September 15, 2014
The grisly conclusion to the Unwind Dystology. Times have changed for Connor, Risa, Lev and company-the heroes and heroines of a brave fight to prevent the government from harvesting the organs of unruly teens. Chilling propaganda pushes the Marcella Initiative, a law that would allow the government to unwind teenagers without their parents' permission. Also, Connor and his team find an "organ printer" that could be the answer they need to stop the unwinding atrocities around the globe, and egomaniacal Mason Starkey continues to attack harvest camps across the country with bloodthirsty vengeance. Meanwhile, a gang of evil, elite black-market organ harvesters pursues Connor with deadly intent. Shusterman's finale might be the best one in the series since the first: He cuts straight to the chase with the plotting and creates horrifically heinous supervillians to keep it moving and ensure readers are glued to the edges of their seats. His settings are also dead-on, so to speak: In one iconic, symbolic scene, the Statue of Liberty's arm is replaced with another, and readers can't help but wonder if this is the future. Everything culminates in an action-packed, heart-wrenching conclusion guaranteed to chill readers to the bone. (Dystopian adventure. 12-15)
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October 1, 2014
Gr 9 Up-In the final book of the "Unwind Dystology," everything comes full circle. Shusterman expertly reminds readers about the characters and their current situations without distracting from the current plot. Teens gain information on all of the key players, and each well-crafted narrative moves at a refreshing pace. Connor and Risa are together again in Sonia's house, with Grace in tow. They have found a way to change people's minds about unwinding by providing other options. Lev is on the reservation but cannot contain his need to fight for what he feels is right. Cam is back with Roberta, and though they try to affect his thoughts and memories, they cannot suppress his genuine contempt for Proactive Citizenry and his creators. Starkey and his storks, on the other hand, are leading a revolt that only makes things worse for the unwinds. Characters old and new are integrated into the story line, providing insight and closure. Shusterman generates a lot of thought-provoking topics for discussion. The story is intriguing: a wonderful end to a unique and noteworthy series.-Kristyn Dorfman, The Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn, NY
Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
September 15, 2014
Grades 6-9 The battle for hearts and mindsand teenage body partswinds to a dramatic close in this finale to Shusterman's darkly satiric UnWind Dystology. As megalomaniac rebel Starkey ramps up attacks on harvest camps, where teens are sent by the ever-more-powerful Juvenile Authority to be physically unwound, patchwork chimera Camus discovers that he is a prototype for an army manufactured from spare parts, and former volunteer subject Lev looks for a way to spur the Arpache and other Chancefolk tribes to rebel. Meanwhile ruthlessly hunted rebels Conor, Risa, and Grace look for ways to publicize a long-suppressed technological advance that will make unwinding unnecessary. Folding in actual, chillingly relevant news stories, Shusterman expertly brings together a series of crises, betrayals, escapes, self-sacrifices, and desperate ploys, culminating in a massive march on Washington and sea changes in both government rhetoric and public opinion. A true page-turner like the previous books, this is predicated on the truth that major social change comes not from a single significant act but a confluence of smaller ones.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)
November 1, 2014
Shusterman's dystopian epic concludes with an ambitious, multi-front showdown among the complex forces arrayed for and against "unwinding" -- the legal (and lucrative) harvesting of unwanted teens for their body parts. Teen rebels Connor, Risa, and Lev; "rewind" Cam; anti-unwinding terrorist Starkey; various corporate interests; and a few adult allies -- most significantly, one woman with a technological blueprint that could end medicine's dependence on unwinding -- play crucial roles. Shusterman draws the series' tangled threads into line while deepening his intelligent portrayal of a society grown economically, medically, and politically dependent on unwinding. It's an impressive juggling act, grounded by emotional beats that recall the characters' formative moments (Connor's parents, for instance, take on renewed significance). Attention to character detail aside, UnDivided is ultimately about the big picture, taking a large-scale view of the unimaginable losses that any new world order must address and building on the thesis that it takes not one person or group or revelation but multiple forces working in tandem to effect true revolutionary change. Real recent news articles about the present-day scientific and policy realities presaging Shusterman's imagined future punctuate the narrative, adding to the book's discussion points and highlighting its immediacy and relevance. Ambitious, insightful, and devastating -- a fitting conclusion to a provocative series. claire e. gross
(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
January 1, 2015
Shusterman's dystopian epic concludes with a multi-front showdown among the forces arrayed for and against "unwinding." Shusterman draws the series' tangled threads into line while deepening his portrayal of a society grown economically, medically, and politically dependent on unwinding. This impressive juggling act is grounded by emotional beats that recall the characters' formative moments. Ambitious, insightful, and devastating--a fitting conclusion to a provocative series.
(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)