CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices 2008)
An extraordinarily thought-provoking novel is based on a deeply disturbing premise: to end the bloody Heartland War, also know as the Second Civil War and fought over the issue of abortion, a set of constitutional amendments known as The Bill of Life was passed. They protect human life from the time of conception until a child turns thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, children may be “retroactively aborted” if parents choose “unwinding,” a process that draws on modern science to harvest every part of the body for transplant into another human being. In this horrifying future, three teens—two determined to escape their fate, and one who has been raised to welcome it as a way to honor God—find themselves thrown together and on the run. Neal Shusterman paints a portrait of a controlled and controlling society where teens are viewed with suspicion, babies are abandoned on doorsteps (by law those that fine them must raise them as their own), and most adults have accepted the unacceptable. There are voices of protest but there is also a government that is amazingly proficient in its ability to deconstruct human life. Shusterman’s chilling narrative draws deft parallels between his imagined time and our society today, extending the polemics of the abortion debate to a disquieting extreme that compromises both the sanctity of life and the right to control one’s own body; illuminating suburban insulation; and highlighting society’s willingness to turn its back on many teens. CCBC Category: Fiction for Young Adults. 2007, Simon & Schuster, 335 pages, $16.99. Age 13 and older.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 19))
Shusterman's Everlost (2006) dealt with death and children with a sense of innocence, redemption and even humor. None of that is present here. In a time not far distant, life is deemed to be sacrosanct from the instant of conception until the age of 13. From 13 to 18, however, parents and guardians have the opportunity to have children "unwound." Technically, life doesn't end, but every part of the child is "harvested" to be parceled out and passed on to the highest bidder. In this gruesome age of organ harvest, readers meet Connor (doomed to be unwound by his parents), Risa (doomed as a ward of the state due to overcrowding) and Lev, a tithe, conceived for the express purpose of being unwound and "donated" to society. Their story of escape and struggle to survive in a society that lauds itself on the protection of life, but which has reduced human body parts to market commodities, unrolls against a bleak background of indifference, avarice, guilt, regret, loss, pain and rebellion. Well-written, this draws the reader into a world that is both familiar and strangely foreign, and generates feelings of horror, disturbance, disgust and fear. As with classics such as 1984 and Fahrenheit 451, one can only hope that this vision of the future never becomes reality. 2007, Simon & Schuster, 352p, $16.99. Category: Science fiction. Ages 13 up. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Paula Rohrlick (KLIATT Review, November 2007 (Vol. 41, No. 6))
In a near-future society, a compromise has been reached to end a war between pro-life and pro-choice factions: abortion has been outlawed, but between the ages of 13 and 18 a parent can choose to “unwind” a child--to have all the child’s organs donated so that the child technically lives on, even if it’s as parts of other people’s bodies. Connor, whose quick temper gets him into trouble all the time, learns he is to be one of these “Unwinds,” and so does Risa, an unwanted ward of the state. Neither is willing to accept this fate, and they escape, encountering Lev, who is a tithe--a 10th child born to be unwound. They go on the run and find their way to the Graveyard, where surplus planes are warehoused and where a mysterious Admiral tries to save Unwinds from the “harvest camps.” However, when an evil bully informs on Connor and Risa, a harvest camp is where they all end up, waiting to be dismantled. Will Lev’s beliefs manage to save them or kill them? This exciting thriller from the popular author of Scorpion Shards and many other YA novels will appeal to SF fans. There’s lots of action, along with some provocative ideas about the meaning of life, and the three protagonists are all appealing heroes in their own ways. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: JS--Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2007, Simon & Schuster, 352p., $16.99. Ages 12 to 18.

Amanda Powell (Kutztown Book Review, Spring 2008)
This book is about a future society that uses teenagers to donate body parts even though it is not willfully. The story unfolds the trials of a few children called Unwinds and their journey to escape the tragic end to their lives as a whole person. This book would be a great modern book to have students read with classics like 1984 and Brave New World. There are real articles throughout the book that lead the reader to think that it is possible for a society like this one to exist. It is a wonderful tale of heroics from a perspective that teenagers can understand. Category: Science Fiction. 2007, Shuster Books, $16.99. Ages 13 to 18.

Donna Knott (Library Media Connection, January 2008)
A war was fought over life and death and, in the end, life won out.at least until age 13. During the years between 13 and 18, all bets are off and your parents can have you "unwound" at a Harvest Center. The process is one where organs and other body parts are transplanted into needy recipients; the child is not technically dead, just recycled. Of three teenagers bound for Harvest Centers, Connor and Risa are fighting to survive. Lev, on the other hand, is a tithe; one who is chosen to be unwound and is considered sacred. In a future where the world's view of life and death are blurred by politics and violence, some will be forced to redefine what it is to be truly alive. This is a dark look into a future that is not entirely impossible. Shusterman's handling of politically charged topics is masterful, without being preachy. It's a great book for older teens and could be paired with David Klass's Firestorm (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2006), for those who like fiction with a political bent or with Nancy Farmer's House of the Scorpion (Atheneum (Simon & Schuster), 2002) for those who are into genetic engineering for hire. Recommended. 2007, Simon & Schuster, 352pp., $16.99 hc. Ages 12 up.

Melanie Hundley (The ALAN Review, Summer 2009 (Vol. 36, No. 3))
Unwind takes place after the Second Civil War, a long and violent war between the Pro-life and Pro-choice armies. According to the Bill of Life, a set of laws passed to end the war, life is sacred from the point of conception until the age of 13. Between 13 and 18, a child may be retroactively “aborted” as long as the child’s life doesn’t technically end. The process by which a child is both terminated and yet still alive is called “unwinding.” Connor’s parents choose to “unwind” him because he gets in trouble at school. Risa, an orphan, is unwound by the state because there isn’t enough money to take care of her. Lev’s family is religious, and his “unwinding” has been planned since his birth. He is raised to see himself as a “tithe.” These three teens meet by accident and struggle to survive until they are 18. Category: Science Fiction/Dystopia. YA--Young Adult. 2007, Simon & Shuster Books for Young Readers, 352 pp., $16.99. Ages young adult.Nashville, TN

April Spisak (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, February 2008 (Vol. 61, No. 6))
In this dystopic thriller, children between thirteen and eighteen can be “unwound” by their parents if they are deemed unsuitable in any way. Unwinding is considered the ethical middle ground coming out of a war between the pro-choice and pro-life armies: parents can retroactively “abort” a child as long as all of the parts are used for medical purposes, thus ensuring the child doesn’t officially die. The story focuses on three young people: Lev, a thirteen-year-old, who has always known his purpose was to be unwound as a gift to God; and Connor, a troubled teen, and Risa, a not-gifted-enough musician, who are both shocked to learn of their fate. Although the three initially have little in common when they meet en route to an unwinding camp, they soon form a tight bond as they travel the underground escape route to finally land at a seeming haven, an airplane junkyard headed by a well-meaning admiral haunted by memories of his own unwound son. The shocking premise is unveiled immediately, and a nail-biting pace is sustained throughout, with the teens flung headlong into a true life-or-death struggle. In the quiet moments of safety, philosophical explorations of what it means to be alive, what the rights of children are, and whether or not one’s soul resides in the whole body or in individual pieces unfold, and these haunting debates will likely linger in the reader’s mind even after the riveting plot fades. Fans of Farmer’s The House of the Scorpion (BCCB 11/02) will find intriguing overlaps on the ethics of harvesting humans, and science fiction buffs in general will find this an ideal blend of philosophy and action set in a compelling futuristic landscape Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2007, Simon, 335p., $16.99. Grades 8-10.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2008)
A near-future America allows for unwanted teenagers to be "unwound," their body parts used for transplants. Three such teens narrowly escape this fate and search for a safe haven amid betrayal, politics, and ideological conflict. Strong characters and chilling secondary story lines (from brain transplants gone awry to teen suicide bombers) make for a page-turning, thought-provoking read. Category: Older Fiction. 2007, Simon, 335pp, 16.99. Ages 12 to 14. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.

Courtney Wika (VOYA, October 2007 (Vol. 30, No. 4))
Shusterman's latest novel takes place after the Heartland War. Waged between the Pro-Choice and Pro-Life "armies," the conflict was settled with the drafting of The Bill of Life, which states that life is protected until the age of Reason, but between the ages of thirteen to eighteen a child can be "unwound" at the request of the parents. Unwinding is an honorable action according to adults, but it is a terrible fate for the Unwind in that the organs, limbs, and brain tissue are disseminated to other humans who require transplants or appearance "upgrades." The novel follows three protagonists who are attempting to "kick-AWOL" and survive to eighteen to escape their unwindings: Connor, the rebellious teen; Risa, a ward of the state being unwound because of budget cuts; and Lev, a tithe born as an unwind sacrifice. The novel begs two questions: When does a life have value? Who determines whether it is worth keeping? Unfortunately who is unwound and who gets which "parts" is often determined by socio-economic status. In addition, parents seem to shamelessly unwind their children for typical teen frustration and rebellion. Betrayal by parents and the system is a horrifying truth for the protagonists. As such, there are many passages that are difficult to read either for their heartrending nature or their shocking specifics, particularly the detailed "harvest" of a well-known character. Poignant, compelling, and ultimately terrifying, this book will enjoy popularity with a wide range of readers beyond its science-fiction base. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2007, Simon & Schuster, 352p., $16.99. Ages 12 to 18.