Undivided by Neal Shusterman Series: Unwind Dystology #4
Also in this series: UnWholly
Published by Simon and Schuster on 10/14/2014
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult
Pages: 372
Source: Purchased
My content rating: YA (Nothing more than kissing, Some violence)
My rating:
Teens control the fate of America in the fourth and final book in the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology by Neal Shusterman.
Proactive Citizenry, the company that created Cam from the parts of unwound teens, has a plan: to mass produce rewound teens like Cam for military purposes. And below the surface of that horror lies another shocking level of intrigue: Proactive Citizenry has been suppressing technology that could make unwinding completely unnecessary. As Conner, Risa, and Lev uncover these startling secrets, enraged teens begin to march on Washington to demand justice and a better future.
But more trouble is brewing. Starkey’s group of storked teens is growing more powerful and militant with each new recruit. And if they have their way, they’ll burn the harvest camps to the ground and put every adult in them before a firing squad—which could destroy any chance America has for a peaceful future.
Those of you who follow my blog regularly know I have a BIG problem with finishing series – especially series I love! Well, I’m proud to say that I finally did it! I finished Undivided by Neal Shusterman, the final book in the Unwind series (well, kind of – there’s a book of short stories coming out in December). I was very scared to see this amazing series end, so I was thrilled that the final book lived up to my (very high) expectations. I seriously think that Shusterman is a genius!
What fed my addiction:
- Heart-stopping moments. There were some truly climactic scenes in this book that had me breathless. Shusterman puts our beloved characters through A LOT in this book, but everything that they go through brings them a deeper understanding of themselves and ultimately makes them stronger. The result is a beautiful conclusion to the series that leads us to a message of hope springing from the ashes of pain!
- Family and forgiveness. We finally get to see at least one of our main characters come together with their family after being sent for unwinding. I love that that the reunion is hopeful but not unrealistically joyful. We are left with a sense that change has been happening not just on a global level but in individual hearts as well.
- Social change. This book was all about how social change really comes about – how all of the interwoven stories came together and made the climate for change just right. I loved this because it’s so true – one action or incident by itself can’t necessarily change the world, but a series of events can create that perfect storm, and you never know how your one contribution might fit into that greater whole.
What left me wanting more:
- I’ve got nothing. At least nothing of note. I don’t know what else Shusterman could have done to bring us a poignant and satisfying conclusion to the series.
So, I’m happy to say that after reading the final book, this series remains an All-Time Favorite. If you are at all a fan of dystopians or appreciate books that make you think about society and the human tendency to turn a blind eye to truth in the face of uncertainty or difficulty, you need to read this series. It asks so many questions about how much people will accept simply because society tells them their actions are acceptable. I give this final book 5/5 stars.
About the Author
Award-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 played in several major cities. 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 developing an original TV series with his son, Jarrod, and adapting Tesla’s Attic with co-writer Eric Elfman for TV as well.
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.
Author Links:
Related Posts
17 responses to “I FINALLY read Undivided by Neal Shusterman!!”
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Awesome review! OK glad to know the series end awesomely. I gotta move on to reading book 3 soon 🙂
Yes! Keep going! Don’t be like me and wait too long to finish the series!
Great review. I have a boxed set of this series. It’s been sitting on my TBR shelf since May. I really need to read it because it looks awesome.
Well, I’m glad you own it – that’s a great step one! 🙂 Now don’t be like me and read most of the books and wait for the rest!!
YAYY! First of all, great job finishing 😀 And I am so, so glad you loved it! I thought it was fabulous too- and I kind of cannot WAIT for UnBound. And the movie!
The MOVIE!! I’ve been so excited about it. This seems like the type of series that could translate beautifully into movies. Hopefully they do it justice!
I loved this series also! I had not heard there was going to be another book called UnBound. I am definately looking forward to that. Also looking forward to the movie. I read it might come out in April of 2016. I was fortunate enought to meet Neal Shusterman at a book signing. He is very interesting. It is always fun to meet authors & hear about their writing processes.
I know! I can’t wait for the movie OR for the book of short stories!!
YES! Love this series. I liked Everlost, but wasn’t particularly blown away, but the Unwound dystology and Challenger Deep have definitely moved Shusterman into my must-read category. Such an awesome blend of thought-provoking themes with gripping plot and fascinating characters.
I agree about Everlost. That series just didn’t grab me the way the Unwind Series (and Challenger Deep) did.
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS! I loved this series as well!!! So much 🙂
Yay!! I always love to find other fans of this series!!!
I soooooo need to read the rest of this series. I love Unwind so why haven’t I gotten to it yet?
I do that with some series too. This one is particularly hard because things were wrapped up nicely in Unwind, so you don’t have to immediately move on to the next book.
Yay! So glad you finished and you loved it. 🙂 I said this in a comment on another post, but I’m totally spending my next Audible credit on the 3rd book in the series. I really loved the audiobook of the 2nd, and I’ve had some duds lately. I’m sure continuing with this series is a good idea.
Yes! You need some good to balance the duds!
Oh wow, this must be an all time favourite if there is not a single negative thing you can say about it at all! I am glad you were able to finish the series and that it managed to captivate you so much. I have heard of the series and even have the first book on my TBR. I have heard that the creepiness factor is at its highest here.