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Unwind Dystology
UnBound: Stories From The Unwind World: Stories from the Unwind World
Find out what happens to Connor, Risa, and Lev now that they ve finally destroyed the Proactive Citizenry in this collection of short stories set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Unwind Dystology by Neal Shusterman.
Connor Lassiter s fight to bring down Proactive Citizenry and find a suitable alternative to unwinding concluded in UnDivided. Now Connor, Risa, and Lev are free to live in a peaceful future or are they? Neal Shusterman brings back his beloved Unwind characters for his fans to see what s left for those who were destined to be unwound."
Connor Lassiter s fight to bring down Proactive Citizenry and find a suitable alternative to unwinding concluded in UnDivided. Now Connor, Risa, and Lev are free to live in a peaceful future or are they? Neal Shusterman brings back his beloved Unwind characters for his fans to see what s left for those who were destined to be unwound."
336 pages, Library Binding
First published December 12, 2015
430 people are currently reading
9769 people want to read
About the author
Neal Shusterman
90 books30.1k followersAward-winning author Neal Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he began writing at an early age. After spending his junior and senior years of high school at the American School of Mexico City, Neal went on to UC Irvine, where he made his mark on the UCI swim team, and wrote a successful humor column. Within a year of graduating, he had his first book deal, and was hired to write a movie script.
In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.
As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.
Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.
Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”
Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.
Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.
Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."
And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.
Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!
In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.
As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.
Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.
Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”
Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.
Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.
Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."
And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.
Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 638 reviews
January 16, 2016
“That’s the problem with unwinding—it’s not about problem kids, it’s about problem adults.”
I'm starting to get emotional and I'm sure that by the end of this 'review' I'll be tearing up. These books are everything to me. I may have tons and tons of titles on my favorite-books shelf, but it's unlikely that I find something better than this series. It's just that good.
And this collection of short stories lived up to my expectations!!!!
*Wipes away a tear* I never imagined I'd get so attached to fictional characters, but I guess that's what I love the most about reading. I just hope that wherever they are, Connor, Lev and Risa are ok.
February 9, 2016
I need this book!
December 14, 2017
The world is full of bad ideas that turn into wonderful things.
Some of these stories were so unnecessary, but I LOVED them anyway. There was some good worldbuilding and character snapshots. So many good things to say! In general, the first few stories didn't do it for me, but the later stories really did. This series is so incredible and I'm glad I picked this up. Can't believe I'm still emotional about books I started reading in sixth grade.
Unschooled - ★★☆☆☆
Eh, backstory for my least favorite villain of this series. Very short but not memorable.
Unfinished Symphony - ★★★☆☆
I kind of like this one, but I didn't love the characterization of Risa. I'm not complaining about her being flawed: I just can't imagine her being the popular one in comparison to our narrator, Brooklyn. Nevertheless, I liked Brooklyn's character and the backstory.
Undevoured - ★★★☆☆
Backstory for Roland, who is a fairly interesting villain. And the writing style was awesome.
Unclean - ★★★★★
Oh man!!! This story doesn't say anything more about the world, or indeed the main characters of the series itself, but it introduces a character and gives her a good character arc in about forty pages, plus having a completely awesome ending.
Unstrung - ★★★★★
Wil deserved better. And Lev Calder continues to break my heart. Also, Una's last line makes me want to cry and throw things.
Unnatural Selection - ★★★★☆
The worldbuilding of this short story was incredible. Be warned, though: this one is fucked up. What is happening in Neal Shusterman's brain? A star off for my continued discomfort with the concept of the Burmese Dah Zey.
Uncomfirmed - ★★★★★
The five stars are for Hayden and Grace. And for Connor and Risa's brief cameo as that one really annoyingly cute couple.
Untithed - ★★★★
Miracolina lived!! Me considering giving this five stars despite it adding nothing to character or plot: do it for her
Rewinds - ★★★★★
The ending made me straight-up sob. The worldbuilding around the rewinds is still so great and I love how Neal Shusterman humanize a them. Also Cam's character development! And Una's character development!
Unknown Quantity - ★★★★☆
Another story with Argent and Divan, who are evil and yet utterly delightful. This one tied up a lot of loose ends, but mainly the last line was just perfect. At least two of the stats are for the last line.
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April 13, 2020
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Anthologies are generally hit and miss for me but UnBound was a complete hit. A lot of that has to do with the fact that it explored some of the places and cultures that were mentioned in the Unwind series, but not explored. Then other stories featured some side character adjacent stories. And then just to round it all off there were a few of the other short stories I’d read before, now in one convenient location.
UnBound are stories set in the world of the Unwind Dystology, an alternate world much similar to our own, where the technology allows you to abort a child up until they turn 17, and convert a troublesome teen into parts that can be used in other people. It is a strange world and one of my favorite complete YA series of all time. UnBound was published in 2015 but I never got around to reading it because there wasn’t audio available; I’m so happy this has finally been put into audio format.
UnSchooled – Did you ever wonder if Jasper, the parts pirate, was always such a vengeful creature. Well, this is how he went from being a kid in a pretty ordinary family, to finding kids to unwind. He’s no better as a teenager than as an adult.
UnFinished Symphony – This follows a girl in the same orphanage as Risa, when they were going through the budget cuts, that ended with Risa on a bus headed to an unwind camp. It almost wasn’t the case but an event outside Risa’s control and a girl named Brookyn had a part to play in it.
UnDevoured – Roland played a large part in Unwind. He didn’t have a good childhood and he was almost always a bully. This is just a small story of his life with his stepfather and the shark attack that made him get the tattoo on his arm. This was my least favorite story of the bunch.
UnClean – Clappers weren’t the only terrorist type plot against unwinding. There was also one man who thought to put cancerous parts in others by chemically hiding, then ruining and infecting the unsuspecting people who received those parts. Will they be able to do it or will they be thwarted by an unexpected group?
UnStrung – I’d read this story before. It is how Wil ended up in the hands of the parts pirates and Lev started down a path he never expected to go when he was a tithe. It was heartbreaking all over again, my heart aches for the boy Lev could have been, if that had never happened. But then there wouldn’t be the story of the man he became.
UnNatural Selection – Thailand is one of the only places on earth that doesn’t believe in Unwinding but it isn’t a safe place as Colton is about to find out. The Burmese Dah Zey is right over the border and people go missing from Thailand all the time. Colton is about to find out what happens to them when they do and why UnWinding isn’t the only thing to fear.
This was one of my favorite stories out of the anthology as it hit on some of the places we didn’t get to see during the original dystology.
UnConfirmed – Grace is now a really rich woman and she has a favor to ask of Hayden. She also has a few theories about what may have happened to Conner and Risa after all the events of the main series. There wasn’t a lot of meat to this story but it was a fun way to ponder where our characters rode off into their sunset.
UnTithed – Miracolina was one of my favorite characters from the main series, well eventually, she takes a little time to really come around. This is set in the middle of the Unwind series after she has returned to her family. She is trying to find purpose in her life, a way to be connect to the world. She was going to sacrifice herself into parts to help, now she just needs a way to do it while still remaining whole.
Micacolina is helping AWOLs and might just save a few lives tonight
Rewinds – This I think was one of my favorite tales of the entire book. It follows Cam and Una after the events of the series and we get to see how all the Rewinds are integrating back into society.
I’m so happy for both Cam and Una in this new life and thought it was very fitting how things worked out. Not all Rewinds are created equal though and some will be better whole people than others.
Unknown Quantity – Argent Skinner played a big part in the main series, but what happened to him after all the events? This story shows the reader where Argent went after the events of Undivided and why one day, he might see some of the characters we loved so much again. It is a small world after all.
This is definitely a must read for lovers of the Unwind Series. I was so glad to be back in this world and see some of my favorite characters again. Overall, most of the stories captured my attention and made me miss the original series.
Narration:
The narration of this included multiple narrators that seemed appropriate based on the characters being represented. I listened to this at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Anthologies are generally hit and miss for me but UnBound was a complete hit. A lot of that has to do with the fact that it explored some of the places and cultures that were mentioned in the Unwind series, but not explored. Then other stories featured some side character adjacent stories. And then just to round it all off there were a few of the other short stories I’d read before, now in one convenient location.
UnBound are stories set in the world of the Unwind Dystology, an alternate world much similar to our own, where the technology allows you to abort a child up until they turn 17, and convert a troublesome teen into parts that can be used in other people. It is a strange world and one of my favorite complete YA series of all time. UnBound was published in 2015 but I never got around to reading it because there wasn’t audio available; I’m so happy this has finally been put into audio format.
UnSchooled – Did you ever wonder if Jasper, the parts pirate, was always such a vengeful creature. Well, this is how he went from being a kid in a pretty ordinary family, to finding kids to unwind. He’s no better as a teenager than as an adult.
UnFinished Symphony – This follows a girl in the same orphanage as Risa, when they were going through the budget cuts, that ended with Risa on a bus headed to an unwind camp. It almost wasn’t the case but an event outside Risa’s control and a girl named Brookyn had a part to play in it.
As for Risa Ward, she will disappear, as if she had never been born. And no great loss. It’s not like she would have changed the world.
UnDevoured – Roland played a large part in Unwind. He didn’t have a good childhood and he was almost always a bully. This is just a small story of his life with his stepfather and the shark attack that made him get the tattoo on his arm. This was my least favorite story of the bunch.
UnClean – Clappers weren’t the only terrorist type plot against unwinding. There was also one man who thought to put cancerous parts in others by chemically hiding, then ruining and infecting the unsuspecting people who received those parts. Will they be able to do it or will they be thwarted by an unexpected group?
UnStrung – I’d read this story before. It is how Wil ended up in the hands of the parts pirates and Lev started down a path he never expected to go when he was a tithe. It was heartbreaking all over again, my heart aches for the boy Lev could have been, if that had never happened. But then there wouldn’t be the story of the man he became.
UnNatural Selection – Thailand is one of the only places on earth that doesn’t believe in Unwinding but it isn’t a safe place as Colton is about to find out. The Burmese Dah Zey is right over the border and people go missing from Thailand all the time. Colton is about to find out what happens to them when they do and why UnWinding isn’t the only thing to fear.
This was one of my favorite stories out of the anthology as it hit on some of the places we didn’t get to see during the original dystology.
UnConfirmed – Grace is now a really rich woman and she has a favor to ask of Hayden. She also has a few theories about what may have happened to Conner and Risa after all the events of the main series. There wasn’t a lot of meat to this story but it was a fun way to ponder where our characters rode off into their sunset.
UnTithed – Miracolina was one of my favorite characters from the main series, well eventually, she takes a little time to really come around. This is set in the middle of the Unwind series after she has returned to her family. She is trying to find purpose in her life, a way to be connect to the world. She was going to sacrifice herself into parts to help, now she just needs a way to do it while still remaining whole.
Live like Lev. Miracolina thinks. That was the battle cry of the rescued tithes back in the Cavenaugh mansion. Do not give in to the urge to extinguish oneself in the waters of the world, but instead be a light above those waters to help guide the way.
Micacolina is helping AWOLs and might just save a few lives tonight
Rewinds – This I think was one of my favorite tales of the entire book. It follows Cam and Una after the events of the series and we get to see how all the Rewinds are integrating back into society.
“The world is full of bad ideas that turn into wonderful things”
I’m so happy for both Cam and Una in this new life and thought it was very fitting how things worked out. Not all Rewinds are created equal though and some will be better whole people than others.
Unknown Quantity – Argent Skinner played a big part in the main series, but what happened to him after all the events? This story shows the reader where Argent went after the events of Undivided and why one day, he might see some of the characters we loved so much again. It is a small world after all.
This is definitely a must read for lovers of the Unwind Series. I was so glad to be back in this world and see some of my favorite characters again. Overall, most of the stories captured my attention and made me miss the original series.
Narration:
The narration of this included multiple narrators that seemed appropriate based on the characters being represented. I listened to this at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Want to read
July 10, 2015What??? A figment of my imagination actually came true!?
June 22, 2020
"The world is full of bad ideas that turn into wonderful things."
I loved being back in this terrifying world. I was a little confused in the beginning, though. The first story takes place before Unwinding was even in the picture. After that, the stories are set all over the story of the four books.
I really loved the insights you get here, there was so much that made you think "fuck, if this had gone differently...". It's kinda obvious though that Shusterman wrote this in cooperation with other writers. The feel of the stories is totally different each time you start a new one.
May 11, 2021
Even Neal Shusterman's fans might not know that UnBound was far from his first published collection of short stories. The mid-1990s brought us Darkness Creeping and Darkness Creeping II. The years 1996-2000 added Mindquakes: Stories to Shatter Your Brain, Mindstorms: Stories to Blow Your Mind, Mindtwisters: Stories to Shred Your Head, and Mindbenders: Stories to Warp Your Brain, each of which ranged from good to great even by the sky-high standard Shusterman set for himself. Then came UnBound in 2015, the capstone to his electrifying Unwind dystology, and Neal Shusterman proved as excellent at spinning short stories as he'd been twenty years earlier. From longtime favorite protagonists—and villains—to new characters presenting fresh ethical dilemmas, the ten stories in this collection remind us why the Unwind dystology is a masterpiece, a concept so well considered and executed that it's difficult to think of any YA author who did better. UnBound visits some dark places, but you'll understand your humanity better for the journey, and that's the most significant thing a book can achieve.
UnSchooled starts us off with Jasper, a young student from a wealthy family, who would give anything to step back from his prep-school upbringing and join the local gang of feral teens. He admires Alph, the gang's unquestioned leader, who grudgingly lets him hang around from time to time. Jasper would rather be like him than his own boring, angry father. Jasper believes he's on the verge of Alph accepting him into the gang, until one day Jasper makes a blunder and Alph's weighty retribution lands squarely atop him. Alph is just an impoverished kid; looking up to him was a mistake. But Jasper is clever and has a mean streak of his own, and he'll come up with a way to get even. A new law pending approval after the Heartland War is intended to solve the problem of feral teens like Alph. "Unwinding" sounds gruesome, but it's a powerful weapon for those with the wherewithal to wield it. How will a kid like Jasper use his wealth and privilege to do so?
Co-authored with Michelle Knowlden, Unfinished Symphony portrays life in the state home with Risa Ward before the unwind order that set everything in motion. The main character is sixteen-year-old Brooklyn Ward, training to be a military boeuf. Brooklyn is dynamic at combat, but her temper gets her into fights, a harmful vice in the era of unwinding. Overcrowding at the StaHo means teens are regularly selected for unwinding, and the worst-behaved and least-promising are always the ones taken. Brooklyn isn't like Risa, who's never punished for wrongdoing. Risa's beautiful piano-playing captures even Brooklyn's imagination, as much as she resents the girl. Brooklyn isn't worried about missing the next "cut" and being unwound until several things go wrong at testing and she has a pair of loud fights. These demerits drop her below the unwind line, but Brooklyn has a contingency plan: thirteen-year-old Thor, a deaf kid and tech wizard who's a friend of hers. He can hack into the database and fudge Brooklyn's test results so someone else gets the axe. But with whom would she deliberately swap her death order? Sentencing anyone to be unwound is no small matter, but Brooklyn won't forfeit her own life. There's no going back once this decision is made.
Next is UnDevoured, a story Neal Shusterman wrote with his son Jarrod. Young Roland Taggart survived a super-aggressive stepfather on the way to earning his reputation for toughness. Bad luck while surfing once pitted him against a shark in a fight, much like the shark Roland has tattooed on his arm that will eventually wind up on Connor Lassiter's body. We read not only about the pressures that shaped Roland into the pitiless person he became, but how he learned to triumph in any situation through machiavellian tactics and his own brutal rage. UnDevoured is followed by UnClean (co-authored by Terry Black), the first story that delves into ethical concerns. Jobe Marin feels empty when his parents sign the order to unwind him. He's never accomplished anything and probably wouldn't have, but fate intervenes to prevent the division of his bodily assets. Doctors discover that Jobe has terminal cancer, and his organs are no good to them. After an AWOL advocate program rescues him, Jobe becomes the center of controversy for Heath and Anissa, the two people in charge of it. Heath's researchers have developed a way to mask the symptoms of cancer—or any deadly disease—at the cellular level, so carriers aren't rejected by the unwinding industry. If unwound parts start inexplicably making transplant patients sick, it will end unwinding. Anissa hates the idea. Her firefighter father died years ago saving lives, and willfully killing thousands of people is the last thing he would have approved. Heath and Anissa heatedly clash until an emergency puts her in position to be a hero like her father, but not without an equally extraordinary effort. What will Anissa do when presented with a conundrum where right and wrong seem indiscernible? Can the anti-unwinding movement survive if the good guys forget why they're fighting?
UnStrung, co-authored by Michelle Knowlden, is the crown jewel of UnBound. After Lev Calder ditched Connor and Risa halfway through Unwind, he made his way to sanctuary on the Arápache Reservation before passing out from exhaustion. He awakens in the care of the Tashi'ne family. Heart full of bitterness, Lev is soothed by Wil's almost magical guitar playing. Still only an adolescent, Wil's gift is to ease burdens through his music, and Lev grows close to him as he adapts to life in Arápache country. The culture is different, but there are many appealing aspects of it. Wil prefers free-flowing Arápache education to the typical American version. "It even prepares kids for university every bit as well as your system. We learn because we want to, not because we have to, so we learn faster. We learn deeper." Installing love of learning rather than rote sets of facts lays the groundwork for a lifelong education that can't be completed in thirteen years of childhood and adolescent instruction. Lev meets Una Jacali, Wil's fiancée, and observes the uneasy dynamics of Wil's family. His talent for music is viewed as a responsibility, to ease sorrows and heal broken hearts and minds, and Wil isn't always happy about being obligated to serve his community first. He dreams of performing under the bright lights of world-class venues where millions can appreciate his gift. The Tashi'nes aren't sure his priorities are right, but Wil proves his purity of heart on a recreational outing with Lev and a bunch of younger kids from the rez, when parts pirates try to abduct several of the children. Wil won't allow them to be harmed even if it means sacrificing what gives his life meaning. Wil's actions impact every novel of the Unwind dystology, and give UnStrung a haunting and emotional ending.
Neal Shusterman teams up with son Brendan for Unnatural Selection, one of this book's more thoughtful stories. After his parents ordered his brother Ryan unwound, Colton left home and is now in Thailand trying to make sense of life. He meets a charismatic girl named Karissa and the two have drinks and conversation, sharing life stories, but she abandons him in a taxi that turns out to be headed for suffering and horror. Colton is now prisoner of the Burmese Dah Zey, whose unwinding is particularly barbarous. The Dah Zey have been known to prolong an unwinding for weeks as the victim's body is sold at auction piece by piece. They eschew dealing in gray matter, so the victim certainly ends up brain dead. But Colton hasn't heard the worst of the Dah Zey's atrocities. Dr. Rodín's wing of the facility creates freak human/animal hybrids, and he takes more "volunteers" every day as fodder for his experimentations. Kunal, a teen from the India/Asia region, has four hands and no feet, moving like a monkey, acting as Dr. Rodín's assistant. Persuading Kunal to defy his master and join an escape attempt is Colton's last shot at freedom, but does Kunal see himself as Dr. Rodín's victim? Can Colton's Thailand adventure end well for him and the friends he's made in lockup under the Dah Zey?
A short interlude, UnConfirmed, bridges Unnatural Selection and the next story. Hayden Upchurch is thriving in the afterglow of UnDivided, his radio show expanding nationally and globally. Today he has an appointment with Grace Skinner, whose newfound wealth has gone to good use. UnConfirmed is primarily a conversation between Hayden and Grace, catching us up on what occurred after the Unwind dystology, leavened with hints of what happened to certain characters. Because of these hints, a simple story lacking drama or suspense possesses an emotional core that makes it worthwhile. UnTithed (written with Michelle Knowlden) is a return to mystery and action with Miracolina Roselli trying to sort out her inner conflicts after her part in UnWholly with Lev. She volunteers at her church's soup kitchen and community shelter, helping AWOL teens find sanctuary from unwinding with a local group. Bryce is a smart AWOL who knows to run when someone suspects he's on the lam from the Juvenile Authority, but Miracolina convinces him to head to "Jack and Jill Exterminators", a front for some friends of hers who hide AWOLs. Jack and Jill are pleased to help, but Jack confides in Miracolina that an unknown informant is feeding the Juvenile Authority information on them, and Miracolina shouldn't bring any more kids. Who would sell out lonely, desperate teens to the government? Miracolina has no idea, but Bryce might, and he's the only one capable of exposing the mole. Sometimes Miracolina can't imagine how AWOLs continue on when the world seems to believe they're just a collection of human organs worth more as medical assets than as whole people. "How do you dream of a future when you're not supposed to have one?" she asks Bryce in a moment of forthright inquiry. "How do you keep going when the world has disowned you?" Bryce found his answer a long time ago. "I keep reminding myself that I'm right, and the world is wrong." When the majority insists you're subhuman, the only way to not be crushed under their collective weight is to know they're wrong. You're as valuable as anyone, and the deeper that awareness runs in you, the stouter your resistance will be in a war for your very existence.
"Genius serves no one if it never makes it out of your head."
—UnBound, P. 60
Whatever happened to Camus Comprix, Roberta's prototype rewind who starred in UnWholly, UnSouled, and UnDivided? That question is answered in Rewinds, a profound exploration of what it means to be human. After the demise of Roberta and Proactive Citizenry, Una Jacali and Cam—now married—have taken on the responsibility of caring for the other rewinds, virtually new teens stitched together from dozens of unwinds. Their minds are as jumbled as Cam's once was, full of nonsense they won't be able to decipher before charting their own individual mental landscapes. Rewind #00039 is as disoriented as any of them, but he chooses a name for himself—Keaton Miguel Shelton—and Cam mentors him in learning his new body and brain and how to exert control over both. "The world is full of bad ideas that turn into wonderful things," Una tells Cam, and the herd of rewinds are slowly but steadily proving her correct. Stitching together new humans was an act of hubris, but Cam's gentle coaching is transforming the rewinds into a nobler lot than Roberta envisioned. All except #00047, "Dirk". Dirk's parts don't seem to have come together as a real human. He moves, and thinks, but there's no discernible soul behind his eyes. Dirk reinforces Dr. Pettigrew's assumption that the rewinds are closer to animal than human. Dirk is only a problem for Cam and the others in the rewind compound, fenced in on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, until the seemingly soulless rewind escapes and disappears among the populace. What will happen to Cam's humanitarian project if Dirk hurts someone? The jaded rewind must be captured, but Cam may not be equipped to handle this mission. Can Keaton, who's much closer to Dirk's unintegrated state than Cam is, rein in his troubled peer before Dirk burns the rickety bridge connecting the rewinds to the rest of the human race?
Cam, Keaton, and Dirk's situations are full of connection points to the real world. The rewinds never fail to surprise; experts theorized they were like their own species and would be attracted to one another like animals of any species, but the rewinds find each other physically unappealing. Discolored patchwork skin, scars and stitches, awkward movement of the limbs, bizarre speech patterns...they're a peculiar sight. If rewinds are just parts of normal humans cohabiting the same body, and humans are attracted to youth, beauty, and intelligence, why would they be drawn to "monsters"? Try as some rewinds do to tame their hormonal instincts and be pleasant, civilized people, it takes only one or two bad rewinds to taint them all in the public eye, undoing the work of the others to bolster their communal reputation. Keaton isn't a monster. He's not dumb, out of control, or evil, but people who judge him by Dirk just see two criminals they want locked up. What should you do when people don't care if they malign your reputation even if you've done nothing wrong? All you can do is live as exemplary a life as possible and not be drawn into bad behavior by those who take an immoral path. Make the most of your moments out of the spotlight to work on your flaws and cultivate yourself as an individual worth knowing and loving, and you'll be surprised what may come. "Being ignored has its advantages," Una points out to Cam. "Dignity doesn't grow under a microscope." Maybe some of the rewinds will eventually blend into society and not be viewed as a subspecies. Maybe all kinds of people can get along and accept one another regardless of superficial differences.
What was the fate of Argent Skinner, unwilling valet for international parts pirate Divan Umarov on his private jet, the Lady Lucrezia? In Unknown Quantity, Divan believes the Connor Lassiter regularly appearing with Risa on television is an impostor; he witnessed Connor's unwinding himself, so how could the Akron AWOL be alive? Argent knows how, but he's not about to admit his part in it to Divan. That would guarantee an agonizing death. Argent must continue serving Divan with no end in sight, sorry a life as that is. But something interesting happens when Divan's sister Dagmara boards the Lady Lucrezia with her ne'er-do-well teenage son Malik. Divan and Dagmara are extravagantly wealthy, executives in the family business of pirating unwound parts, but their relationship is contentious at best. Civility is further strained when Dagmara brings a Mr. Sonthi with her for the visit. A representative of the Dah Zey, Sonthi proposes merging business interests with Divan, and has Dagmara's full support. It's a deadly game of wits and betrayal with an unfathomable fortune as the jackpot, and all parties play exquisitely. Divan has Argent, though, and strangely enough that might tip the balance...though not in the way you likely expect. The end of Unknown Quantity is surprising and poignant, a good conclusion for this book and for an overall story a decade in the making. When Neal Shusterman puts that much time into something, it's bound to be all-time great.
In my opinion UnBound doesn't measure up to Unwind, but no other book in the series does, either. The quality of thought in these pages is remarkable, but the soul-blistering nuclear potency of Unwind isn't rekindled, nor did I expect it to be. That's a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment for almost any author, though Neal Shusterman arguably has done it multiple times. UnStrung is the best story of this compilation; it affects so much else beyond the limits of that particular short story. Rewinds is next best, breaking new philosophical ground while never failing to keep the reader's rapt attention. UnTithed is third best, so Michelle Knowlden wins my vote as best co-author. I'd rate UnBound three and a half stars, and I'm not sure I can praise Neal Shusterman enough for what he does. His Unwind world may be the best I've encountered in literature. I no doubt have said this before, but I'll repeat myself: We are lucky to have him.
UnSchooled starts us off with Jasper, a young student from a wealthy family, who would give anything to step back from his prep-school upbringing and join the local gang of feral teens. He admires Alph, the gang's unquestioned leader, who grudgingly lets him hang around from time to time. Jasper would rather be like him than his own boring, angry father. Jasper believes he's on the verge of Alph accepting him into the gang, until one day Jasper makes a blunder and Alph's weighty retribution lands squarely atop him. Alph is just an impoverished kid; looking up to him was a mistake. But Jasper is clever and has a mean streak of his own, and he'll come up with a way to get even. A new law pending approval after the Heartland War is intended to solve the problem of feral teens like Alph. "Unwinding" sounds gruesome, but it's a powerful weapon for those with the wherewithal to wield it. How will a kid like Jasper use his wealth and privilege to do so?
Co-authored with Michelle Knowlden, Unfinished Symphony portrays life in the state home with Risa Ward before the unwind order that set everything in motion. The main character is sixteen-year-old Brooklyn Ward, training to be a military boeuf. Brooklyn is dynamic at combat, but her temper gets her into fights, a harmful vice in the era of unwinding. Overcrowding at the StaHo means teens are regularly selected for unwinding, and the worst-behaved and least-promising are always the ones taken. Brooklyn isn't like Risa, who's never punished for wrongdoing. Risa's beautiful piano-playing captures even Brooklyn's imagination, as much as she resents the girl. Brooklyn isn't worried about missing the next "cut" and being unwound until several things go wrong at testing and she has a pair of loud fights. These demerits drop her below the unwind line, but Brooklyn has a contingency plan: thirteen-year-old Thor, a deaf kid and tech wizard who's a friend of hers. He can hack into the database and fudge Brooklyn's test results so someone else gets the axe. But with whom would she deliberately swap her death order? Sentencing anyone to be unwound is no small matter, but Brooklyn won't forfeit her own life. There's no going back once this decision is made.
Next is UnDevoured, a story Neal Shusterman wrote with his son Jarrod. Young Roland Taggart survived a super-aggressive stepfather on the way to earning his reputation for toughness. Bad luck while surfing once pitted him against a shark in a fight, much like the shark Roland has tattooed on his arm that will eventually wind up on Connor Lassiter's body. We read not only about the pressures that shaped Roland into the pitiless person he became, but how he learned to triumph in any situation through machiavellian tactics and his own brutal rage. UnDevoured is followed by UnClean (co-authored by Terry Black), the first story that delves into ethical concerns. Jobe Marin feels empty when his parents sign the order to unwind him. He's never accomplished anything and probably wouldn't have, but fate intervenes to prevent the division of his bodily assets. Doctors discover that Jobe has terminal cancer, and his organs are no good to them. After an AWOL advocate program rescues him, Jobe becomes the center of controversy for Heath and Anissa, the two people in charge of it. Heath's researchers have developed a way to mask the symptoms of cancer—or any deadly disease—at the cellular level, so carriers aren't rejected by the unwinding industry. If unwound parts start inexplicably making transplant patients sick, it will end unwinding. Anissa hates the idea. Her firefighter father died years ago saving lives, and willfully killing thousands of people is the last thing he would have approved. Heath and Anissa heatedly clash until an emergency puts her in position to be a hero like her father, but not without an equally extraordinary effort. What will Anissa do when presented with a conundrum where right and wrong seem indiscernible? Can the anti-unwinding movement survive if the good guys forget why they're fighting?
UnStrung, co-authored by Michelle Knowlden, is the crown jewel of UnBound. After Lev Calder ditched Connor and Risa halfway through Unwind, he made his way to sanctuary on the Arápache Reservation before passing out from exhaustion. He awakens in the care of the Tashi'ne family. Heart full of bitterness, Lev is soothed by Wil's almost magical guitar playing. Still only an adolescent, Wil's gift is to ease burdens through his music, and Lev grows close to him as he adapts to life in Arápache country. The culture is different, but there are many appealing aspects of it. Wil prefers free-flowing Arápache education to the typical American version. "It even prepares kids for university every bit as well as your system. We learn because we want to, not because we have to, so we learn faster. We learn deeper." Installing love of learning rather than rote sets of facts lays the groundwork for a lifelong education that can't be completed in thirteen years of childhood and adolescent instruction. Lev meets Una Jacali, Wil's fiancée, and observes the uneasy dynamics of Wil's family. His talent for music is viewed as a responsibility, to ease sorrows and heal broken hearts and minds, and Wil isn't always happy about being obligated to serve his community first. He dreams of performing under the bright lights of world-class venues where millions can appreciate his gift. The Tashi'nes aren't sure his priorities are right, but Wil proves his purity of heart on a recreational outing with Lev and a bunch of younger kids from the rez, when parts pirates try to abduct several of the children. Wil won't allow them to be harmed even if it means sacrificing what gives his life meaning. Wil's actions impact every novel of the Unwind dystology, and give UnStrung a haunting and emotional ending.
Neal Shusterman teams up with son Brendan for Unnatural Selection, one of this book's more thoughtful stories. After his parents ordered his brother Ryan unwound, Colton left home and is now in Thailand trying to make sense of life. He meets a charismatic girl named Karissa and the two have drinks and conversation, sharing life stories, but she abandons him in a taxi that turns out to be headed for suffering and horror. Colton is now prisoner of the Burmese Dah Zey, whose unwinding is particularly barbarous. The Dah Zey have been known to prolong an unwinding for weeks as the victim's body is sold at auction piece by piece. They eschew dealing in gray matter, so the victim certainly ends up brain dead. But Colton hasn't heard the worst of the Dah Zey's atrocities. Dr. Rodín's wing of the facility creates freak human/animal hybrids, and he takes more "volunteers" every day as fodder for his experimentations. Kunal, a teen from the India/Asia region, has four hands and no feet, moving like a monkey, acting as Dr. Rodín's assistant. Persuading Kunal to defy his master and join an escape attempt is Colton's last shot at freedom, but does Kunal see himself as Dr. Rodín's victim? Can Colton's Thailand adventure end well for him and the friends he's made in lockup under the Dah Zey?
A short interlude, UnConfirmed, bridges Unnatural Selection and the next story. Hayden Upchurch is thriving in the afterglow of UnDivided, his radio show expanding nationally and globally. Today he has an appointment with Grace Skinner, whose newfound wealth has gone to good use. UnConfirmed is primarily a conversation between Hayden and Grace, catching us up on what occurred after the Unwind dystology, leavened with hints of what happened to certain characters. Because of these hints, a simple story lacking drama or suspense possesses an emotional core that makes it worthwhile. UnTithed (written with Michelle Knowlden) is a return to mystery and action with Miracolina Roselli trying to sort out her inner conflicts after her part in UnWholly with Lev. She volunteers at her church's soup kitchen and community shelter, helping AWOL teens find sanctuary from unwinding with a local group. Bryce is a smart AWOL who knows to run when someone suspects he's on the lam from the Juvenile Authority, but Miracolina convinces him to head to "Jack and Jill Exterminators", a front for some friends of hers who hide AWOLs. Jack and Jill are pleased to help, but Jack confides in Miracolina that an unknown informant is feeding the Juvenile Authority information on them, and Miracolina shouldn't bring any more kids. Who would sell out lonely, desperate teens to the government? Miracolina has no idea, but Bryce might, and he's the only one capable of exposing the mole. Sometimes Miracolina can't imagine how AWOLs continue on when the world seems to believe they're just a collection of human organs worth more as medical assets than as whole people. "How do you dream of a future when you're not supposed to have one?" she asks Bryce in a moment of forthright inquiry. "How do you keep going when the world has disowned you?" Bryce found his answer a long time ago. "I keep reminding myself that I'm right, and the world is wrong." When the majority insists you're subhuman, the only way to not be crushed under their collective weight is to know they're wrong. You're as valuable as anyone, and the deeper that awareness runs in you, the stouter your resistance will be in a war for your very existence.
"Genius serves no one if it never makes it out of your head."
—UnBound, P. 60
Whatever happened to Camus Comprix, Roberta's prototype rewind who starred in UnWholly, UnSouled, and UnDivided? That question is answered in Rewinds, a profound exploration of what it means to be human. After the demise of Roberta and Proactive Citizenry, Una Jacali and Cam—now married—have taken on the responsibility of caring for the other rewinds, virtually new teens stitched together from dozens of unwinds. Their minds are as jumbled as Cam's once was, full of nonsense they won't be able to decipher before charting their own individual mental landscapes. Rewind #00039 is as disoriented as any of them, but he chooses a name for himself—Keaton Miguel Shelton—and Cam mentors him in learning his new body and brain and how to exert control over both. "The world is full of bad ideas that turn into wonderful things," Una tells Cam, and the herd of rewinds are slowly but steadily proving her correct. Stitching together new humans was an act of hubris, but Cam's gentle coaching is transforming the rewinds into a nobler lot than Roberta envisioned. All except #00047, "Dirk". Dirk's parts don't seem to have come together as a real human. He moves, and thinks, but there's no discernible soul behind his eyes. Dirk reinforces Dr. Pettigrew's assumption that the rewinds are closer to animal than human. Dirk is only a problem for Cam and the others in the rewind compound, fenced in on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, until the seemingly soulless rewind escapes and disappears among the populace. What will happen to Cam's humanitarian project if Dirk hurts someone? The jaded rewind must be captured, but Cam may not be equipped to handle this mission. Can Keaton, who's much closer to Dirk's unintegrated state than Cam is, rein in his troubled peer before Dirk burns the rickety bridge connecting the rewinds to the rest of the human race?
Cam, Keaton, and Dirk's situations are full of connection points to the real world. The rewinds never fail to surprise; experts theorized they were like their own species and would be attracted to one another like animals of any species, but the rewinds find each other physically unappealing. Discolored patchwork skin, scars and stitches, awkward movement of the limbs, bizarre speech patterns...they're a peculiar sight. If rewinds are just parts of normal humans cohabiting the same body, and humans are attracted to youth, beauty, and intelligence, why would they be drawn to "monsters"? Try as some rewinds do to tame their hormonal instincts and be pleasant, civilized people, it takes only one or two bad rewinds to taint them all in the public eye, undoing the work of the others to bolster their communal reputation. Keaton isn't a monster. He's not dumb, out of control, or evil, but people who judge him by Dirk just see two criminals they want locked up. What should you do when people don't care if they malign your reputation even if you've done nothing wrong? All you can do is live as exemplary a life as possible and not be drawn into bad behavior by those who take an immoral path. Make the most of your moments out of the spotlight to work on your flaws and cultivate yourself as an individual worth knowing and loving, and you'll be surprised what may come. "Being ignored has its advantages," Una points out to Cam. "Dignity doesn't grow under a microscope." Maybe some of the rewinds will eventually blend into society and not be viewed as a subspecies. Maybe all kinds of people can get along and accept one another regardless of superficial differences.
What was the fate of Argent Skinner, unwilling valet for international parts pirate Divan Umarov on his private jet, the Lady Lucrezia? In Unknown Quantity, Divan believes the Connor Lassiter regularly appearing with Risa on television is an impostor; he witnessed Connor's unwinding himself, so how could the Akron AWOL be alive? Argent knows how, but he's not about to admit his part in it to Divan. That would guarantee an agonizing death. Argent must continue serving Divan with no end in sight, sorry a life as that is. But something interesting happens when Divan's sister Dagmara boards the Lady Lucrezia with her ne'er-do-well teenage son Malik. Divan and Dagmara are extravagantly wealthy, executives in the family business of pirating unwound parts, but their relationship is contentious at best. Civility is further strained when Dagmara brings a Mr. Sonthi with her for the visit. A representative of the Dah Zey, Sonthi proposes merging business interests with Divan, and has Dagmara's full support. It's a deadly game of wits and betrayal with an unfathomable fortune as the jackpot, and all parties play exquisitely. Divan has Argent, though, and strangely enough that might tip the balance...though not in the way you likely expect. The end of Unknown Quantity is surprising and poignant, a good conclusion for this book and for an overall story a decade in the making. When Neal Shusterman puts that much time into something, it's bound to be all-time great.
In my opinion UnBound doesn't measure up to Unwind, but no other book in the series does, either. The quality of thought in these pages is remarkable, but the soul-blistering nuclear potency of Unwind isn't rekindled, nor did I expect it to be. That's a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment for almost any author, though Neal Shusterman arguably has done it multiple times. UnStrung is the best story of this compilation; it affects so much else beyond the limits of that particular short story. Rewinds is next best, breaking new philosophical ground while never failing to keep the reader's rapt attention. UnTithed is third best, so Michelle Knowlden wins my vote as best co-author. I'd rate UnBound three and a half stars, and I'm not sure I can praise Neal Shusterman enough for what he does. His Unwind world may be the best I've encountered in literature. I no doubt have said this before, but I'll repeat myself: We are lucky to have him.
October 16, 2017
I didn't really enjoy this book as much as the other ones because it didn't contribute to any of the main characters stories after the fourth book. This book also ended on a cliff hanger which I hate because this was the last book in the series so I will never know what ended up happening with these other characters. There were also some gruesome parts of the book that I did not like.
Want to read
July 23, 2015
“Connor Lassiter’s fight to bring down Proactive Citizenry and find a suitable alternative to unwinding concluded in UnDivided. Now Connor, Risa, and Lev are free to live in a peaceful future—or are they? Neal Shusterman brings back his beloved Unwind characters for his fans to see what’s left for those who were destined to be unwound.” ~ from the official description on simonandschuster
I need this like air! :D
February 26, 2016
I thought these stories were a great addition to the Unwind world. I love that we got to see some characters in a new light, as well as being introduced to some new and interesting characters. Overall, this was a great collection that added more depth to this exciting series.
Ratings
Unschooled: 3.5
Unfinished Symphony: 3.5/5
Undevoured: 3.5/5
Unclean: 5/5
Unstrung: 4/5
Unnatural Selection: 5/5
Uncomfirmed: 4.5/5
Untithed: 4.5/5
Rewinds: 5/5
Unknown Quantity: 4/5
Ratings
Unschooled: 3.5
Unfinished Symphony: 3.5/5
Undevoured: 3.5/5
Unclean: 5/5
Unstrung: 4/5
Unnatural Selection: 5/5
Uncomfirmed: 4.5/5
Untithed: 4.5/5
Rewinds: 5/5
Unknown Quantity: 4/5
December 16, 2015
Unschooled is about the feral teens before the war is over and Unwinding begins. It also shows how a character you know from the series discovers his true path in life.
Unfinished Symphony shows how Risa was picked to be unwound from a different point of view.
Undevoured is a story about Roland before he was an AWOL unwind and tells why he got his shark tattoo.
Unclean is a story about two or three characters that weren't in the series but are in the world. It shows one of the many ways people tried to take down unwinding.
Unstrung is a story about Lev in the time he separated from Risa and Connor in the first book to seeing them again at the graveyard. It's also an e-novella you can get by itself.
Unnatural Selection sheds some light on what the Burmese Dah Zey actually does to the unwinds they capture for the black market.
Unconfirmed is a very short story about what Hayden and Grace do with their lives after the series ends. It also confirms Hayden's sexuality in it.
Untithed is about what Miracolina has been doing with her life since she got separated from Lev at the graveyard.
Rewinds picks up with Cam and Una in Hawaii and how they are dealing with the rewinds of Roberta's failed military plan.
And lastly, Unknown Quantity is about Skinner and Divan and what they decide to do once unwinding is done for good.
I was slightly dissapointed there was no story about Connor, either in the past or present. I miss that kid. And the only story about Lev was one we already had. I'm fact it's never told what the three main characters are up to in their future, though it leaves little unconfirmed hints. I do think this book is worth the read though, I love revisiting this world and getting more of it. Short stories are also a good alternative to a full novel around the busy holidays. Thanks again, Neal Shusterman.
Unfinished Symphony shows how Risa was picked to be unwound from a different point of view.
Undevoured is a story about Roland before he was an AWOL unwind and tells why he got his shark tattoo.
Unclean is a story about two or three characters that weren't in the series but are in the world. It shows one of the many ways people tried to take down unwinding.
Unstrung is a story about Lev in the time he separated from Risa and Connor in the first book to seeing them again at the graveyard. It's also an e-novella you can get by itself.
Unnatural Selection sheds some light on what the Burmese Dah Zey actually does to the unwinds they capture for the black market.
Unconfirmed is a very short story about what Hayden and Grace do with their lives after the series ends. It also confirms Hayden's sexuality in it.
Untithed is about what Miracolina has been doing with her life since she got separated from Lev at the graveyard.
Rewinds picks up with Cam and Una in Hawaii and how they are dealing with the rewinds of Roberta's failed military plan.
And lastly, Unknown Quantity is about Skinner and Divan and what they decide to do once unwinding is done for good.
I was slightly dissapointed there was no story about Connor, either in the past or present. I miss that kid. And the only story about Lev was one we already had. I'm fact it's never told what the three main characters are up to in their future, though it leaves little unconfirmed hints. I do think this book is worth the read though, I love revisiting this world and getting more of it. Short stories are also a good alternative to a full novel around the busy holidays. Thanks again, Neal Shusterman.
May 22, 2018
Even though it's been a couple of years since I last read the Unwind series, I was able to step right back into that world with ease and catch up to all my favorites! As usual, Shusterman's brain comes up with the most bizarre of ideas, and I read a couple of these stories with horrified fascination. We get a glimpse of our favorites, Rysa, Conner, Lev, Cam, Uma... And also insight into Grace, Hayden, Argent, Nelson... And there are a few brand new characters that show us more of the Unwind world. I ate this book up and wish there was more to come.
March 8, 2017
Do not give in to the urge to extinguish oneself in the waters of the world, but instead be a light above those waters to help guide the way.
This book is not like what I had expected. I was expecting a kind of sequel or prequel. This book is neither and both at the same time. It’s not part of the Unwind series but it contains a collection of short stories surrounding the series. There’s some prequel stuff about the first days of unwind accord, just after the heartland war was over. There’s also some sequel stuffs like what happens to Cam and the rewinds. There’s also some story in between the story like how Miracolina faced her unexpected life after her misadventures with Lev, before he re-appear in the news in his suicide mission. She didn’t even know whether he survived or not then and was haunted by it, seeing every AWOL she saw looked like Lev to her, she ended up devoting herself saving unwinds. There’s even one story way at Thailand, seemingly unrelated at all to the original story. Some familiar names appeared. There’s one about Risa’s past though she’s just a side character there. It’s kind of shocking too. It was told in Unwind that Risa got to the ‘budget cut’ list because she messed up at her test. Well, a tiny spoiler about her, she didn’t. There’s also another familiar name that’s so unexposed before that I had to check on UnDivided to make sure that’s really him. Bryce Barlow. An AWOL who believed that he was meant for something big.
“I just don’t know what they are yet, but that’s okay. One thing I know—one thing I can feel in my bones—I’m going to be important. I’m going to matter. And people are going to know my name.”
Even in UnDivided where he became a hero, you could still count with your fingers how many times his name even mentioned. Well, at least he really was became important since he saved Connor’s life and everyone did know his name since Risa tattooed it on her wrist so everyone will see.
“Is Bryce Barlow someone you knew?” Lev asks.
Risa looks dolefully at the name on her wrist. “Just like the names on you, he’s a boy I’ll never meet.”
(A quote from UnDivided)
There’s not much of the old main characters aftermath. There’s a mention about Connor and his family but just briefly. The only main characters who actually have an aftermath story are Cam and Una. Somehow I love the weird, kind of insane relationship between Cam and Una and how the two of them still joking about Una wanting to cut Cam’s hands off.
He smiles and playfully says, “Tell me how much you despise me.”
“More than anything in the world,” she answers, clearly suppressing a grin.
“Tell me how sorry you are that you married me.”
She glares at him, but it’s all for show. “I didn’t marry you,” she points out. “I married your hands.”
“I’m sure there’s a hacksaw somewhere on the compound if those are the only parts of me you want.”
Well, I love this book as much as I love the original series. I love the writing style too. It’s a wonderful companion book for Unwind series though I’d suggest to read the original series after reading this book. I’d be a little hard to understand otherwise.. or at least not as fun.
May 7, 2016
First off I loved this addition to the Unwind series. The Unwind series is one of my all time favorites so I was ecstatic when I found out that another book was being released full of short stories. These stories didn't disappoint me either. One of my favorites was Unfinished Symphony which is where we learn more about Risa's backstory. This story broke my damn heart and kindled a rage in me that cannot be suppressed. Next in line for a favorite is Unnatural Selection, this story is easily the creepiest out of them all. The story delved deeper into an even darker side of unwinding, the kind of unwinding that happens on the black market and by the crazy scientists. I absolutely love this kind of subject material and I wish we could have gotten even more of this story. My last favorite was definitely Rewind, Cam was one of my favorite characters so I enjoyed learning more about what became of him. All together I liked all the stories but these are my top three and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the series and wants another glimpse into the world.
August 1, 2017
Probably 2.25-2.5 stars. Very uneven collection of 10 short stories, that suffer from "contributions" by co-authors. The book provided a few backstories, but sadly the sequels avoid revealing much about the three main characters: Connor, Risa, and Lev, perhaps because Shusterman may write a fifth installment? Personally, I liked the story set in Thailand because it did not have to integrate with the dystology and the one about Cam and the rewinds on Molokai. Maybe it's the tropics?
April 8, 2021
There are spoilers ahead for Unwind, UnWholly, UnSouled, and UnDivided. Like most story collections that belong to a series, it’s not strictly necessary to read this book to complete the series, and I probably wouldn’t recommend it for any but the most avid Unwind fans. But since I’m one of those, I enjoyed it more than most of its kind. None of the stories follow Connor and instead mostly focus on minor characters from the series like Nelson, Miracolina, Hayden, Roland, and Argent, including a bit of backstory with Risa at the state home and the previously released story of Lev’s first encounter with the ChanceFolk. I understand that Connor and Risa’s story is finished, but I’ll admit I was a little bummed that we don’t get a glimpse of them after UnDivided. Mira Grant has spoiled me that way, and I think it would have felt more thematically complete to include all three main characters.
The collection begins with probably its weakest story, “UnSchooled”, a brief look at Nelson’s childhood and some events that shaped him into a Juvie cop and future parts pirate. I can’t imagine anyone actually wanting to read more about this character though; at least Roland is somewhat sympathetic in “UnDevoured”, despite being mostly a villain in Unwind. Risa’s backstory in “Unfinished Symphony” is similarly lukewarm, and “UnConfirmed” tries to include both Hayden and Grace and somehow does justice to neither of them (but I’m happy to see Grace living the good life). I was prepared for Lev’s story in “UnStrung” to be a gut punch because we already know how it ends, but that didn’t stop me from weeping over my cereal while I was reading it. I was more interested in a bit of Miracolina’s backstory in “UnTithed” because I’d been wondering what happened to her after she parted ways with Lev. It’s a good bit of character development for her, and also a sucker punch when we realize who Bryce Barlow is. First Wil, and now Bryce. THANK YOU FOR THE UGLY CRYING, NEAL.
“UnClean” and “Unnatural Selection” both take a slightly different approach in introducing new characters with their own subplots, and as such, they’re two of the strongest in the book. “UnClean” examines yet another unintended consequence of unwinding and the ways it can be abused, plus another fairly horrifying way of fighting back at it. “Unnatural Selection” takes an inside look at the Burmese Dah Zey, a notorious black market for unwinding, which frankly makes American unwinding look like a humane and loving practice. I think Connor and Colton could have been friends in another life. “Rewinds” takes place after “UnDivided” and gives us a look at Cam’s new life as he tries to rehabilitate the other rewinds. “Unknown Quantity” also looks ahead and revisits Argent and Divan after Connor and Risa’s escape. While not my favorite characters in the series, the story is easily the most darkly funny of the bunch, with the sort of ironic vengeance we’ve come to expect from them. I’m glad I read the collection, but it in no way matches the magic of the rest of the series.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
The collection begins with probably its weakest story, “UnSchooled”, a brief look at Nelson’s childhood and some events that shaped him into a Juvie cop and future parts pirate. I can’t imagine anyone actually wanting to read more about this character though; at least Roland is somewhat sympathetic in “UnDevoured”, despite being mostly a villain in Unwind. Risa’s backstory in “Unfinished Symphony” is similarly lukewarm, and “UnConfirmed” tries to include both Hayden and Grace and somehow does justice to neither of them (but I’m happy to see Grace living the good life). I was prepared for Lev’s story in “UnStrung” to be a gut punch because we already know how it ends, but that didn’t stop me from weeping over my cereal while I was reading it. I was more interested in a bit of Miracolina’s backstory in “UnTithed” because I’d been wondering what happened to her after she parted ways with Lev. It’s a good bit of character development for her, and also a sucker punch when we realize who Bryce Barlow is. First Wil, and now Bryce. THANK YOU FOR THE UGLY CRYING, NEAL.
“UnClean” and “Unnatural Selection” both take a slightly different approach in introducing new characters with their own subplots, and as such, they’re two of the strongest in the book. “UnClean” examines yet another unintended consequence of unwinding and the ways it can be abused, plus another fairly horrifying way of fighting back at it. “Unnatural Selection” takes an inside look at the Burmese Dah Zey, a notorious black market for unwinding, which frankly makes American unwinding look like a humane and loving practice. I think Connor and Colton could have been friends in another life. “Rewinds” takes place after “UnDivided” and gives us a look at Cam’s new life as he tries to rehabilitate the other rewinds. “Unknown Quantity” also looks ahead and revisits Argent and Divan after Connor and Risa’s escape. While not my favorite characters in the series, the story is easily the most darkly funny of the bunch, with the sort of ironic vengeance we’ve come to expect from them. I’m glad I read the collection, but it in no way matches the magic of the rest of the series.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
March 17, 2016
OHHHHHHMYYYYYGAWWWWWWWD.
This is a fantastic collection of stories and, while they may not all provide closure per se, they do give us a further glimpse into the lives of the characters we loved in the Unwind series. Some of the stories seemed to be put together rather quickly -- i.e. scattered with grammatical/spelling errors, but I was willing to overlook it because of how utterly absorbing this world is. And disturbing. Have I mentioned that?
Favorite stories of the bunch-- UnStrung (duh), UnDevoured, UnConfirmed, UnTithed, Rewinds, Unknown Quantity. 6/10 in the majority for creeping me the hell out. Let's be real: they ALL creeped me out, but these were the standouts.
This is a fantastic collection of stories and, while they may not all provide closure per se, they do give us a further glimpse into the lives of the characters we loved in the Unwind series. Some of the stories seemed to be put together rather quickly -- i.e. scattered with grammatical/spelling errors, but I was willing to overlook it because of how utterly absorbing this world is. And disturbing. Have I mentioned that?
Favorite stories of the bunch-- UnStrung (duh), UnDevoured, UnConfirmed, UnTithed, Rewinds, Unknown Quantity. 6/10 in the majority for creeping me the hell out. Let's be real: they ALL creeped me out, but these were the standouts.
January 8, 2020
3.5 stars
This is a collection of short stories set in Neal Shusterman’s “Unwind�� world. We revisit some of the characters and the stories are from before, during, and after the events of the main series.
As with most short story collections, I’d rate these individually somewhat differently, though most, I would rate as “good”, 3.5 stars. There were a couple stories that stood out for me, though, and had they been standalones, they would have each gotten a 4 star rating: “Unnatural Selection”, and “Rewinds”. “Unstrung” is also included in this set of stories, originally released on its own to fill us in on Lev while he was away – had to look it up; I originally rated this story 3 stars (ok), but it sounds like I just wanted more of it. I liked the characters and wanted the story to be longer. Overall, for this collection, though, I’m keeping my rating at good, 3.5 stars.
This is a collection of short stories set in Neal Shusterman’s “Unwind�� world. We revisit some of the characters and the stories are from before, during, and after the events of the main series.
As with most short story collections, I’d rate these individually somewhat differently, though most, I would rate as “good”, 3.5 stars. There were a couple stories that stood out for me, though, and had they been standalones, they would have each gotten a 4 star rating: “Unnatural Selection”, and “Rewinds”. “Unstrung” is also included in this set of stories, originally released on its own to fill us in on Lev while he was away – had to look it up; I originally rated this story 3 stars (ok), but it sounds like I just wanted more of it. I liked the characters and wanted the story to be longer. Overall, for this collection, though, I’m keeping my rating at good, 3.5 stars.
July 8, 2016
3.5 stars
----- Before Reading -----
APPARENTLY THIS EXISTS
I actually have really mixed feelings about this since I loved the ending of the last book, but what the heck, I'm definitely going to read it and I bet it will be amazing.
----- After Reading -----
I have some mixed feelings about this book. For the most part, I feel that it was unnecessary, but it's always fun to revisit this world. I wasn't super enthralled by the first several stories but I really liked the last few. My biggest regret is just that I picked this up at such a busy time, I wasn't able to put my full attention on it and possibly lost some appreciation for the stories that way. But oh well! Now I just have the urge to read the original series again. :)
----- Before Reading -----
APPARENTLY THIS EXISTS
I actually have really mixed feelings about this since I loved the ending of the last book, but what the heck, I'm definitely going to read it and I bet it will be amazing.
----- After Reading -----
I have some mixed feelings about this book. For the most part, I feel that it was unnecessary, but it's always fun to revisit this world. I wasn't super enthralled by the first several stories but I really liked the last few. My biggest regret is just that I picked this up at such a busy time, I wasn't able to put my full attention on it and possibly lost some appreciation for the stories that way. But oh well! Now I just have the urge to read the original series again. :)
January 1, 2021
“maybe they’ll come back someday and maybe they won’t. but i think they’re happy.”
i’m not ready to say goodbye again but i loved all the glimpses into different characters’ lives. “unconfirmed” with hayden and grace was my favorite, but i enjoyed every single one of these.
rating: 4/5 stars
May 23, 2024
4.5⭐️ rounded down
I love this series and am so sad it’s over
I love this series and am so sad it’s over
May 18, 2024
Great back stories and side characters I had questions about! I love it
January 14, 2016
Very uneven collection. Plus, the description is a lie: "Find out what happens to Connor, Risa, and Lev now that they’ve finally destroyed the Proactive Citizenry"? No, we do not.
The book includes prequel, midquel, and sequel stories, but the sequel stories only give speculation about the trio rather than showing them. And the ending especially makes it seem like Shusterman wants to make a 6th installment of this "trilogy." Mmm.
By story:
Unschooled - I guess it's somewhat interesting to see a backstory, but I don't care about him.
Unfinished Symphony - Well, the main character here is understandable, and I like that she has some depth despite setting part of the original book into motion.
Undevoured - Meh. Added nothing.
Unclean - It's average. Seems to be "hey, how about this angle? Cool, eh?"
Unstrung - Lacks quality.
Unnatural Selection - Pretty good except the ending seems unrealistic.
Unconfirmed - Wish it was longer. I do like seeing the characters again.
Untithed - Trying to show some previous characters having purpose, but I don't care.
Rewinds - Has the most potential in terms of continuing on in the possible sequel. Good new character.
Unknown Quantity - Seems to be there only to hint at a possible sequel. The story itself is not good.
So the 2 I like best are sequel stories.
The book includes prequel, midquel, and sequel stories, but the sequel stories only give speculation about the trio rather than showing them. And the ending especially makes it seem like Shusterman wants to make a 6th installment of this "trilogy." Mmm.
By story:
Unschooled - I guess it's somewhat interesting to see a backstory, but I don't care about him.
Unfinished Symphony - Well, the main character here is understandable, and I like that she has some depth despite setting part of the original book into motion.
Undevoured - Meh. Added nothing.
Unclean - It's average. Seems to be "hey, how about this angle? Cool, eh?"
Unstrung - Lacks quality.
Unnatural Selection - Pretty good except the ending seems unrealistic.
Unconfirmed - Wish it was longer. I do like seeing the characters again.
Untithed - Trying to show some previous characters having purpose, but I don't care.
Rewinds - Has the most potential in terms of continuing on in the possible sequel. Good new character.
Unknown Quantity - Seems to be there only to hint at a possible sequel. The story itself is not good.
So the 2 I like best are sequel stories.
March 31, 2016
Basic Info
Format: Hardback
Pages/Length: 320pgs
Genre: Young Adult; Dystopia
At A Glance
Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: N/A
Cliff Hanger: N/A
Triggers: n/a
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 8
Plot: 9
Characters: 9
World Building: 9
Flow: 8
Series Congruity: n/a
Writing: 8
Ending: 8
Total: 9
In Dept
Best Part: Most of it!
Worst Part: I need more!!!
Thoughts Had:
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: n/a
Recommending: yes!
Short Review: I need more books in this series for real. Like a 10yrs down the line type book. Someone make that happen. I really loved seeing the back ground behind why Rita was signed to be unwound. That little girl needs a swift kick in the rear. Flowers for Algernon reference was great! And that ending! Crushed my soul a bit, but revenge was sweet.
Misc.
Book Boyfriend: Connor
Best Friend Material: Rita
Review in GIF Form:
February 23, 2018
I obviously loved this one too!
I GOT TO READ MORE ON CAM AND THE REWINDS, I GOT MORE OF HAYDEN, ROLAND, GRACE AND ARGENT. I GOT MORE ON RISA'S BACKSTORY AND MORE OF MIRACOLINA AND LEV WITH WIL. I GOT AN ADDITIONAL TWO NEW SHORT STORIES WITH NEW CHARACTERS (the 'Unnatural selection' short story actually spooked me)
I LOVED READING MORE ABOUT ALL THE CHARACTERS. I felt warm and bubbly whilst reading about the characters again because I honestly love every single one of the but now I feel empty because there's literally no more information that I can devour :))
I can smell a re-read soon.
ALSO YOU CAN FIGHT ME ON THIS BUT HAYDEN IS BISEXUAL NOW I HAVE PROOF.
I GOT TO READ MORE ON CAM AND THE REWINDS, I GOT MORE OF HAYDEN, ROLAND, GRACE AND ARGENT. I GOT MORE ON RISA'S BACKSTORY AND MORE OF MIRACOLINA AND LEV WITH WIL. I GOT AN ADDITIONAL TWO NEW SHORT STORIES WITH NEW CHARACTERS (the 'Unnatural selection' short story actually spooked me)
I LOVED READING MORE ABOUT ALL THE CHARACTERS. I felt warm and bubbly whilst reading about the characters again because I honestly love every single one of the but now I feel empty because there's literally no more information that I can devour :))
I can smell a re-read soon.
ALSO YOU CAN FIGHT ME ON THIS BUT HAYDEN IS BISEXUAL NOW I HAVE PROOF.
December 31, 2015
I’m going to keep my review of “Unbound” short and sweet, as I don’t want to give away who has their own individual stories to those who are fans of the excellent “Unwind” dystology. If you aren’t a fan or haven’t read them, what are you doing here? Shoo. Go read them and then come back. Otherwise you won’t appreciate, much less understand, anything about this book.
Highly recommended for fans of the “Unwind” series. You won’t be disappointed.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Highly recommended for fans of the “Unwind” series. You won’t be disappointed.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 3, 2016
I wanted Risa and Connor but the book was still awesome!
http://teachersreadfunstufftoo.blogsp...
http://teachersreadfunstufftoo.blogsp...
August 12, 2018
Unnatural Selection, Rewinds, and Unknown Quantity are the reason this book is getting four stars. They were very unsettling! (^o^)v
August 17, 2021
So the basic format for this review is I will briefly review each story and then I'll add up them and the average score is what I'm rating this book. The only reason I'm doing it this way is I've been out of school for almost three months now and I need to make sure I still know what numbers are. Anyways let's just jump straight into them.
UnSchooled-2/5
I think out of all the stories in this collection, this is the one I liked the least. I don't really care about Nelson's backstory/ early motivations mostly cuz he's an irredeemable scumbag and I could care less about him. But beyond that, it was fairly simple and lacked Shusterman' flair. Idk, it wasn't awful but compared to the rest of the stories in here, it's at the bottom.
Unfinished Symphony- 3.5/5
I can't put words to why I didn't like this story as much. I enjoyed seeing Risa in a different light, especially through the eyes of someone who could be a foil to her. But something was missing that I can't put my finger on.
UnDevoured-3/5
Roland was never one of my favorite characters, mostly cuz I thought he lacked sufficient nuance. He acted like a scumbag the entire book and then we are supposed to feel sorry for him the rest of the series. But in this story, facets of his character were explored, adding dimension to his character and providing motivations for his actions (without justifying them). I just don't care much for Roland so that's why I'm giving it 3 stars.
UnClean- 4.5/5
I really liked this story. The entirely new cast of characters were compelling and the ending was powerful. The continuation of showing different shades of grey on the fight against unwinding was masterfully done. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I wish it was longer :(
UnStrung-5/5
AHHHHHHHHHHHH. I'm not going to say much cuz this story is a massive part of the series and creates motivations for a lot of a characters. So all I'm going to say is this story has been hinted at the entire series with the readers getting bits and pieces but never the full story and let me just say I was not disappointed. Una's last line literally made me have to put the book down, exhale heavily, and then pick it back up.
Unnatural Selection- 5/5
This story was so unsettling but I loved it. Every element of the horror and pure desperation was so well done and I'm glad we got a look into the Dah Zey as I found them the most intriguing unexplored thing is the series. And I liked how we got a first hand look into the unwinding process in other countries as the majority of the series focused on America. My only word of advice is maybe don't be eating as you read this.
Unconfirmed-4.5/5
While I did love having this shorter story to vibe with two of my favorite characters, it felt more like a filler story. And while I don't hate that, in fact I thoroughly enjoyed this one, compared to all the other stories in here, it didn't feel as thought out. Still loved it though.
UnTithed-4/5
I loved seeing Miracolina and how much she has changed since UnWholly. I also enjoyed that the AWOL that she helps goes on to help Conner in UnDivided (inadvertently) resulting in a successful finale. However, it's not a 5 star to me as Miracolina is not a character I'm as attached to and also it just doesn't feel like a 5 star.
Rewinds- 5/5
This story was perfect. Seriously if you haven't read the series yet, read it just for this one. The amount of character development Cam has went through blows my mind. I did not really care about/like him when he first made his appearance in UnWholly but by this story I was so proud of my son. The idea of coming to terms with something awful that happened to you and making you feel like you are not human yet coming to love yourself and empower others in your same situation and also what makes a person; is it the soul, the combined parts, etc. I think this was one of my favorite stories in this collection.
Unknown Quantity-4.5/5
I loved seeing our two favorite morally grey villains working together and being the absolute chaotic evil legends they are. Obviously Argent and Divan are scumbags but they have motivations and have such a messed up found father/son relationship-dynamic thingy that I enjoyed this story immensely. My only complaint is I wish it was longer.
Ok folks after crunching the numbers in my head (who am I kidding; I used a calculator) and the average we got is *drumroll* 4.1 stars out of 5 stars. Overall I loved this collection of short stories that added so much more to the world. I'm just going to leave y'all with this quote: "Funny how mortality, which always seems so black-and-white, can be influence so completely by what you were raised to believe."
UnSchooled-2/5
I think out of all the stories in this collection, this is the one I liked the least. I don't really care about Nelson's backstory/ early motivations mostly cuz he's an irredeemable scumbag and I could care less about him. But beyond that, it was fairly simple and lacked Shusterman' flair. Idk, it wasn't awful but compared to the rest of the stories in here, it's at the bottom.
Unfinished Symphony- 3.5/5
I can't put words to why I didn't like this story as much. I enjoyed seeing Risa in a different light, especially through the eyes of someone who could be a foil to her. But something was missing that I can't put my finger on.
UnDevoured-3/5
Roland was never one of my favorite characters, mostly cuz I thought he lacked sufficient nuance. He acted like a scumbag the entire book and then we are supposed to feel sorry for him the rest of the series. But in this story, facets of his character were explored, adding dimension to his character and providing motivations for his actions (without justifying them). I just don't care much for Roland so that's why I'm giving it 3 stars.
UnClean- 4.5/5
I really liked this story. The entirely new cast of characters were compelling and the ending was powerful. The continuation of showing different shades of grey on the fight against unwinding was masterfully done. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I wish it was longer :(
UnStrung-5/5
AHHHHHHHHHHHH. I'm not going to say much cuz this story is a massive part of the series and creates motivations for a lot of a characters. So all I'm going to say is this story has been hinted at the entire series with the readers getting bits and pieces but never the full story and let me just say I was not disappointed. Una's last line literally made me have to put the book down, exhale heavily, and then pick it back up.
Unnatural Selection- 5/5
This story was so unsettling but I loved it. Every element of the horror and pure desperation was so well done and I'm glad we got a look into the Dah Zey as I found them the most intriguing unexplored thing is the series. And I liked how we got a first hand look into the unwinding process in other countries as the majority of the series focused on America. My only word of advice is maybe don't be eating as you read this.
Unconfirmed-4.5/5
While I did love having this shorter story to vibe with two of my favorite characters, it felt more like a filler story. And while I don't hate that, in fact I thoroughly enjoyed this one, compared to all the other stories in here, it didn't feel as thought out. Still loved it though.
UnTithed-4/5
I loved seeing Miracolina and how much she has changed since UnWholly. I also enjoyed that the AWOL that she helps goes on to help Conner in UnDivided (inadvertently) resulting in a successful finale. However, it's not a 5 star to me as Miracolina is not a character I'm as attached to and also it just doesn't feel like a 5 star.
Rewinds- 5/5
This story was perfect. Seriously if you haven't read the series yet, read it just for this one. The amount of character development Cam has went through blows my mind. I did not really care about/like him when he first made his appearance in UnWholly but by this story I was so proud of my son. The idea of coming to terms with something awful that happened to you and making you feel like you are not human yet coming to love yourself and empower others in your same situation and also what makes a person; is it the soul, the combined parts, etc. I think this was one of my favorite stories in this collection.
Unknown Quantity-4.5/5
I loved seeing our two favorite morally grey villains working together and being the absolute chaotic evil legends they are. Obviously Argent and Divan are scumbags but they have motivations and have such a messed up found father/son relationship-dynamic thingy that I enjoyed this story immensely. My only complaint is I wish it was longer.
Ok folks after crunching the numbers in my head (who am I kidding; I used a calculator) and the average we got is *drumroll* 4.1 stars out of 5 stars. Overall I loved this collection of short stories that added so much more to the world. I'm just going to leave y'all with this quote: "Funny how mortality, which always seems so black-and-white, can be influence so completely by what you were raised to believe."
January 10, 2016
I knew when I saw a new book by Neal Shusterman it was going to be good. He creates characters that you feel for. Not just slightly feel for, but characters that rip your heart out even if you dislike them. I was super excited when I saw this was a part of the Unwind series. Although the ending of Undivided was basically flawless, I didn't want to let go of Connor and Risa and Lev. After reading the series three times through, they became some of my favorite characters ever. However, I saw in reviews of this book that there isn't much Connor in this one. I'm disappointed but since I was prepared, I wasn't as heartbroken about it. All of the short stories in UnBound are riveting and feature characters that you can't help but sympathize with.
I guess I'll do individual ratings cause why not?:
Unschooled: 3/5
Jasper Nelson just wants to be a part of the feral teenagers despite his higher class upbringing. When they refuse to let him into their gang, Nelson finds himself with some pent up hatred that fuels his future actions.
Despite Jasper's slightly upsetting past, it doesn't excuse some of the absolutely horrible things he does throughout the series.
Unfinished Symphony: 3.5/5
Brooklyn Ward used to be best friends with Risa until something happened between them. Now she can't even stand to hear her play the piano. When Brooklyn ends up on the list to be unwound, she gets some outside help to fix that.
Risa is such an angel. I'm glad that I got at least a little bit of her since I got zero Connor. Brooklyn was a very unlikable character, and I still don't completely understand her pent up anger, but whatever.
Undevoured: 4/5
Roland is tired of seeing his step-father beat his mother so he goes to the sea with his sister to boogie-board but ends up confronting something in the water.
This story broke my heart. Although I still hold a grudge against Roland for being mean to my two faves (Connor and Risa), this back story was better than Nelson's. I feel like I finally understand Roland.
Unclean: 2.5/5
Heath knows what he has to do to put an end to Unwinding: send people to harvest camps who have cancer so that the people getting the organs also gets the cancer. He has found a way to make it seem like they don't have cancer when they test their blood. His logic is that while he will be killing some AWOLs, it will eventually put an end to all of it.
This story was strange, man! It just made me feel very..weird. Especially towards the end of it. It was intriguing, but it gave me a weird feeling.
Unstrung: 4/5
To escape Unwinding, Lev crawls over the rez wall. He wakes up surrounded by kind Native Americans who want to help Lev and show him their ways of life.
I'm so happy Shusterman put this in there. It's been out for awhile and I just never got around to reading it. Lev is such a lovely character. He is open-minded and accepting and just an overall amazing person. I loved hearing about Lev's experience on the rez since it's mentioned throughout the series a few times.
Unnatural Selection: 3.5/5
Colten is tricked into the hands of the Dah Zey who don't just unwind people; they shell people. He is terrified of this fate, so he volunteers himself as an "experiment" for the doctor hoping to find an escape.
This story was crazy suspenseful. I couldn't put it down. There were some parts that honestly just grossed me out or made me feel really upset, but overall this story really shed some light on the Dah Zey. They're mentioned in the series but not that much.
Unconfirmed: 5/5
Hayden goes to visit Grace Skinner and talk to her about the fate of Connor and Risa. Grace asks that Hayden try to find her brother, Argent, whom she thinks is still alive.
Hayden! Finally, one of my favorite characters is a main character in a story. I like Lev a lot, but Connor and Hayden were some faves. There was one line that made me full out grin.
Hayden? Is bisexual? I mean, I knew that from the tension between Connor and Hayden, but this line was just so direct, I loved it.
Untithed: 3.5/5
Miracolina, besides working at the soup kitchen at her church, is helping AWOLs find safety. She sees Bryce come to the church and has a hunch he's an AWOL so she follows him.
I like Miracolina. I don't love her, but she's an alright character. I like her more when she's with Lev. This story was cute and I liked Miracolina's self-realization.
Rewinds: 3/5
Cam is watching over all of the Rewinds who are trying to become comfortable in their new bodies.
This story got confusing for me at some points, but I like Una and Cam. I feel like there's some pent up hate that Una has for Cam still but they're kinda cute. The story itself was interesting and I was pretty hooked.
Unknown Quanity: 3/5
Argent is still Divan's valet as they fly around the world in his jumbo-plane. Some drama stirs when Divan's sister brings the head of the Dah Zey onto the plane, Divan's biggest competition in the unwinding business.
There were a lot of things I had to look up for this one because I forgot about Divan! Like completely. How could I? I have to reread the last book. Anyway, I thought the ending was clever and it made me chuckle just thinking about the end result.
So overall this was a fun read. It could have been better, yes, but the stories were all very original and the characters were just as well put together as the trio from the series. I'm glad I picked this up as soon as I saw it at the bookstore. It was nice to take a dive back into the Unwind world, as terrifying as it it.
I guess I'll do individual ratings cause why not?:
Unschooled: 3/5
Jasper Nelson just wants to be a part of the feral teenagers despite his higher class upbringing. When they refuse to let him into their gang, Nelson finds himself with some pent up hatred that fuels his future actions.
Despite Jasper's slightly upsetting past, it doesn't excuse some of the absolutely horrible things he does throughout the series.
Unfinished Symphony: 3.5/5
Brooklyn Ward used to be best friends with Risa until something happened between them. Now she can't even stand to hear her play the piano. When Brooklyn ends up on the list to be unwound, she gets some outside help to fix that.
Risa is such an angel. I'm glad that I got at least a little bit of her since I got zero Connor. Brooklyn was a very unlikable character, and I still don't completely understand her pent up anger, but whatever.
Undevoured: 4/5
Roland is tired of seeing his step-father beat his mother so he goes to the sea with his sister to boogie-board but ends up confronting something in the water.
This story broke my heart. Although I still hold a grudge against Roland for being mean to my two faves (Connor and Risa), this back story was better than Nelson's. I feel like I finally understand Roland.
Unclean: 2.5/5
Heath knows what he has to do to put an end to Unwinding: send people to harvest camps who have cancer so that the people getting the organs also gets the cancer. He has found a way to make it seem like they don't have cancer when they test their blood. His logic is that while he will be killing some AWOLs, it will eventually put an end to all of it.
This story was strange, man! It just made me feel very..weird. Especially towards the end of it. It was intriguing, but it gave me a weird feeling.
Unstrung: 4/5
To escape Unwinding, Lev crawls over the rez wall. He wakes up surrounded by kind Native Americans who want to help Lev and show him their ways of life.
I'm so happy Shusterman put this in there. It's been out for awhile and I just never got around to reading it. Lev is such a lovely character. He is open-minded and accepting and just an overall amazing person. I loved hearing about Lev's experience on the rez since it's mentioned throughout the series a few times.
Unnatural Selection: 3.5/5
Colten is tricked into the hands of the Dah Zey who don't just unwind people; they shell people. He is terrified of this fate, so he volunteers himself as an "experiment" for the doctor hoping to find an escape.
This story was crazy suspenseful. I couldn't put it down. There were some parts that honestly just grossed me out or made me feel really upset, but overall this story really shed some light on the Dah Zey. They're mentioned in the series but not that much.
Unconfirmed: 5/5
Hayden goes to visit Grace Skinner and talk to her about the fate of Connor and Risa. Grace asks that Hayden try to find her brother, Argent, whom she thinks is still alive.
Hayden! Finally, one of my favorite characters is a main character in a story. I like Lev a lot, but Connor and Hayden were some faves. There was one line that made me full out grin.
Grace smiles. "And bring a date," she says. "A girl or a boy, I don't care."
Hayden chuckles. "Maybe both," he says. "One on each arm..."
Hayden? Is bisexual? I mean, I knew that from the tension between Connor and Hayden, but this line was just so direct, I loved it.
Untithed: 3.5/5
Miracolina, besides working at the soup kitchen at her church, is helping AWOLs find safety. She sees Bryce come to the church and has a hunch he's an AWOL so she follows him.
I like Miracolina. I don't love her, but she's an alright character. I like her more when she's with Lev. This story was cute and I liked Miracolina's self-realization.
Rewinds: 3/5
Cam is watching over all of the Rewinds who are trying to become comfortable in their new bodies.
This story got confusing for me at some points, but I like Una and Cam. I feel like there's some pent up hate that Una has for Cam still but they're kinda cute. The story itself was interesting and I was pretty hooked.
Unknown Quanity: 3/5
Argent is still Divan's valet as they fly around the world in his jumbo-plane. Some drama stirs when Divan's sister brings the head of the Dah Zey onto the plane, Divan's biggest competition in the unwinding business.
There were a lot of things I had to look up for this one because I forgot about Divan! Like completely. How could I? I have to reread the last book. Anyway, I thought the ending was clever and it made me chuckle just thinking about the end result.
So overall this was a fun read. It could have been better, yes, but the stories were all very original and the characters were just as well put together as the trio from the series. I'm glad I picked this up as soon as I saw it at the bookstore. It was nice to take a dive back into the Unwind world, as terrifying as it it.
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