Unwind by Neal Shusterman

7 Stars

"The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights.  The chilling resolution:  Life in inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen.  Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their children "unwound," whereby all of the children's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end." ~ Taken from book jacket

"In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would "unwind" them Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can't be harmed -- but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away.

In Unwind, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award winner Neal Shusterman challenges readers' ideas about life -- not just where life begins, and where it ends, but what it truly means to be alive." ~ Description taken from Neal Shusterman's site, HERE.

I found that I actually really enjoyed this book.   I liked the character development of all of the main characters...it's told from several character's perspectives, so you don't feel like this book is about any one person.  It is a VERY thought provoking and interesting read.  And, also creepy...sort of a futuristic Dr. Moreau...with a twist.

I've only given this 7 stars on account of the creep factor.  The book is written for teens/young adults, but it's got some pretty serious stuff in it.  There are some fairly descriptive chilling moments, and the theme is definitely on the macabre-side, because of the 'unwinding' process and abortion/life issues.  If you're looking for an edge of your seat, sci-fi psychological thriller, this one's for you.

Moon Over Manifest by Claire Vanderpool

7 Stars

"After a life of riding the rails with her father, 12-year-old Abilene can’t understand why he has sent her away to stay with Pastor Shady Howard in Manifest, Missouri, a town he left years earlier; but over the summer she pieces together his story. In 1936, Manifest is a town worn down by sadness, drought, and the Depression, but it is more welcoming to newcomers than it was in 1918, when it was a conglomeration of coal-mining immigrants who were kept apart by habit, company practice, and prejudice." (Taken from Amazon.com)

Continuing on my quest to read all the Newberry nominees for this year, I finally obtained a copy of the winner. I was planning to save it for last, but when you are waiting for books at the library, you take it them when they come your way. At first I wasn't sure why this book and not the previous two that I read was the winner. I found the story not very engaging towards the beginning but it quickly picked up. It was not a fast read in that I felt compelled to read it every second, but by the end of the book it had me thinking about the issues addressed. I also loved the way that the author wove the past and present together so beautifully. In all, it was a very beautifully written book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested.