Unwind by Neal Shusterman

     Unwind is a 2009 Rosie winner by Neal Shusterman, who also wrote Full Tilt, The Shadow Club, Everlost, and many other great titles.  Although it is a fast read, there are really big things happening in this book.
     In a futuristic and distrubing alternate America, parents can have their children "unwound" at the age of thirteen.  To be unwound basically means to be killed.  A teenager who is unwound is put to sleep and his or her body parts are harvested to be used by people who need transplants.  So a healthy thirteen year old's body could be used for transplants to multiple people . . . people who need a lung, a kidney, a new left arm.
     The book follows the story of three teenagers who have been identified as "unwinds".  Two of the three teens, Connor and Risa, decide they must escape and save their own lives.  They run into a third teen, Lev, who thinks otherwise.  He believes it is his duty to be unwound.  His parents have raised him to believe that the reason he was born was to save others with his organs. The three teenagers find themselves on the run, hiding from government authorities who plan to capture and kill them.  Along the way, the teens rescue a baby, run into other teens on the run, and discover an underground movement to rescue "unwinds."  There is even an unbelievable twist at the end of the novel that will surely surprise readers! 
     Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the three teens.  These alternating perspectives really add to the story, which is intriguing and action packed from the very beginning!  The long-awaited sequel to the book, UnWholly, was just released, and it looks like there will be a movie made from the book as well.  Producers and directors are currently working on development of the film.
     Since my first readings of the Shusterman books, The Shadow Club and The Schwa was Here, I have enjoyed his work.  Likewise, I found that Unwind was also a fast and entertaining book!