This week's prompt is to recommend a book
that kept me up all night. Now, I'm actually very good at not staying up all
night reading. Working and having real-world responsibilities will do that to
you. However, the last book that I actually did read into the late hours of the
night and then stayed awake thinking about the story and it's implications
was:
Unwind by Neal
Schusterman
Unwind trilogy,
#1
My recommendation for this book is not quite a positive one.
On a weekend night I was starting to get close to the end and SO MUCH was
happening that I realized I couldn't possibly put it down. And then that one
scene happened. Sleep after that was impossible. I still feel disturbed just
thinking about that scene. Anyone who has read the book should understand
exactly what I'm referring to.
I appreciated the fact that Unwind does ask some huge
moral questions. The book's premise is that the conflicting views on abortion
caused a war, and the war's resolution was that pregnant women can no longer
abort unwanted children, however they can choose to retroactively "abort" their
children as teenagers. This is declared legal because those teens who are
"aborted" or unwound have all their body parts still alive and in use...just in
other peoples' bodies. The story itself follows three teens who have been
sentenced to unwinding but for various reasons are resistant to their fates.
Sounds creepy, right? And disturbing and horrifying and I honestly have no idea
why I thought it would be a good idea to read this book. It was a really
thought-provoking book, of course, but I just don't think it was worth the
emotional trauma that I endured from the experience of reading it.
Please tell me I'm not the only one who feels scarred from
reading this book. It's not that I am firmly against reading late into the night
(on weekend nights), but I'd prefer that it be for something that I really
enjoy. And preferably full of butterflies and rainbows and glitter. That sort of
thing. Link me up to the books that have kept you up at night (for good
reasons)!
You are not the only one who is scarred from reading this book:) That said, I REALLY enjoyed this book, once I had a some time away from it. It IS a very creepy book, and a very thought provoking book. And yes, THAT scene. I don't think I have EVER read anything like that. But I think Shusterman wrote this book with every intention of getting that EXACT response. I think he wanted to get under your skin.
ReplyDeleteI've never reviewed Unwind. It's one of THOSE books that I just sit to down to write about and...nothing. There is so much to say, but where to begin? Anyway, having read this a couple of years back I can say that it's definitely one of the most powerful books I have ever read and that I will never forget.
(And yes, I definitely want to read the sequel, Unwholly, as soon as I can summon the courage to do it but I will probably never be able to see the film should it ever be made:)
Oh definitely. I just don't think my skin was thick enough to handle that scene. I still get creeped out thinking about it, and I'm not one who likes being scared/horrified/traumatized by books haha. I did write a review of it but it's only on goodreads. It was a difficult book to review, you're right. I had ALL the emotions and not many words to describe what an experience it was reading that book.
DeleteI'll have to see your thoughts on Unwholly. I'm interested in how the story continues, just can't make myself read it.
Also: a movie would be the most TERRIFYING thing ever. I hope it never happens.