UnDivided by Neal Shusterman young adult science fiction audiobook reviewsUnDivided by Neal Shusterman young adult science fiction audiobook reviewsUnDivided by Neal Shusterman

With UnDivided (2014), Neal Shusterman rewards fans of his UNWIND DYSTOLOGY with a thrilling and satisfying finale. Readers will need to read the first three novels, (Unwind, UnWholly, and UnSouled) first.

The story picks up where UnSouled left off. Our heroes, Connor, Risa, Lev, Grace, and Cam are desperately trying to fight a batch of newly proposed legislation which gives the government even more power to unwind troublesome teens, even without parental permission. They hope to do this by showing the public that the industry is unethical and that it has suppressed knowledge of a technology that could print new organs and make unwinding unnecessary.

Their efforts are thwarted by the actions of Starkey and his storks, who are terrorizing the populace with their brutal tactics and, thereby, engendering public support for the new laws. And, of course, they are still dealing with the loathsome parts pirates who are hunting them.

UnDivided is unpredictable and exciting all the way through, with numerous twists and turns, though some require a willingness to suspend disbelief for just a bit. There are some deaths that feel tragic and some that feel triumphant. There is justice for some of the bad guys, and redemption for others. There is a satisfying closure to the various dangling plot threads and the ending is a real tearjerker.

The UNWIND DYSTOLOGY by Neal Shusterman science fiction audiobook reviews young adultThroughout this series I’ve appreciated the focus on the ethical problem of unwinding and its consequences for society. As I said in my review of UnSouled, I was looking forward to seeing how our heroes would persuade people to abandon the practice. I wasn’t totally satisfied with this aspect of UnDivided – it seemed too quick – but perhaps that’s because we don’t get to see individual citizens wrestling with their own beliefs over time. It would have been more fulfilling if Shusterman had included the perspective of, for example, Connor’s mother throughout the novels.

Luke Daniels performs the audiobook editions of the UNWIND DYSTOLOGY (Audible Studios). I enjoyed listening to it with my daughter.

Fans will want to know that an UNWIND short story collection called UnBound (2015) is also available.

Published in 2014. 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.

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  • Kat Hooper

    KAT HOOPER, who started this site in June 2007, earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience and psychology at Indiana University (Bloomington) and now teaches and conducts brain research at the University of North Florida. When she reads fiction, she wants to encounter new ideas and lots of imagination. She wants to view the world in a different way. She wants to have her mind blown. She loves beautiful language and has no patience for dull prose, vapid romance, or cheesy dialogue. She prefers complex characterization, intriguing plots, and plenty of action. Favorite authors are Jack Vance, Robin Hobb, Kage Baker, William Gibson, Gene Wolfe, Richard Matheson, and C.S. Lewis.

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