Undivided

Shusterman's dystopian epic concludes with a multi-front showdown among the forces arrayed for and against "unwinding." Shusterman draws the series' tangled threads into line while deepening his portrayal of a society grown economically, medically, and politically dependent on unwinding. This impressive juggling act is grounded by emotional beats that recall the characters' formative moments. Ambitious, insightful, and devastating--a fitting conclusion to a provocative series.

Shusterman's dystopian epic concludes with an ambitious, multi-front showdown among the complex forces arrayed for and against "unwinding" -- the legal (and lucrative) harvesting of unwanted teens for their body parts. Teen rebels Connor, Risa, and Lev; "rewind" Cam; anti-unwinding terrorist Starkey; various corporate interests; and a few adult allies -- most significantly, one woman with a technological blueprint that could end medicine's dependence on unwinding -- play crucial roles. Shusterman draws the series' tangled threads into line while deepening his intelligent portrayal of a society grown economically, medically, and politically dependent on unwinding. It's an impressive juggling act, grounded by emotional beats that recall the characters' formative moments (Connor's parents, for instance, take on renewed significance). Attention to character detail aside, UnDivided is ultimately about the big picture, taking a large-scale view of the unimaginable losses that any new world order must address and building on the thesis that it takes not one person or group or revelation but multiple forces working in tandem to effect true revolutionary change. Real recent news articles about the present-day scientific and policy realities presaging Shusterman's imagined future punctuate the narrative, adding to the book's discussion points and highlighting its immediacy and relevance. Ambitious, insightful, and devastating -- a fitting conclusion to a provocative series. claire e. gross