Say It With A Book #9 | UNWIND by Neal Shusterman

With Guest Blogger | Dr. Rehana V. Pallingayan, M.D.

  

There are stories which can scare the shits out of little kids when the lights are turned off but only effective for a few years because they realize these are not real when they reach their teens. There are lesser stories that can scare a teenager but its effects are more brutal, the scars won't go away even when they crossed their 20th year of life, even if they are in their deathbeds at age 80. Unwind is one such story that could scare these teens, not just because of the act itself but because it roots in their inner fear of being unwanted. As an adult reading this, I have but one fear that fiction may become real. The line is thin, so thin that a Heartland war may just be in its way.

My job makes me witness the effects of transplantation. We have good success rates when it comes to Corneal transplants and Kidney transplants. We also had successful liver and intestine transplants. We had dealt with heart transplants and lung transplants in the past. You see the effects of a second chance to these people- they try to live their lives fuller; that little kid could now dream for his future; a parent's wish could come true; and a wife is ensured of not being a widow. There is this satisfaction when one says the phrase- "A life well spent". But the other side of the story is as real as these stories of hope. The queue on the triage of who gets a kidney first is long and every day the end just gets farther. We do have a national organ donation program focused not only in the aim of delivering organs to these transplant patients but also in caring for the donors, making sure they are not victims of organ trafficking and that they are well aware that even if they still have a kidney, their lives have changed, same way that one can learn to ride a unicycle after learning to use a bicycle. A bicycle will always be stable.

What I loved about this book is the strength of its character development, these teens presenting their own stories merging into one central plot- the right to exist, to experience firsthand on how it is to live. You are drawn in their sadness, frustrate about what is lacking and cheer them further to reach greatness. The books also let you go back to the basic morals you carry within or without the topic of one's religious doctrines. Even minor characters have served their purpose, may it be the dead ones or a portion of their brain. As a young adult book, I hope the teenager gets the point of how stupid and at the same time beautiful it is to be an adult. I hope they understand how one's choices could shape the world, that it is easy to commit mistakes and harder to swallow its repercussions. But hopefully the message the kid gets is this- it is always the better option to choose life. 

Transplantation is not a bad thing. Organ trafficking however is a different structure. The concept of unwinding is the most ridiculous type of organ trafficking that I hope will never come to existence. It is not the question of a soul, a religious belief or a scientific know-how but of one's integrity as a human. We are allowed to save lives but never to be above anything to be allowed to take another's life.

Book details:

Title:  Unwind

Author:  Neal Shusterman

Publication:  June 2nd 2009; Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 

Genre:  YA, Sci-fi

Rating:  ★★★★★

About Ranee:

  Ranee is TFG's in-house surgeon, probably one of the wittiest and sweetest doctors you'll get to meet She is very keen on volunteering in numerous medical missions nationwide.  When I asked Ranee's permission to feature one of her reviews here, I told her I was desperate. I was, really. I have it in mind to introduce her here for a long time now, and I am really glad that she finally agreed this time. 

Friends, “the Doctor is IN.”

TPW:  What is your favorite genre?

Ranee:  No particular favorite, I do not know if I do have a favorite genre but most likely it would be lit-fic. 

TPW:  How would you define yourself as a reader?

Ranee:  Definitely a moody one, oh wait a sniffer! Yes, definitely a sniffer, I smell books before I read or buy them.  

But really, it is my book collection that dictates. After finishing one book, I stare at my book case and just like in a trance, I seem to hear one book trying to catch my attention telling me to read it, so I do read it. Well it does help that I am a book hoarder so I have a vast collection of (unread) books waiting for my attention.

TPW:  Thank you very much, Ranee, for sharing this review. This won't be the last, I hope!

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ANTSY DOES TIME by Neal Shusterman

Antsy, The Family Guy

Looking at the story from a vantage point, it is a series of tragedies with slices of sweetmeat in between.  Like I said in my previous post, this book is all heart.  Once more, Shusterman managed to punch in real-life situations, and readers may find some that hits closer to home.

The story started with a tragic accident when it was supposed to be a day of parade and fun.  Among the onlookers were Antsy Bonano and his friends. They were teenagers out there for curiosity’s sake, but not Gunnar Ümlaut, one of Antsy’s classmates.  Gunner was out there to watch death.

Gunnar confides to Antsy that he has only six months to live, due to Pulmonary Monoxic Systemia (PMS).  Antsy doesn’t know how to handle this kind of information. The good in him wants to do something for Gunnar.  It just seemed unfair that death would come after someone so young.  It was Monday, at the Ümlaut’s backyard, that Antsy tore a page of his notebook, signing up a month of his life for Gunnar. Yes, that’s how noble our hero is.

The following days, the news traveled like a wildfire in school; it seems everyone wants to sign up months of their lives for Gunnar too. From here on, some things will get better, and some things will get worse. Antsy and Gunnar realized that things are not exactly how they're supposed to be, and mistakes have their consequences.

I always hear people talk about 'dysfunctional families.' It annoys me, because it makes you think that somewhere there's this magical family where everyone gets along, and no one ever screams things they don't mean, and there's never a time when sharp objects should be hidden.

As much as Shusterman made great efforts to make this book really light and fun to read, I can't help but feel sad due to the tragedies that may strike families. Situations were so life-like; I came close to crying at times.

The best you can really hope for is a family where everyone's problems, big and small, work together. Kind of like an orchestra where every instrument is out of tune, in exactly the same way, so you don't really notice.

Again, my love for Antsy went deeper as I get to know him better. I hope to find his next book soon.  I hope you find copies of his books too, I do recommend them strongly.

-that's when I realized that prayer isn't for God. After all, He doesn't need it. He's out there, or in there, or sitting up there in His firmament, whatever that is, all-knowing and all-powerful, right? He doesn't need us repeating words week after week in His face. If He's there, sure, I'll bet He's listening, but it doesn't change Him, one way or the other.  

Instead, we're the ones who are changed by it.  

I don't know whether I was just delirious from lack of sleep...but if it is true, what an amazing gift it is!

Book details:
Title: Antsy DoesTime
Author: Neal Shusterman
Publication: September 18, 2008
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Rating: ★★★★

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THE SCHWA WAS HERE by Neal Shusterman

A Good Lad, That Antsy.

This story is not an average case of Athazagoraphobia. Calvin Schwa is functionally invisible. He has to speak up before one can actually notice him standing inches from them. Get distracted for a minute or so, you’ll forget that he even exists. The Schwa Effect. That’s what they called it. Sometimes even his own father would forget to set a plate for him during dinner. It was really sad, and amazing at the same time. How can someone be cured of that?

Antsy Bonano had the greatest idea to put The Schwa effect to good use. But the idea turned on them and bit them on the ass. Apparently, some people are immune to The Schwa Effect, like the grouchy Mr. Crawley. Soon enough they are walking his dogs, all 14 of them.

I completely fell for Ansty after reading this. He is funny, witty, and really grounded. I like how he loves his family. They are not the quiet kind, but they sure are the loving kind.

Life is like a bad haircut. At first, it looks awful, then you kind of get used to it, and before you know it, it grows out and you gotta get another haircut that maybe won't be so bad unless of course, you keep going to SuperClips, where the hairstylists are so terrible they oughta be using safety scissors, and when they're done you look like your head got caught in a ceiling fan. So life goes on, good haircut, bad haircut until finally, you go bald, and it doesn't matter no more.

Neal Shusterman highlighted some relevant family issues. Some were presented lightheartedly, some were miserably inescapable. Some issues can make you think about how to treat others, how our choices may affect others, and some choices may simply define who we want to be. Great read. I simply wish more people would read this.

I mean, it's like we all get our raw materials from our families―but it's up to us whether we build bridges or bombs.

Thank you, Peter, for recommending this.

Book details:
Title: The Schwa Was Here
Author: Neal Shusterman
Publisher: Penguin Books and Dutton Books
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Rating: ★★★★

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SKINJACKER TRILOGY by Neal Shusterman

Caught Between Life and Death.

The story began with a car collision, two teenagers were mortally injured.  Suddenly, they are walking towards an inviting light at the end of a very dark tunnel, but before they could reach it, they bumped into each other.  The next thing they knew was waking up in the forest with a strange-looking kid calmly smiling at them, pleased that they finally came around after nine months of deep slumber.

"It took nine months to get you born, so doesn't it figure it would take nine months to get you dead?” ― Everlost

The whole series is a journey through Shusterman’s version of what it was like after death. He took a step further from the common ghost stories to ghostly living -living the afterlife as an Afterlight. There were no limits to his creativity and imagination.  I was in awe of how he thought of every detail and work through all the complexities encountered in these books.  The visions he created behind the veil of the living were both strange and fantastic.

Likewise, with the characters, their divergence was astounding.  Each was fleshed out (pun not intended) endowed with a dominant characteristic, each with potentials and shortcomings, their contrast and purpose may tip the balance in the world called Everlost.

“Great tragedies have great consequences. They ripple through the fabric of this world and the next. When the loss is too great for either world to bear, Everlost absorbs the shock, like a cushion between the two.” ― Everwild

In spite of its complicated plot and characters, Shusterman managed to evade the big question –Is there a Heaven or a Hell?  There was no mention of any specific religious belief about the afterlife either. Simply, imagine a place where no one aged, but may lose all memories.  An afterlight may fall into an endless routine and forget about the completion of their journey.  But they have to keep moving or find themselves sinking into the earth. And the thought of going back home is the worst idea.

Scattered throughout the books are nuggets of wisdom –about life, love, pain, struggles, belief, and unbelief.  Some of them may sound funny and yet profound in the truer sense. Some of them are compelling.  Shusterman wrote an intricate story about how our choices make a difference. Overall, he didn’t write how death might be, but of how life should be.  A really wonderful trilogy.

“In short, there are mysteries of science and of soul that will never be understood no matter how hard we measure, no matter how strongly we believe, no matter how deep our think tanks and how high our aspirations. But as anyone will tell you—for we all know this within our hearts—the impossible happens and grand cosmic mysteries are solved on a regular basis, although most of the time the solutions lead to even greater mysteries.” ― Everfound

Book details:
Titles:  Everlost, Everwild, Everfound
Author:  Neal Shusterman
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Genre:  Children's Books, YA
Rating: ★★★★

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