Amazon.com: Customer reviews: UnWholly (Unwind Dystology Book 2)

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Shusterman does an excellent job fleshing out his world and creating a much ...

Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2017

I think everyone should read this series. This isn't the first book and you definitely need to check that one out first, but I think this is a series that pays off to finish. Shusterman does an excellent job fleshing out his world and creating a much bigger picture than what was shown in the first book. He doesn't play into tired tropes and he proves to be extremely knowledgeable in social issues and the United States in general. He does a beautiful job at pointing and directing the reader to issues that are present in today's world without answering them- which I love. He assumes the reader is smart and can make their own conclusions - take some of Cam's analogies Shusterman assumes that we will be able to follow his line of thinking - which most people can and I love this. It shows such an awareness of the world and of readers in general. This series will alway have a place in my heart and I will always recommend people read this series!

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Kindle Customer

So many new unlikable characters - hard to read

Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2013

** spoiler alert **

While this book closed strong and opened with a scary look at the mindset and propaganda surrounding unwinding, there were so many unlikable characters that made it hard to get into this book.

The book opens with Connor running the Graveyard with Risa and Hayden still there as well. Lev finally has some happiness living with the one brother that didn't act like a total jerk in the last book, the only brother who found the idea of tithing a child creepy. Of course none of this lasts.

Lev's contentment is shattered, and the rest of his worthless family turns their backs on him. He ends up at a safe house of sorts for saved tithes, in a god-like position that he is very uncomfortable with. He also meets one of the horrid characters, Miracolina and seems to feel like it's his mission to save her.

Miracolina is a self-righteous tithe that continues through the book to not believe that there is anything wrong with sacrificing children. Her holier-than thou judgmental attitude was like nails on chalk board.

Starkey was a stork set to be unwound who uses extreme violence to not only escape but to wreck havoc in and around the Graveyard eventually bringing it down. Then he lives in what seems like an impossible manner - really don't want to hear more about him.

The creepiest is Cam the rewound boy. At first I felt sorry for him, but his arrogance and the stalker y manner that he goes after Risa are disgusting.

Had the next book in the series been the last, I would have bought it and started already, but it looks like it's not, and I don't think I can bear these new characters much more.

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Anna

Shusterman does an excellent job fleshing out his world and creating a much ...

Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2017

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Clive

The second is better than the first

Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2020

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I love post-apocalyptic fiction. Even better, the same world with one historical change. This second book in the series adds new depth to the group and introduces some fun new twists and characters to the series. It was a page turner from the start and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and have since purchased the rest of the books as I have to see where this ends up going.
My only complaint which is very minor is the improper reference to clips when clearly referring to magazines. I know the colloquial language of the modern world may interchange them but it isn't correct. If thats all I have to say agasint this book then you should know how much I enjoyed it.

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HoustonMom

A Good Follow-up for Unwind

Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2016

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I have recently become a fan of dystology. After reading The Uglies series I needed something to fill the void. Unwind, so far, has been it. I will admit I did not love the beginning of the book. There are a lot of characters and I couldn't always remember all the details. I felt like I needed a score card and did go back to the first book to see what they were talking about since we are very, very briefly given an incident in the first book that we are given more information about in this book. So, I found the first 100 pages or so (I have the Kindle version so not real sure) not all that exciting.

That said, as I read further, the book took on a new life of it's own with character surprises and details that were introduced and then explained later. I like surprises when I read and this book had a number of them.

There were things in the book I didn't care for. The writing itself was sometimes briefly annoying. I also didn't like the character of Starkey. Other brief parts just didn't seem to make sense. Those parts may be cleared up in the next book.

Alll in all, I really enjoyed this book. I finished it last night and have already downloaded the next book in the series. If you liked Unwind, I think you should read this one!

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Crazy Follow-Up!

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2013

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The Akron AWOL is infamous. The other whollies worship him and the Unwind Culture despises everything he stands for. But behind the moniker is Connor. Connor is just a boy who made it to 17 and can't be unwound, but the weight of the world rests on his shoulders in Unwholly, the second Unwind book by Neal Shusterman.

Connor is in charge of the entire plane Graveyard. He has hidden over 800 AWOLs there, but the fact that missing kids slated for unwinding are hiding there is no secret. He isn't sure why the authorities haven't come to get them yet, but he takes each and every day as a gift. While he and Risa can't be unwound anymore, there are a lot of kids whose lives are in his hands. He can barely feed the kids he has, but that doesn't stop them from the constant rescue missions to save more. Of course, not every kid is as grateful as they should be, and some, like Starkey, have only their interests in mind. When a bunch of kids are barely holding it together in the face of imminent unwinding, all it takes is one very smart, very devious rabble rouser.

Meanwhile, Camus Comprix tries to find his way in a world where he shouldn't exist. The product of dozens of unwound kids, he is made of the parts of others. He was created, not born. When he struggles to find his way in the world with so many conflicting thoughts and memories swirling around his head, his handler feels a companion will keep him on the right track as the most revolutionary advance for humans in their existence. The only problem is the girl Cam wants is an unwilling participant in the experiment. When Risa is captured and blackmailed into joining Cam, she is forced to support the Unwinding movement, the single thing she hates the most. While everyone at the Graveyard thinks she has betrayed them, Risa is trying everything to hold them together. For a group of kids who no one cares if they exist or not, the responsibility sitting on their shoulders is overwhelming.

This was such an interesting follow up to Unwind for a number of reasons. First, it was a book that came out after a significant hiatus. Shusterman took a while to get this book together, so if you followed the series from its inception, you needed a refresher at the beginning of this sequel before you started the new story. But who wants to read an info dump or a recap? So Shusterman created a really ingenious "index" that catches you up quickly and efficiently at the beginning of the story so you know where you are without some silly recap. I also really liked how he balanced the story between the main characters from the last book, Lev, Connor, and Risa, and the new characters Starkey, Cam and Miracolina. The addition of the focus on new characters made it more interesting while still keeping me connected to the previous book.

On a whole, this is one of the creepiest premises I have ever read. I mean, seriously, unwinding kids?? People fighting to preserve the unwinding? The public service notices to convince people what a wonderful solution to abortion? CRAZY! But a brilliant fictional examination of just how far people can go and how blinded they can be in the face of fear and propaganda. It is the kind of series that can be related to everything from the Holocaust to the battle over same sex marriage or abortion. I love a book that is going to elicit passionate discussions from my students, and unwinding is definitely one that will get them fired up. But in addition to the infinite discussions, you will get wrapped up in a really crazy, really interesting story. Shusterman always does that to me!

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Kindle Customer

So many new unlikable characters - hard to read

Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2013

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Kelli Nash

I can't say enough good things about this series

Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2013

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Few authors can reduce me to giddy fan-girl type reactions like Neal Shusterman can. He continually surprises me and his writing consistently exceeds my expectations. I really didn't think I could love UnWholly as much as I did. I think Unwind was still my favorite between the two books, just because of the raw shock of the concept's uniqueness, but it's a very close call for me.

Let's start at the beginning. The cover of UnWholly is pretty freaky. When I first saw it, I thought that the guy's face looked like patchwork. Like he was pieced together, and his skin was not his own. Oh, how right I was...but in a way I never expected. The guy on the cover is Cam, and he is a new addition to the cast of characters. At first, I wanted to hate him, and I really thought I would, but I ended up really caring about him and feeling a lot of emotions for him. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Cam does in book three.

Another new character was Miracolina. She is a tithe, like Lev was, except she wants to be tithed. She wants nothing more than to be unwound: she thinks it is her gift to God and the universe. Miracolina seemed to be a flat character at first, until she started to grow and change. I loved seeing that transformation in her.

And, then we got to catch back up with the characters in book one. I loved getting to know Connor, Risa and Lev even better than before. I especially loved Lev's story. He really turned out to be a different character than what I thought him to be in Unwind.

I really can't say enough good things about this series. Shusterman's plot is masterful. His pacing is spot-on...the alternating points of view in each chapter really serve to keep the story moving quickly. The characters are so well-developed, and the world-building was just right. If you haven't picked up Unwind, don't wait! It's exceptional!

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WeLoveOllie

A wonderful follow-up to an incredible book

Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2012

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So I have to admit that reviewing Unwholly feels nearly impossible in some ways...so much happens and from so many perspectives, that putting it all together in a review feels impossible, not to mention I don't want to inadvertently insert any spoilers! Reviews of this book are probably better left to the extremely talented reviewers on here, rather than my very amateur self haha, so that being said, I will just give a brief review of how I felt about this book and what I loved about it :).

Unwholly continues the story of Unwind and with an additional cast of characters who weren't present in the first book. Some of these new characters are VERY unlikable and they are so well written that I genuinely felt angry with them. It was difficult to read from the bad guy's point of view (it would have been like having Roland's point of view in Unwind) and it can make for a difficult read, but it also provides a great deal of insight into the manipulation and destruction these psychos are capable of. And of course, we read from Lev's, Risa's and Connor's viewpoints again as well. I feel the frequent changing of viewpoints with such a large cast of characters both worked for this book and didn't...it built up the suspense and gave me a better understanding of the motivations of different types of people, but at times I felt a bit bored or felt like I just wanted to get back to Connor, Risa or Lev. What I loved about the character development in this book is that I feel like I truly got to know these characters so much better than I did in book 1, particularly Lev. Even by the end of Unwind, I didn't have strong feelings one way or the other toward Lev, but he is quickly becoming perhaps my favorite character in this series - there is something so endearing about him!

While I don't want to give anything away, this book also reveals MANY of the motivations and reasoning behind things you may have wondered in the first book (such as why they allow the Graveyard to exist) and it's explained in such a way that it easy to understand and believable.

One of my favorite little extras in this book was all of the little advertisements and news articles peppered throughout. The articles were in fact the most disturbing aspect to me in some ways, as they were real articles - I clicked on the links and it took me to the original articles - which really made me see how our World could get from here to there...talk about terrifying!

I also love that the author didn't feel the need to have some absolutely ridiculous cliffhanger. He clearly understands that he can end with some semblance of closure, even if there are some open-ended aspects and people will still buy the next book. Many authors don't seem to get this and it makes me mad :P!

I have to say that overall this is one of my favorite middle books I've ever read in a trilogy - it definitely didn't suffer from the typical scenario of the middle book being the weakest link. I didn't go in with very high expectations, because I thought that there was no way any follow-up could live up to the original and I didn't want to be disappointed. I realized by the end that I had nothing to worry about, because this book is incredible and on par with the original. I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait for the final installment!!

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The Flashlight Reader

Better than UNWIND!

Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2012

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One word: UNCATEGORIZABLE! This series is intense and amazing.

Many authors find themselves facing "sophomore slump" when they write the second book in a series, but not Neil Shusterman! In fact, Unwholly is probably better than Unwind--and I didn't think that would be possible. Aside from the fact that these books are so unique, the author does an amazing job creating his characters.

In Unwind, I found myself fully invested in Lev, Risa, and Connor. As Unwholly began to unfold, I was equally engrossed in their stories. But there were new characters introduced in Unwholly that really made this book! The one that stood out the most was Starkey. OMG. He is the ultimate antagonist. In fact, I found myself so disgusted with his character and his selfish motives, that I had a hard time reading Unwholly. I would get angry as I read and had to put the book down to cool off. That is powerful writing! For an author to create a villain that is so vile he makes me angry and bitter... wow. Starkey felt real. And I'm not saying that in some super bookish nerdy way either. All of the characters in this book were phenomenal.

Oh, did I mention there is also a modern Frankenstein element going on too? Yep. If you couldn't tell, the guy on the cover is Cam--a boy created completely from the parts of unwinds. Every piece of his patchwork self was sculpted from living flesh of unwanted children. Creeptastic!

Enough about the amazing characters... the plot(s) need some attention as well. First off, when you look at this book it appears to be one large dystopian plot. But it is SO much more. Each character has his/her own story that is told individually through alternating points of view. Every single character! You would think that would make this a choppy read, but it flows seamlessly (no pun intended, Cam). Ultimately, all the individual plots merge into an action-packed climax that leaves you cursing some characters and aching for others. Stunning! It was flawless.

Above all of these incredible in their own right elements, the most amazing aspect of this book is the deep philosophical level that it brings. Ever since I read Unwind, I said this series needs to be discussed aloud. I still hold to that claim. In fact, I told my teacher friend that she needs to read this series to her 8th grade class (so I bought her a copy). Of course, I said to set the stage she had to build the background knowledge that the entire series centers around: who has the right to play God.

If you don't know the basis of Unwind, it's rather complicated. In a nutshell, however, it goes something like this: America could not come to an agreement over the Pro-choice and Pro-life debate, which led to the second Civil War. In an effort to reach an agreement, the government made a suggestion they thought would be so ridiculous that both sides would stop arguing. That didn't happen though. Instead, both sides agreed to the terms and "unwinding" was born. Pro-life wins out from conception to age 13. From the 13th birthday until the 18th birthday, parents can choose to "unwind" their children (hello, Pro-choice) as long as Science uses every single part of the body. Can we say disturbing?

Keep all that in mind, and add in a character that is entirely created from the parts of unwinds in Unwholly. Now you have the philosophical elements because Cam questions the idea of having a soul. That was some seriously deep stuff in a YA novel! I loved it. Then there is Miracelina. She's Catholic and wants to be unwound. Based on her religious beliefs and her decision to basically volunteer for suicide, another brilliant conversation about one's soul emerged. I'm telling you, this book is brilliant and so is Neil Shusterman!

This is not a light-hearted YA dystopian. It is also not a story laden with teenage romance. If you want a feel-good story that leaves you smiling, you should also probably look elsewhere. But if you want a story that will have you questioning society's values and human nature, then you should definitely read Unwholly!

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Ashley @ Caught Reading Redheaded

A great sequel to an AMAZING book!

Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2013

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Ok, first off, if you haven't read Unwind yet. DO IT. It is one of the most griping books I have ever read.
That being said, this sequel is really, really good as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this one also.
The plot continues where the first left off. We see the consequences of the events in the previous and find out where the characters are because of them. I think one of the reasons these books are just so good is that they take place in "our world." The country is the same, but because a war was fought over abortion, you can unwind kids. This dystopia works because so little is changed from our belief systems now that it makes these books believable. It's something I could see happening, and that is what makes the books terrifying to me.

This book adds more characters and their stories to the picture. I can't say I like them all, because I don't. I don't think we are suppose to. We see what making a group of people "second class" can do. Each new character puts a different view and spin on how we see the belief of "unwinding."
We still get to see Lev, Conner, and Risa though, so don't worry!

Throughout the book the tension only adds. The situations the characters are in become more complex. There is a certain amount of growth in everyone of them.

We find out more of the history that lead the country and the world to where it is. We also see more of how people has changed, and how the idea of how "Americans expect things" comes into play in this new world. What is sad to me, is that if this did happen to the country we live in, I could see people I know behaving this way.

Will I read the next one? HECK YES! I love this series. I find it mind blowing and surreal. I would recommend this series to anyone. It is written beautifully and is an amazing story.

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B. J. Neary

Unwholly by Neal Shusterman

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2013

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The 2nd book in the Unwind series had me enthralled. The chapters alternate between the characters from the original Unwind and also new characters. I liked seeing the progression of Connor's character as he struggles to do right by all the kids he is responsible for in the camp. Lev was surprisingly strong despite losing so many he loved as a result of being a clapper. He doesn't want the spotlight but the kids adore him; when Marcolina (who is pledged to be a tithe) resists any kind of happiness; it is her escape with Lev that provides scary drama with a parts pirate (up to no good)trailing them. I liked the character, Camus Comprix (Cam for short)who was creepily created from all different kinds/parts of kids. He is an experiment but he has feelings from all the different kids whose parts made him whole. His creator, Roberta, forces Risa to sign an agreement that will really cause her such chaos about unwinding. Truly evil Starkey, Nelson, and Roberta added to the suspense the kids and main characters were experiencing on a daily basis.
The one hilarious scene where I laughed out loud was as Lev and Marcolina are hiding and running to alert Connor that Nelson is after him. They are stowed away in a hold of a bus with the passengers luggage and bags. Lev realizes he has to go to urinate and what he goes through is hilarious. I appreciated a laugh with all the complex
action building and building. I can't wait for the next book, UnSouled (Unwind, #3) !

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