UnSouled

December 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-This third installment continues where UnWholly (S & S, 2012) left off. Lev and Connor are on the road again. Their destination is back to Ohio where Sonia, an antiques dealer with an important past, will help them end Unwinding once and for all. After a bizarre car accident involving an ostrich, however, they wind up on a Native American reservation. Here, readers learn a lot more about Lev's past, and Connor meets up with Cam, the one and only Rewind. This volume keeps readers updated on many of the characters from the previous books. Following the different story arcs can be a bit confusing, but they are intriguing enough to propel readers forward. Ultimately, the threads begin to tie together, though a lot is left open for the next book. This novel is not as fast paced as its predecessors, but still it packs a punch and is an excellent addition to the series. Fans will not be disappointed.-Kristyn Dorfman, The Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn, NY

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2013
The third book of Shusterman's best-selling series finds legendary "Akron AWOL" Connor and former tithe Lev making their way across the country to Ohio to find a woman who may be able to help them stop the Unwinding forever. Their journey is first derailed by a car crash, and then Connor gets hijacked along the way by a local yokel in Heartsdale, Kan., who holds him hostage. He escapes, but a second car crash dozens of pages later lands Lev in the infirmary of a Native American reservation. Meanwhile, clappers--human bombs--destroy gyms; Cam, the Rewind, charms a senator's daughter; Risa escapes a band of hungry coyotes; and several other characters from the previous two novels enter and exit the stage. At first, it's hard to tell where Shusterman is leading readers. He spends so much time with side stories that the novel has trouble finding the momentum of the first two. Readers won't really understand the lead plot arc until they're at least halfway through; this installment reads like multiple subplots cobbled together. They do eventually connect, and readers will enjoy the temporary distraction of each one, but they'll still be wanting Shusterman to get the heck on with the story. A meandering, stop-and-start continuation of the Unwind Dystology. (Science fiction. 13 & up)

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March 1, 2014
In this third volume in the "Unwind Dystology" (Unwind, rev. 3/08; UnWholly, rev. 9/12), Risa, Conner, Cam, and Lev are all still adjusting tonot being dead following assassination attempts, the stress of being "unwound," and, in Cam's case, being "rewound." Revolution is brewing, and though the four might like to take deep breaths, hide out, and recover, their personalities don't allow them to be passive while the world so desperately needs changing. It's all heady stuff, and Shusterman effectively balances the big-picture ethical musings with scenes of the teens simply being teens. At this point, three volumes in, the dystopian world is intricately described and developed, and the protagonists' characters, each one flawed but defiant, are well established. New readers would likely find this complex world bewildering, though the series as a whole easily warrants backtracking to figure out what they are missing, and they'll join the ranks waiting for the next installment. april spisak

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2014
Revolution is brewing. Risa, Conner, Cam, and Lev (Unwind; UnWholly) can't stay passive while the world so desperately needs changing. It's all heady stuff, and Shusterman effectively balances the big-picture ethical musings with scenes of the teens simply being teens. New readers would likely find this complex world bewildering, though the series easily warrants backtracking to figure out what they are missing.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)