The book Unwind by Neal Shusterman, published on November 6, 2007, is a dystopian novel about three kids named Risa, Conner, and Lev. The three live in the midst of a Second Civil War, fought over abortion, and the fighting then results in a decision to allow parents to “unwind” a child and send them to be “harvested,” or dismantled from human form and kept for spare parts.  When children are between the ages of 13 and 18, parents have the option to “unwind,” or abort, their child. Conner is about to be unwound,  but he decides to run away and meets Lev and Risa along the way. Lev, Risa, and Conner evolve and grow throughout the story, bringing readers along for the ride.

As the story goes on, Risa and Conner arrive at a place called “The Graveyard,” a refugee camp for escaped unwinds. in a plot twist, Risa and Conner get caught and are sent to the “Harvest Camps,” where the unwinds are disassembled. They have to figure a way out of the situation and help the other unwinds.

Unwind is a well-crafted book that takes readers on an emotional roller coaster. Shusterman’s hard work is evident in the tense scenes that have readers turning pages with bated breath and sitting on the edge of their seat. Unwind is a book about trust and survival between strangers who fallen further than they ever expected and have nothing left to lose.

Unwind is available at the Robinson Library, or for purchase on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as are the three other books in the series entitled Unwholly, Unsouled, and Undivided.