important, and who has autonomy in society. The book would pair very nicely with the novel “Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro, although, as both resources are novels, perhaps only snippets would be necessary. There is, however, a film of Never Let Me Go as well, which may work wonderfully as a companion to the novel Unwind.