UnWholly by Neal Shusterman (review by Catherine H. '17)

UnWholly by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Connor is now known as E. Robert Mullard and has to run the Graveyard, a haven for AWOL Unwinds. He has less and less time for Risa, and the mysterious company, Proactive Citizenry, eventually takes her away. There, she meets Camus Comprix, a perfect person made entirely from Unwinds, who is struggling to come to terms with what he is. On the other hand, Lev has recovered from his trauma and is now helping to rescue tithes. Neal Shusterman has developed each character in a unique fashion, crafting the story to fit the world he has created. The second installment of the Unwind Dystology, I highly recommend UnWholly to anyone who enjoyed Unwind or likes dystopian novels. – Catherine H. ‘17

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Everwild by Neal Shusterman (review by Andrew R. '17)

Everwild by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Two near-legendary creatures are raising armies in preparation for their final confrontation, two feared individuals who have risen high in the ranks of the phantom-world known as Everlost. The Sky Witch patrols the clouds in the ghost of a monstrous zeppelin, searching for children to entrap and recruit to her troops, while her nemesis the Chocolate Ogre works to free all the spirits of Everlost by sending them into the final peace of death. The title of the second book in the Skinjacker trilogy is accurate in more ways than one: not only does Shusterman introduce the impassible wilderness of Everwild, he also picks up the pace of the plot. His fantasy realm followed strict rules in the first installment of the trilogy, but in Everwild the world is revealed to be a chaotic whirlwind of ghosts and monsters. This chaos, however, is exciting, suspenseful, and not unbearably confusing. The only difficult part about reading this novel is that the reader must choose a side in the imminent battle—so, to anyone who plans to plunge into this hectic fantasy world: beware, for each side is deeply, terribly flawed. – Andrew R. ‘17

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Everlost by Neal Shusterman (review by Kai A. '17)

Everlost by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Those who don't reach the light at the end of the tunnel wind up in the world between the living and dead: Everlost. Though it is possible to join the light, Mary Hightower wants everybody, living or half-dead, to spend eternity in Everlost, forever repeating the same actions, and she will destroy all of the living to accomplish this. It is up to a group of friends to save both worlds. Their amazing talents display Shusterman's ingenuity and creativity, but they also intrigue the reader, encouraging them to ponder what comes after life. Shusterman incorporates common superstition with the phenomena of his world to introduce interactions between the world of the living and dead, the concepts which make this first in a trilogy so interesting. Additionally, the characters have a deep, unique personalities that, combined, drive the plot to its satisfying conclusion. All readers, from the philosophical to the adventurous, will be drawn into this stunning tale of determination, sacrifice, wit, love, and deception. – Kai A. ‘17

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Unwind by Neal Shusterman (review by Nikita R. '16)

Unwind by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Imagine a world where teenagers are at a constant risk to be “unwound,” or have their body parts harvested to be donated later, by their parents. This sociological dystopia can be viewed in Neal Shusterman’s novel Unwind, a must-read. Poignant and illustrative, the story not only fully draws the readers into a grippingly heart-rending world but also raises questions about many current societal controversies, for instance abortion. Told from the viewpoints of three different desperate teenagers, Unwind is an engaging tale about a fight to survive while questioning existence itself. The first book in the Unwind Trilogy, Unwind is especially recommended for readers who appreciate powerful, complex characters, but will be relished by people of any age. - Nikita R. '16

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