Unwind (novel)

Unwind is a dystopian novel by Neal Shusterman. Unwind takes place in a future version of the United States. After the Second Civil War ("The Heartland War") was fought over abortion, a compromise was reached, "The Bill of Life", a set of constitutional amendments allowing parents to sign an order for their children between the ages of 13 and 18 to be "unwound" — often taken to "harvest camps". The child's body would be dismembered and used as surgical or cosmetic transplants, essentially making conventional surgery redundant. The reasoning is that since 99.44% of the child's body is used, Unwinds do not technically die because their individual body parts live on. Unwind was met with positive reception upon release, with praise focusing on the novel's immersive environment and sociological implications. A film adaptation of Unwind was in production, but Shusterman announced in January 2020 that a television series would be developed instead. A second novel titled UnWholly was released in August 2012, a third titled UnSouled in December 2013, and a fourth titled UnDivided in October 2014. A novella, UnStrung, was also published. UnBound is the most recent addition to the Unwind series and was written by Neal Shusterman, Michelle Knowlden, Jarrod Shusterman, Terry Black, and Brendan Shusterman. It was published December 15, 2015, by Simon & Schuster and is a collection of novellas that explore the secrets and lost stories of the Unwind world.