Dystopia seems to be everywhere these days and
Shusterman was at it before
Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy wet the general appetite for the
sub-genre with its revamp of the gladiatorial fight to the death. Thus, “Unwind” could almost be seen as a
forerunner to the pack, made the more interesting by the premise of his YA
novel in depicting medical advances by way of legality and ethics.
Shusterman is, of course, well known for his “Goosebumps”
works, amongst others. “Unwind”,
however, brings its subject matter to the table for a slightly older age range
and is hard hitting in tone and concept.
Starting from the prospect of The Bill of Life, the result of
constitutional amendments following a civil war known as “The Heartland War”,
we learn a human life is sacrosanct “from the moment of conception until a
child reaches the age of thirteen”. As
soon as the child reaches teenage years, however, they face the possibility
that their parents may choose to have them “unwound” - a form of retrospective
abortion in which they are essentially broken down for “parts”; to provide
donor organs for other citizens, whilst still being kept alive during the
procedure. Ultimately, this leads to a
pretty grim depiction of the actual operative process once the reader has
become suitably invested in the characters and the stakes for what will be lost
or gained are increased.
Interestingly, Shusterman seems to have taken some
inspiration from the real life (and internet archive notorious) case of an
atheist who sought to sell his soul via Ebay and was ultimately refused
permission to do so.
The narrative centres around three teenagers, Connor, Risa
and Lev, predominantly, and the various reasons as a result of which they are
due to be subject to the process of being “unwound”. It is giving little away to say that the
progression of the narrative places them all in a position where the due date
for this is put on hold.
Medical probability of being able to accomplish the
procedure aside, Shusterman raises some interesting questions with his
narrative and pulls no punches in doing so.
In making us familiar with his young protagonists, he forces us to
confront the rights and wrongs of both medical advances in technology and how
society deals with problematic youngsters.
There is even a nod to the problems of overpopulation and validity of
methods of control which can and should be exercised over it.
I found the manner in which Lev’s character was dealt with
particularly interesting and would have liked to have seen further time devoted
to his character development to support his overall character arc. For me, the journey from origins and
religious background to campaigning crusader of chaos needed extra space to
explain his choices pre narrative conclusion.
Given the potential breadth of the topic Shusterman is seeking to
encompass within what it essentially a YA novel, however, perhaps it would be asking
too much for a significant degree of extra detail to be established within the
remit of the page count or, indeed, for it to be extended massively. Ultimately, Lev’s decision to make his own
choice, as opposed to relying on the suggestions of others is what hits home
most and grants his character the emotional depth it requires to provide a
lasting impression.
Pleasingly, Shusterman refuses to let his characters off
lightly by providing a trite conclusion to their struggles for freedom in what
are difficult circumstances. This is
particularly well demonstrated in the case of Risa, who is forced to make a
difficult decision concerning how she wishes to live and, effectively, what
kind of person this makes her in confronting the choice head on. (As a minor gripe, Connor’s contrasting
situation and donor limb tied in a little too neatly with the previous plot to
read as a natural development.) Lev,
too, is left to confront the aftermath of his actions, as opposed to all being
forgiven and being granted a “happily ever after”.
Ultimately, the novel confirms that there are few easy
answers when grappling with questions of medical ethics and advancement. By reaching a conclusion where the fight for
what is right continues, subject to a minor but important change in the legal
position, Shusterman emphasises the careful balancing act to be performed when
considering such issues, during the course of his narrative or otherwise. It will be interesting to see how the topic
is tackled when and if the
rumoured film of the narrative comes to screen.
