Eric Stone
A masterclass in the Believable Impossible.
Unwind is one of the very few series I have reread independently of a new release. While it enjoys a high rating online, I still feel it’s criminally underrated for the sheer technical skill Neal Shusterman brings to the table.
Why this is a 5-star entry:
- The No-Slog First Entry: I never have to tell people, “Just get through the first book, it gets better.” Shusterman has a rare knack for the solid first entry (similar to Scythe). The world-building is immediate, immersive, and doesn't require the reader to do homework to understand the stakes.
- Believable Characters: These kids feel like kids. They aren't chosen ones with superpowers; they are terrified teenagers facing an impossible future in a way that feels grounded and realistic.
- The Speculative Extreme: There is nothing better than a book that takes a sliver of our current societal tensions, pushes it to an extreme, and then treats that premise with deathly seriousness. The post-civil war societal change depicted here is a logical progression of real-life conflict.
If you want speculative fiction that respects your intelligence and maintains its narrative integrity through the entire series, this is the one I constantly recommend.
A masterclass in the Believable Impossible.
Unwind is one of the very few series I have reread independently of a new release. While it enjoys a high rating online, I still feel it’s criminally underrated for the sheer technical skill Neal Shusterman brings to the table.
Why this is a 5-star entry:
- The No-Slog First Entry: I never have to tell people, “Just get through the first book, it gets better.” Shusterman has a rare knack for the solid first entry (similar to Scythe). The world-building is immediate, immersive, and doesn't require the reader to do homework to understand the stakes.
- Believable Characters: These kids feel like kids. They aren't chosen ones with superpowers; they are terrified teenagers facing an impossible future in a way that feels grounded and realistic.
- The Speculative Extreme: There is nothing better than a book that takes a sliver of our current societal tensions, pushes it to an extreme, and then treats that premise with deathly seriousness. The post-civil war societal change depicted here is a logical progression of real-life conflict.
If you want speculative fiction that respects your intelligence and maintains its narrative integrity through the entire series, this is the one I constantly recommend.