I’m an unlikely fan of Neal Shusterman’s Unwind dystology. I don’t normally go for the high-octane, super-intense, action-packed books.
But I love this series.
It’s set after the Heartland War, a war between the Pro-Life and Pro-Choice movements, and the compromise that they’ve arrived at is to ban abortion but to allow teenagers to be “unwound”: every organ used in donation. Since all body parts are still alive, this is not seen as killing the teenager; rather, they are “living in a divided state.”
Totally creepy, right?
I loved the characters in this series. There are three main ones, although every book adds more POVs, more well-drawn characters. Connor, the Akron AWOL, on the run from his own unwinding; Risa, a ward of the state being unwound due to budget cuts; and Lev, a “tithe” who has been raised his whole life to believe that his unwinding will be giving his life back to God.
Book one: awesome. (Bonus: includes the most disturbing scene I’ve ever read in YA ever.)
Book two: even better. (Bonus: Miracolina.)
Book three: love this series. (Bonus: frenemies/rivals/awkward love triangle!)
Book four: everything at stake. (Bonus: all your beloved favorites make an appearance.)
The situation is OUT OF CONTROL BAD in this book. Freaking out in a delicious way. #UnDivided
— Jackie Lea Sommers (@jackieleawrites) October 19, 2014
.@NealShusterman‘s #UnDivided is making me delightfully sick. If that’s a thing. Maybe it’s a thing ever since the Unwind dystology. — Jackie Lea Sommers (@jackieleawrites) October 20, 2014
I am so scared of this book. How does @NealShusterman do it? I have to keep reading but I’m terrified. #UnDivided
— Jackie Lea Sommers (@jackieleawrites) October 21, 2014
Haven’t been this scared of a book since #unwind. #undivided #Iwantmymommy
— Jackie Lea Sommers (@jackieleawrites) October 21, 2014
Had to stop for tonight, though I had thought I’d finish it. I’m too worked up and scared and sick. I love the power of books. #undivided — Jackie Lea Sommers (@jackieleawrites) October 21, 2014
This was a really thought-provoking series for me, and I’d love to talk it over with someone who has read it. What did you like? Did anything bother you about the ending? Who was your favorite character? Which scenes made you sick to your stomach? Was the premise hard for you to believe?
Obviously, if you haven’t read this series, avoid the comments section due to SPOILERS!
JACKIE LEA SOMMERS 
{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252
{\fonttbl\f0\fnil\fcharset0 ArialMT;}
{\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;\red0\green0\blue0;}
\deftab720
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0
\f0\fs28 \cf0 \expnd0\expndtw0\kerning0
\outl0\strokewidth0 \strokec2 \shad\shadx0\shady-20\shadr0\shado0 \shadc0 Jackie I couldn’t agree MORE with your description of this series. I’m totally liisting this as one of my all time favorite series. The characters were so wonderfully devloped and full of rich layers. I loved how I felt this way even after a bit of time between the novels. I am in awe how he could add characteers later in the series that I also fell in love with and cheered for and wanted to hear their perspective….Grace being of them-what a great character choice addition. Also this book had great underlying moral isssues that are facing our country now. The whole company that was for the greater good….oh how they thought just sent me shivers. I think this is one ofthe most believable “Future” United States of America that any Y.A has portrayed. Thiss series was just excellent and EVERYONE should read it especially adults.
Pingback: Review: Scythe by Neal Shusterman | JACKIE LEA SOMMERS