Unwind

Unwind was recommended to me by a friend and fellow dystopian lover. He said he liked it even better than Divergent, which is my favorite series in the genre. And as I read Unwind, the first book in Neal Shusterman's series, I can see why my friend loves it so much. It is a well written, engaging story about an interesting topic. There was a war between prolifers and prochoicers and the Bill of Life was signed to end the war. This bill appeased both sides by making abortions illegal, but creating the ability to "unwinding" the person. So at the age of 15 parents can sign away their child to be unwound - which is said to not kill the person, but disassembles them in a way that their parts can be used for others. And no, the book is not as disturbing as it sounds!

The thing I love about this book is that even though it's about a heavy topic such as abortion (and even some religion), it doesn't take a political stance on it. It states the issue as a set of facts, not opinions. While the backdrop of the book is a political issue, the book itself is about the story of the characters. About Unwinds and how some of them survive.

The archetyped characters are just as interesting in this story as the plot. Although they are not as developed as many books are, they are developed enough for you to care about them.

Overall, this is a must read if you like dystopian novels.