UnWholly - Neil Shusterman

Synopsis: 
In the first novel of the series, we meet Conner, Lev, and Risa, three teens who are struggling with their place in society and with their parents' decisions. Conner's behavior pushed his parents to make the decision. Lev's religion has ensured his future. And Risa, a ward of the state, is just "taking up too much room." Considering the question of human value and the morality of using human life as a commodity, parts to be bought and sold, this second novel continues the story of the first. 

In Shusterman's futuristic society, teens between the ages of 13 and 17 can be "unwound" if their parents choose. This means they are taken away to a "harvest camp" where their tissues and organs will be divided and dispersed for transplant to other people. "Unwinding" has become big business, protected by political factions and corporations who want to see it continue and expand from "troublesome teens" to include the unwinding of prisoners and the poor.

In this story, we meet Cam, a teen who is made entirely from the parts of other unwinds. Much like his forbear, Frankenstein, Cam struggles to find his identity and questions the concept of a soul. 

This novel tackles the question of where life begins and ends head on, blending the arguments of morality, ethics, politics, science, and religion. An intense read meant for mature readers, this would make a great family book club selection, sparking discussion and debate around the dinner table.

Book Trailer, Author Interview, and Reviews can be found HERE!

Unwind Movie Site


Genre:  Science Fiction, Dystopian

Pages: 402

Level: intermediate/mature

Author's website

The Series:

Opening paragraphs of Unwholly:

He's fighting a nightmare when they come for him.

A great flood is swallowing the world, and in the middle of it all, he's being mauled by a bear. He's more annoyed than terrified. As if the flood isn't enough, his deep, dark mind has to send an angry grizzly to tear into him.

Then he's dragged feetfirst out of the jaws of death and drowning Armageddon.

"Up! Now! Let's go!"

He opens his eyes to a brightly lit bedroom that ought to be dark. Two Juvey-cops manhandle him, grabbing his arms, preventing him from fighting back long before he's awake enough to try.

"NO! Stop! What is this?"

Handcuffs. First his right wrist, then his left.

"On your feet!"

They yank him to his feet as if he's resisting--which he would, if he were more awake.

"Leave me alone! What's going on!?"

But in an instant he's awake enough to know exactly what's going on. It's a kidnapping. But you can't call it kidnapping when transfer papers have been signed in triplicate.

"Verbally confirm that you are Mason Michael Starkey."

There are two officers. One is short and muscular, the other tall and muscular. Probably military boeufs before they took jobs as Juvey-rounders. It takes a special heartless breed to be a Juvey-cop, but to specialize as a rounder you probably need to be soulless as well. The fact that he's being rounded for unwinding shocks and terrifies Starkey, but he refuses to show it, because he knows Juvey-rounders get off on other people's fear.

The short one, who is clearly the mouthpiece of this duo, gets in his face and repeats, "Verbally confirm that you are Mason Michael Starkey!"

"And why should I do that?"

"Kid," says the other rounder, "this can go down easy or hard, but either way it's going down." The second cop is more soft spoken with a pair of lips that clearly aren't his. In fact, they look like they came from a girl. "The drill's not so hard, so just get with the program."

He talks as if Starkey should have known they were coming, but what Unwind ever really knows? Every Unwind believes in their heart of hearts that it won't happen to them--that their parents, no matter how strained things get, will be smart enough not to fall for the net ads, TV commercials, and billboards that say things like "Unwinding: the sensible solution." But who is he kidding? Even without the constant media blitz, Starkey's been a potential candidate for unwinding since the moment he arrived on the doorstep. Perhaps he should be surprised that his parents waited so long.

Now the mouthpiece gets deep in his personal space. "For the last time, verbally confirm that you are--"

"Yeah, yeah, Mason Michael Starkey. Now get out of my face, your breath stinks."

With his identity verbally confirmed, Lady-Lips pulls out a form in triplicate: white, yellow, and pink.

"So is this how you do it?" Starkey asks, his voice beginning to quaver. "You arrest me? What's my crime? Being sixteen? Or maybe it's just being here at all."

"Quiet-or-we-tranq-you," says Mouthpiece, like it's all one word.

A part of Starkey wants to be tranq'd--just go to sleep and if he's lucky, never wake up. That way he won't have to face the utter humiliation of being torn from his life in the middle of the night. But no, he wants to see his parents' facse. Or more to the point, he wants them to see his face, and if he's tranq'd, they get off easy. they won't have to look him in the eye.

Lady-Lips holds the unwind order in front of him and begins to read the infamous Paragraph Nine, the "Negation Clause."

"Mason Michael Starkey, by the signing of this order, your parents and/or legal guardians have retroactively terminated your tenure, backdated to six days postconception, leaving you in violation of Existential Code 390. In light of this, you are hereby remanded to the California Juvenile Authority for summary division, also known as unwinding."

(Check out the book to read more!)

Favorite Dystopic/Apocolyptic Series Books

What to read after Mockingjay

It seems fitting, with the Catching Fire soon being released in movie form, that I came across this little article yesterday:

"10 books to read after the Hunger Games Trilogy"

Each of the books on the list is pictured and followed by a brief description.

Unwind

Synopsis:  What if your parents could "unwind" you...have you sent away and harvested for parts to be used for other peoples' medical needs?  What if you were born without parents and had to prove yourself in a state home, or else?  What if you were born for the sole purpose of being tithed by your family?  This novel explores some pretty intense topics:  What power should parents have over the lives of their children?  What is a soul, and do they exist at all?  When does life begin?

The story follows three young people, Connor, Risa, and Lev, all with widely different backgrounds.  All three end up running from the authorities to avoid being unwound.  Along the way, they learn a lot about their world and the inhuman things that human beings are capable of.

Can they survive until they turn 18, when no one will have the power to unwind them?

(This novel is the first in a trilogy, along with a 60 page short story sequel available as an e-book at Amazon.  The second novel, Unwholly, is available now.  And coming soon will be the third, Unsouled.)

Genre: science fiction

Pages: 335

Level:  intermediate/mature

Author's website

Opening paragraphs:

"There are places you can go," Ariana tells him, "and a guy as smart as you has a decent chance of surviving until eighteen."

Connor isn't so sure, but looking into Ariana's eyes makes his doubts go away, if only for a moment.  Her eyes are sweet violet with streaks of gray.  She's such a slave to fashion -- always getting the newest pigment injection the second it's in style.  Connor was never into that.  He's always kept his eyes the color they came in.  Brown.  He never even got tattoos, like so many kids get these days when they're little.  The only color on his skin is the tan it takes during the summer, but now, in November, the tan has long fade.  He tries not to thing about the fact that hel'll never see the summer again.  At least not as Conner Lassiter.  He still can't believe his life is being stolen from him at sixteen.

Ariana's violet eyes begin to shine as they fill with tears that flow down her cheeks when she blinks.  "Connor, I'm so sorry."  She holds him, and for a moment it seems as if everything is okay, as if they are the only two people on Earth.  For that instant, Connor feels invincible, untouchable...but she lets go, the moment passes, and the world around him returns.  Once more he can feel the rumble of the freeway beneath them, as cars pass by, not knowing or caring that he's here.  Once more he is just a marked kid, a week short of unwinding.


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Lockdown (Escape from the Furnace series)

Synopsis: Taken from Google Books.

Macmillan, Oct 27, 2009 - Juvenile Fiction - 288 pages

Furnace Penitentiary: the world’s most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, sentenced to life without parole, “new fish” Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars, in the darkness at the bottom of the world. Except in Furnace, death is the least of his worries. Soon Alex discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil, where inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows, where deformed beasts can be heard howling from the blood-drenched tunnels below. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden, a man as cruel and dangerous as the devil himself, whose unthinkable acts have consequences that stretch far beyond the walls of the prison.

Together with a bunch of inmates—some innocent kids who have been framed, others cold-blooded killers—Alex plans an escape. But as he starts to uncover the truth about Furnace’s deeper, darker purpose, Alex’s actions grow ever more dangerous, and he must risk everything to expose this nightmare that’s hidden from the eyes of the world

Escape from the Furnace series book trailer and background publishing information (includes excerpts of other books in the series.  Parental guidance suggested.  Though this is a young adult title, with a 15-year-old protagonist, it is science fiction/horror and includes graphic scenes, violence, and some language.  Click HERE to got the PUBLISHER'S WEBSITE to view TRAILER and read excerpts.

Other books in the series:  Solitary, Death Sentences, Fugitives, Execution

Genre: Science Fiction/Horror

Pages:  273

Level: intermediate, advanced/mature

Author website

First paragraphs:

If I stopped running I was dead.

My lungs were on fire, my heart pumping acid, every muscle in my body threatening to cramp.  I couldn't even see where I was going anymore, my vision fading as my body prepared to give in.  If the siren hadn't been hammering at my eardrums, then I'd have been able to hear my breaths, ragged and desperate, unable to pull in enough air to keep me going.

Just one more flight of stairs, on more and I might make it.

I forced myself to run faster, the metal staircase rattling beneath my clumsy steps.  Everywhere around me other kids were panicking, all bolting the same way, to safety.  I didn't look back to see what was behind us.  I didn't need to.  I could picture it in my head, its demonic muzzle, silver eyes, and those teeth, like razor wire.

Someone grabbed my arm, pulling me back.  I lost my balance, spilling over the railing.  For a second, the yard appeared five stories beneath me and I almost let myself go.  Better this way than to be devoured, right?  Then the beast shrieked through its wet throat and I started running again before I even knew I was doing it.

I heard the rattle of the cell doors, knew they were closing.  If I was caught out here, then I was history.  I leaped up the last few steps, hurtling down the narrow landing. The inmates jeered from their cells, shouting for me to die.  They stuck out their arms and legs to trip me, and it almost worked.  I staggered, lurched forward, falling.

To read more...click here.

Glitch - by Heather Anastasiu

Synopsis:  In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.  When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.




Genre:  dystopian, science fiction, fantasy

Level:  intermediate

Pages:  336

Author's website

Author Interview

First 3 paragraphs:

I felt it coming this time.  I shoved my drawings into the hidden slit I'd made in the back of my mattress, then grabbed the metal bed frame to steady myself as my brain suddenly jolted back into connection with the link.

the retina display flickered into view and scrolled a chatter of date at the edges of my field of vision.  Auditory inputs clicked back online too, a slight hum in the background.  One by one, each of my senses dimmed, replacing my connection to the physical world with the connection to the Link.  In a blink, the small bit of color in my room seeped away to a monotone gray.  I inhaled deeply and tried to hold on to the smell of my small concrete quarters - antiseptic and dust - but they, too, were lost by my next breath.  Panic gripped my chest a I drowned in the Link's rising tide, but I concealed it behind my perfectly still mask.  I was lucky it happened while I was alone in here in my quarters, where I was safe.  I could use the practice.  I focused, carefully relaxing each of my facial muscles into perfect, expressionless stillness, betraying nothing of the turmoil inside.

I'd glitched for a little over an hour.  Precious silence in my head.  Sometimes I could fight the creeping dullness of the Link, but I didn't have any time to waste this morning.  The glithcing woke me an hour before my internal Link alarm, but if I didn't get moving, I'd be late.

Read more - click here.