Unwind by Neal Shusterman

This is a book I read probably back in January, but for some reason I've been thinking about it lately and how much I liked it.  I think it was the first YA book I recommended to Becca that she actually read!  We must appreciate these small victories.

So the think with this book is that it is just GOOD.  Something most people should know about me is that I like a good sci-fi type book now and then.  Usually I fill that craving with some 1950s Robert Heinlein trash novel, but sometimes YA really pulls through for me, without relying on fantasy elements or being super techno-savvy and too cool for school (yes I'm looking at you, Paul Westerfeld, you know what you did).

Here is the premise, as brief  (or not) as I feel like making it: Some scientist figures out some technology that makes it possible to transplant any sort of body part--so like, ANY physical problem you have, you can pretty much just like switch out your broken arm for a new one, and you're all set.  But then the problem is that people don't want to do cloning or stem cells or any of those current events-y type things to get all these spare parts, so after a big crazy war this law is made that says that people between 13-18 can be "unwound," which basically means they take you apart and give your entire body to be transplants for other people.  They rationalize this as somehow better than cloning etc by saying that the Unwinds are never exactly killed--every part of them stays alive, just in someone else's body.  Did someone say MACABRE?  Yes.  That someone was ME. 

So of course the story line is that some kids get thrown together who have all for various reasons been designated Unwinds (all it takes is a parent signature, so like do your chores or else [don't worry, the book doesn't take it that lightly or make it cartoonish]), but obviously the kids are like "Wait NOT COOL MOM" so they're trying to escape and live in hiding and keep a firm grip on all their organs and limbs and stuff.

Guys I LOVE books like this.  Crazy/sci-fi enough to give you new ideas to think about (wow that makes me sound like a really pathetic geek) but with a nice adventure/suspense/hiding-from-superior-forces twist to keep it interesting.  And the great thing is that it totally delivered.  The ideas were fully explored, and there were no teasers--if an institution or a possibility or whatever were mentioned, our characters went there or did that or came into contact with it--it wasn't just some really interestingly painted set for a backdrop; we got to interact with all of it.  Which frankly was horrifying in some parts.  This is the book that made me decide I could handle reading The Road, because after all this "unwinding" business I figured I could handle post-Apocalyptic cannibals, no sweat (no comment on how correct I was in that assessment).  

Anyway.  I could say more but um I'm not going to.  Just put this one on your list, okay, Mom?