I loved this book. Right from the start the premise hooked me (and not just because I have teenagers :-)!) I'm not sure where to start! First off, I thought the whole way of looking at the abortion issue was extremely creative and unique. Talk about thought provoking! I could easily see this being used in a US history or Government class. It also made me want to sign up to be an organ donor, just so we would never become so desperate, as a society, for donor parts, that we would need to resort to such measures!
I felt that the plot moved quickly with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. But what I loved even more were the characters. I felt they were very well developed, I grew to feel for all of them in turn...I even grew to like and sympathize with the Admiral (I cried at the "birthday party!"). I was especially intrigued with Risa and Connor and their relationship. I think Shusterman did a great job in developing their connection. One of my favorite passages occurs shortly after they arrive at the Graveyard. The passage goes, "A lot of that has to do with Risa, because every time he forces himself to think before acting, it's her voice in his head telling him to slow down. He wants to tell her, but she's always so busy in the medical jet-and you don't just go to somebody and say, 'I'm a better person because you're in my head.'" I loved the language in the book. Some of the passages were very poignant, I often found myself stopping to reread lines.
I think one of the most memorable parts of the book, and one of the hardest to read, was the section where Roland is unwound...yikes!!! And, I also liked how the author developed the subplot involving the issue of Tithing, and how Lev's character develops and grows.
If you liked this book, I am told you will also love Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series. I haven't them, but the kids love them. I am looking forward to recommending Unwind to fans of this genre.
I will stop here as I am anxious to hear what everyone thinks.
