Skip to main content

UNWHOLLY by Neal Shusterman



copyright date: August 2012
primarily marketed for: young adults (12 and up)

Although there are still a few days until UnWholly by Neal Shusterman is released on August 28th, I managed to get my hands on an Advanced Readers’ Copy, thanks to Mrs. Foreman (formerly Miss England). 

This book confirms what I have believed for years: Neal Shusterman is brilliant.  Why he isn’t winning awards left and right is beyond me. 

If you haven’t read the first book in this series, Unwind, you have to start there.  The basis of the story is that it takes place in the near future, after the fictional Third World War, which was fought over the issue of abortion.  In an effort to end the fighting and reach an agreement, both sides compromised, banning abortion as we know it, and sanctioning the retroactive abortion (through a process called unwinding) of teenagers whose parents okay it. 

But that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the brilliance and complexity of Shusterman’s stories. 

UnWholly is told through multiple viewpoints, the same way Unwind was.  In this sequel, Shusterman has found a way to include all of the beloved characters from the first book, and even reveals further depth in their personalities and the new roles they’ve taken on.  Each of our favorite characters becomes an important player in the fight against unwinding and helps uncover the grand plan behind it all.

Shusterman manages to deliver a fast-paced plot, filled with twists and turns at the same time as he causes readers to grapple with big issues, such as our own beliefs about life and what makes us human.  It takes skill to craft a story so beautifully that provides a suspenseful action-filled plot AND has a soul. 

Go read.  Now!  You will be blown away. 

Reading Threads:
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Labels:

Comments

  1. Ms. YinglingAugust 19, 2012 at 5:38 PM

    Unwind definitely should have won awards. I can't wait to read the sequel!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Linda BAugust 19, 2012 at 7:52 PM

    Okay, now the list is definitely longer, Christy. I like hearing about those graphic novels a lot, & this final post, about these two by Schusterman, makes them look so good. You've been busy! Hope you have a great start to the year!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TAKE WHAT YOU CAN CARRY by Kevin C. Pyle

copyright date: March 2012 primarily marketed for: young adults (12 and up) Despite the fact that the teacher in me sees so many lesson possibilities in Kevin C. Pyle’s graphic novel Take What You Can Carry , you should read it simply for the grace of its stories.   The artwork is as striking as the stories it tells.   Using artwork in two different colors and styles, Pyle tells the stories of two teenage boys living years and miles apart.   And yet, he communicates the universality in their experiences.   One boy is a Japanese American forced to move into an internment camp during WWII.   His family struggles to maintain their dignity and sense of peace under unbearable conditions. The other is a rebellious boy with an attitude whose reckless behavior causes him to wind up in trouble with the law.   To make amends, he finds himself completing community service hours in the most unlikely place.   I found my...
1 comment
Read more

THE SEA IN WINTER by Christine Day

  release date: January 5, 2021 primarily marketed for: Middle grades The Sea in Winter  by Christine Day is a gift to its readers. It is a book of quiet strength with much to offer.  Maisie is a ballet dancer who feels most herself when she is at the dance studio. However, at the start of this story, Maisie is coping with a serious knee injury that prevents her from dancing long-term. She misses her friends from dance and struggles to maintain those connections when she is no longer part of the dancing life they shared.  When her mom and stepdad plan a road trip to the Olympic Peninsula to visit sites of familial and cultural significance, Maisie stubbornly overworks her healing knee. She is determined to heal and return to the studio  faster than expected. Although her knee is the only focus of Maisie's wellness journey, it turns out there is more to healing than physical fitness.  Maisie is a quietly compelling character, but I was surprised to find myse...
Post a Comment
Read more

THE GREATEST SUPERPOWER by Alex Sanchez

copyright date: January 1, 2021 primarily marketed for: middle grades The Greatest Superpower  by Alex Sanchez is a gem. I was in a bit of a reading slump until I picked up this book, thanks to NetGalley .  This middle grades book is about comic book loving Jorge who is navigating his parents' divorce and his first crush on a girl. Jorge's parents not only announce they are getting divorced, but his father also reveals to Jorge and his twin brother Cesar that she is transgender and wishes to live as her true self.  Although this announcement is a confusing surprise to Jorge, his love for his father ultimately trumps all. Cesar, however, is angry at their dad and works to prevent Jorge from sharing the truth with his friends.  In the midst of the changes in Jorge's family life, he and his friends are trying to invent a new superhero for a comic book contest. When Jorge blurts out the idea of the superpower to gender-shift, his friends jump on board.  Conversatio...
Post a Comment
Read more