Unwind by Neal Shusterman review

Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives.

The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.

From Goodreads 

I've been going back over some of my favorite books of late (scouring for new Nostalgic Friday ideas) & stumbled upon this gem. Honestly, I thought to myself "I must have already reviewed that since it was so epic." Behold the fog trap that is my memory. Somehow this wondrous book escaped being reviewed in 2010, when I read it. My apologies dearest readers. :) 

Unwind tells a story of a near future world where children can be "unwound" between the ages of 13 & 18. For those 5 years, many children are walking on eggshells, just trying to survive. Connor (a misfit labeled a "troublemaker"), Risa (a ward of the state), & Lev (a tithe ~ a child from a religious family, born to be unwound) find themselves in a fight for survival. Connor & Risa are running voluntarily, while Lev doesn't understand. He's been preparing to be unwound his whole life, it is his purpose & his destiny.

But when these three wind up at the Happy Jack Harvest Camp, a "happy place" where the kids are monitored for health & encouraged to better themselves until their body parts are required by others, they find out that none of what any of them believed is true. Now their real fight begins.

I absolutely adored this book! Neal Shusterman's writing absolutely engulfed me. To stop reading was like resurfacing from being under water. The setting & characterization alone make this book worth reading, but the story it tells is what really makes it memorable. This was one of the first non-apocalyptic dystopian fiction books I ever read. For that fact alone do I give most similar books a chance. I read this on a suggestion from a colleague & when I was done it immediately went into the "recommend to middle schoolers" pile.

For a middle grades book, Unwind deals with some heavy topics in an age appropriate manner. Now that's not to say that the book is censored or that young adults & even adults wouldn't like it, but by making the book's audience more wide open I think the author has given us a great opening for frank discussion. I don't think I have ever seen anything quite as spectacular as watching the audience as I read the passage detailing the Second Civil War over reproductive rights. 

Truly a work of art, Unwind is a book that I will cherish for the rest of my days reading middle grades & young adult books. I would honestly liken it to being today's The Giver. 

Thoughts, comments? Come on, I know you're thinking something... :D

Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver review

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

From Goodreads

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR DELIRIUM!

Lena can't believe what she's just survived. But did she really survive? And if she did, then where is Alex? They were together & now they're not & she's stumbling through the Wilds. After being rescued from what would have surely been her death, Lena finds herself among the "invalids" fighting alongside them for survival.

It's not exactly what Alex described, not really anyway, since she's in a different part with different people. As her strength returns she begins to explore her new home with people like Blue, Raven & Hunter. Soon enough though it's time to move for the season, but nothing goes as smoothly as it should.

Oscillating between a "Then" time period in the Wilds & a "Now" time period back in the city working for the resistance by infiltrating a loyalist group, Pandemonium offers the absolute best of Delirium with a hint of awesome! While most second novels in a trilogy (or any series for that matter) tend to fall down a dark, sad hole where nothing important seems to take place, this book is the antithesis of that state. We learn so much more about the society that the characters inhabit & what exactly is going on in the Wilds.

But just when you think you've got things figured out & squared away into their neat little packages, Lauren Oliver throws you a nasty curve ball. I hope you enjoy curve balls because there's no avoiding this one & I honestly didn't see it coming. Take your time reading this book. There is a lot going on that you need to pay attention to & a lot of emotions being thrown all over the place. It kept me on my toes & has me primed for the final installment.

Nostalgic Friday: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Welcome back to Nostalgic Friday! Since I love all things historical (culturally, physically, and personally) I do a post on Fridays honoring some awesome book that is a bit older. Many of them are books I enjoyed in my teens and others are books that I discovered as an adult that I think are relevant to YA readers.

This week I am featuring The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. It's a dystopian read that I discovered through my sister. She had to read it in high school and when my school never assigned it I got curious.

After a military coup creating the Republic of Gilead from the once powerful United States of America, inhabitants find themselves in a strict, domineering caste system based on the hell, fire, & brimstone from the Old Testament of the Bible. They believe that all their problems (rampant infertility, land deterioration, and an amoral society) can all be solved by returning to their close-minded roots.

What this means in practice for the men and women of Gilead is a complete overhaul of their social hierarchy as they know it. Now, your place in society is determined by your rank within the new infrastructure and the power you wield. Women are even lower in this caste system, as dictated by the ruling body and their twisted sense of ideology, and are subservient to the male figure in their life. While this isn't necessarily awful for most women, for those who belong to the "handmaid" class it is a nightmare. They are used for breeding purposes only, as if they were an animal.

This story is told from the point of view of Offred, a handmaid in Commander Fred's home. As a first generation handmaid, Offred knows what the world used to be like. She used to have a family, consisting of her, her husband, and their child. Now all she is solely cogniscent that it is her "duty and obligation" is to bear a child for the Commander and his barren wife Serena Joy. A mating ritual, involving all three participants, takes place monthly in the hopes of conception.

Offred moves about her daily routine often catching glimpses of things hinting at the existence of a resistance. She is shocked to discover who all is involved. And when the times comes for her to make a decision, she moves with fluidity in her chosen direction.

A shocking and scandalizing tale, this book was a bewitching read. I found myself imagining what it would be like to be in Offred's shoes more often than I wanted to. Her life was quite a miserable existence, but she maintained hope. She clung to memories in her darkest hours and pushed on with life.

It's truly a book about feminism in that the main character is a female fighting in a patriarchal and orthodox society. Her strength and courage is a testament to the power that resides in all of us. We just have to call on it. A mesmerizing read that most will find haunting and captivating, The Handmaid's Tale is a classic.

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Ruby can take care of herself. At least that was the ruse she kept up for a few months after her mother disappeared, again. Only this time her mother was gone longer than usual. So Ruby decided that she would continue her existence as if nothing was wrong. Well, that only lasted so long. Now she finds herself being forced to live with her older sister Cora that Ruby had pretty much forgotten all about.

Ruby moves to Cora's house, a.k.a. mini-mansion, from the foster facility and is astonished to discover what her sister has been up to in Ruby's absence. Cora has obtained a college degree, gotten married, and is living the life that Ruby always dreamed about; but she feels out of place. So as soon as she believes the happy couple to be asleep, Ruby slips out of the house and tries to make a daring escape over the fence into the neighbor's yard. To her utter surprise though, she winds up face to face with Nate, the swimming phenomenon hottie. Now it doesn't seem like such a terrible idea to stick around.

While she begins adjusting to life in a new private school and attempting to rekindle her relationship with her sister, Ruby is constantly returning to her old habits and clinging to her independence fiercely. Over time, she learns the hard way that sometimes in order to gain that which you most desire, you have to let others help you.

A charming, captivating novel, Lock and Key is par for the course for Sarah Dessen. Ruby is tough young woman who I found very easy to relate to throughout her story. Many teens go through a stage of rebellion, especially when an authority figure is attempting to tell them what is best. I found Cora, and to an extent her husband Jamie, to be prime examples of those who really do want the very best for their loved one. Even though I found the "love story" aspect a little overdone (I seem to be reading a lot of next-door-love stories), the character of Nate was a spot-on reminder of a teen boy. This was a really great, fun read and I'm hoping to read more of her in the near future!

Candor by Pam Bachorz

Oscar is the perfect example of what a Candor kid should be. He has the best grades, is active in his community, is a role-model and always willing to help. Too bad it's all an act.

After a childhood accident caused his family to break up, Oscar's father was determined to create the perfect existence. That's where the Messages came into play. They are just self affirmations, but they are played in the background of everyday life all the time. They're in the grocery store, in school, in the bushes, even in the houses. You can't help but follow the simple instructions like, "The great are never late" and "Personal space in every place." Families pay big bucks and sit on a waiting list, hoping to be allowed to join this exclusive community and fix their "problems."

A lot of those "problems" look and sound like Nia. She is the prime example of what Candor is trying to fix. She is artistic (read free-thinking), rebellious (read self-sufficient), mouthy (really, what teen isn't?). Oscar, being the perfect Candor kid that he is, decides to introduce himself to his potential new client. See, Oscar has a few tricks up his sleeve as he knows how to create Messages that combat those of his father and he knows how to get you out. Only, Nia seems different. Oscar is intrigued by her and decides to keep quiet a bit longer than normal because he doesn't just see her as a client. Time is running out though and Oscar has some major decisions to make.

Candor was quick-paced and intriguing. A form of mind-control through subliminal messaging that doesn't usually lend well to reading was used quite adeptly in this book. Bachorz made the messages fun and catchy, giving them all the more credibility when you hear yourself repeating them after you've put the book down (true story, I actually did this). I found the characters very dynamic in that there are those who represent a rebellious "leader," a follower, a flake, and a victim. In a way, the whole story actually sounds plausible and reminds me of the exclusive "McMansion" neighborhoods I see in hip, urban areas. Think The Stepford Wives doing car-wash fundraisers mixed with Ferris Bueller suave and you've got Candor. Great read!