“Killing” Kids is Only Okay Between the Ages of 13-18

Unwind is a tale of post-war dystopian America, where the dusts of the Heartland war have finally settled and abortion has been outlawed. To replace it, parents can retroactively “abort” a child between the ages of 13-18, by unwinding them. This process allows the child to technically go on living, but in a divided state and so they’re basically dead if you want to get the gist. There are three main characters: Connor, Risa and Lev. They are each to be unwound, but for separate reasons. Connor is a disrespectful and disobedient teen, Risa is a state ward that can no longer be funded, and Lev is a tithe from his family.
Connor is kind of a loose cannon at the beginning of this book; however, his character does mature quite a bit through the story and he becomes a legend and head of the rebellion against unwinding. Risa is the voice of reason in this piece for the most part. She is the calm, intelligent one. She brings Connor back from the brink of many fights and teaches him how to analyze a situation and determine the best course of action before charging in headfirst. Lev is just
Lev, he is so hard to describe because of the deep and mind altering things that happen to him. If anything, Lev is a symbol of anarchy. I don’t want to give anything away, but Lev goes from this innocent and naïve little kid to the disturbed and angsty preteen everyone loves to stereotype.
I love this book for many reasons. One is the political statement I believe it makes. The other is the characters and what they go through. It’s amazing to see how bad their situation is and how they find the determination to not only survive, but to try to help others (maybe not intentionally at first). Also, Risa and Connor have this super cute relationship thing that develops and it’s just so cute, so points for that! :)
I would recommend this book to anyone who can think critically. Seriously, everyone should read this book, it’s that amazing. I can’t wait to finish Unwholly and the rest of the series.