Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Amazon link

This futuristic dystopian novel takes place in America after the 2nd Civil War. Abortion is no longer allowed after conception, but between the ages of 13-18, a parent can choose to have a child "unwound." Children are not technically killed this way, as all of their organs and body parts are given to other recipients. Three kids, Connor, Risa, and Lev, are all  scheduled to be unwound and run away before they are collected. They spend most of the book on the run and in the process save a baby and are swept into a sort of underground railroad for unwinds. They finally stay in a warehouse run by a former admiral, who shuttles them to an aircraft graveyard where they hope to stay until after they turn 18 and can no longer be unwound. When the admiral has a heart attack, Connor and Risa fly him to a hospital and are caught and are sent to a harvest camp. Liv joins them at the camp, and arranges for the unwinding facility to be blown up. Connor is injured in the blast, and unknowingly receives body parts from other kids at the hospital. Risa is also injured, and refuses body parts from unwinds, and thus ends up disabled and unable to still be unwound. Afterwards, Risa and Connor return to the graveyard and Connor becomes the new admiral. 

Grades 7 and up.


Shusterman, N. (2007). Unwind. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.  

Unwind short film 

Lesson plan