After America’s second civil war, also known as the Heartland War, attitudes about life are different. Abortion is illegal, but parents are given a choice to have their children between the ages of 13 and 18 ‘unwound.’ These children are sent to harvest camps where they are divided and sent to those in need of transplants.
Connor is a troubled teen whose parents choose to have him unwound. Risa is a ward of the state considered too much of an expense to support. Lev is a tithe, raised his whole life for the sole purpose of unwinding. Although their stories are vastly different, these three become connected in an effort to stay alive. Together they learn about strength of character and the value of life and choice.
I’m a little tired of all the dystopia novels teaching the evils of a controlling government. This book was an exception for me, because it looks at current issues in a unique way. Through the story, all sides of the pro-life and pro-choice question are presented. I recommend this for older readers because of maturity of subject matter, but I feel it is appropriate for the teen age group. It is entertaining as well as thought provoking.
Recommended for ages 13 and up.
Another dystopian novel for all you fans of The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Matched, and so forth. I’m really not a fan of these types of books, but I read this one for a book group and it was an interesting premise and much less violent than The Hunger Games. It is actually quite clean, but has some harsher and more mature themes, so would be a good read for older teens.
Cassia Reyes lives in a perfect world controlled by the Society. They control meals and portion sizes, what job you have, and even who you marry. The control creates what the Society defines as the optimum life, but as Cassia learns more, she questions the value of life where you are given no choice.
