Unwind

"The Bill of Life

The Second Civil War, also known as "The Heartland War," was a long and bloody conflict fought over a single issue.

To end the war, a set of constitutional amendments known as "The Bill of Life" was passed.

It satisfied both the Pro-life and Pro-choice armies.

The Bill of Life states that human life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of thirteen.

However, between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, a parent may choose to retroactively "abort" a child...

... on the condition that the child's life doesn't "technically" end.

The process by which a child is both terminated and yet kept alive is called "unwinding."

Unwinding is now a common and accepted practice in society."

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Neal Shusterman

Shusterman has written 30 novels for children and young adults. He has been honored with the National Book Award and with a Michael L. Printz Honor, as well as recognized by the American Library Association and the International Reading Association. Unwind has received over 30 national and international awards. A number of his other works are either in development or in production with Universal Studios, Netflix and Paramount Pictures.

Synopsis

Children -- teens -- can be unwound if their parents find them too difficult to control which is what Connor's parents choose. You can be unwound if you are a ward of the state without exceptional abilities like Risa. Or, if you are the tenth child in a family like Lev, then you are a tithe given to be unwound.

Connor, Risa, and an unwilling Lev, run from the bus which would take them to the Harvest Camp. And in running they meet many allies who work to destroy the

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World Relevance

Unwind seems an amazingly relevant book in these politically divisive times. Set in a post-Second Civil War America where the resolution to the war is the creation of death-camps - Harvest Camps -- for unwanted teens. Insane? Farfetched?  So is the possibility of violence -- even calls for a civil war -- if the outcome for the current US presidential election is not to many people's satisfaction.

Young adult books are often politically relevant and young adults understand how their future is at stake whenever political decisions are made.

Learning Connections

 Civics & Politics

• The Hamilton Education Program, Gilder Lehrman Institute of History -- 6th - 12th grade civics curriculum & resources based on Hamilton Musical available for free!
• Community Organizing and Youth Engagement During the Pandemic, Guzman, Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, Tufts University.
• How Schools Can Be More Effective at Growing Young Voters, Education Week

There are also many issues which young adults would find relevant to learn more about -- her are just a few:

• Climate change & pollution
  
• Health & Economic Well-being/Poverty
• Racial Issues
• US Government

Ages: Young adult novel, 355 pages. Three teenagers fight a system that salvages body parts from unwanted teens by unwinding them.

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