Who Are You?

Game Changer by Neal Shusterman

New York, NY : Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2022.

387 p. ; 21 cm.

This will probably be my last posting here. Why? Because in just over a week, I'll be retired from my high school library job! I wanted to end this review blog with a recent book, and one I liked--Game Changer is that book.

The best thing about this book is its appealing set up. Ash, a young white guy who plays high school football makes a hit and - the shock of the hit - propels him into a slightly different universe. Further hits in later games send him into other alternate universes, each one more radically different than the original universe he started out in. In these alternate universes Ash is a somewhat different person with memories that match that new universe (while he retains memories of previous ones too). 

As Ash figures out who he is in these new circumstances (worlds where segregation never ended, where he is gay, where he is rich, etc.) he has to confront how much of him is essentially "him" and how much who he thinks he is, is the result of circumstance. Also given the disturbing nature of these worlds (the racist segregation world persists throughout) Ash also wants to get back to the original universe he came from. He sort of does and let's just say getting there is an adventure.

Shusterman manages to keep the plot believable, especially in how he wraps it up. He also has an ambitious scope for his novel - taking on racism, sexism, poverty, relationship abuse, etc. I think it stretches the novel a little thin at times, but given the wackiness of the plot, the humor and the likeability of the main character - I think it's overall an effective effort. And with a Netflix deal in the works, this one is likely to be in high demand. I would recommend it.

Sit Back, Read, and Unwind

Unwind by Neal Shusterman
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2009, c2007.
335 p. ; 22 cm.

I really love the premise of this book: in a future United States - after a war between abortion rights and anti-abortion rights forces - children between the ages of 13 and 18 can be signed over by their parents or guardians to be "unwound": all of their body parts and tissues are harvested and donated to those who "need" them.  Reminds me a little bit of the premise of the a great novel, The Unit, where older people deemed "expendable" are sent and harvested for tissue and organs until it kills them. In the world of  Unwind, the law doesn't view it as "killing" since the person is never officially dead, but hurriedly/medically disassembled until they loose consciousness - and are no longer a living individual, but an assortment of distributed "living" parts.  Needless to say those signed over to be unwound find little comfort in the niceties of legal jargon.

And so - as you might imagine - the novel is a thriller, following a several teens who are set to be unwound, but manage to escape and go on the run. There are several interesting subplots that all come together in a dramatic conclusion.  The end of the novel is set up so that a sequel is possible, and Shusterman has answered the call with a follow-up novel, UnWholly, billed as the second in a trilogy.

There is a lot to recommend this book.  It definitely gets one thinking about what defines "life" and the legal implications of new medical advances along with the ethical implications of the individual versus society. Metaphorically, there is a lot to think about regarding the relationship of parents to teens and society to teens and the ways that they are viewed and treated.  There is also material for thought and discussion regarding the ethical complexities of violence used to oppose violent and unjust systems.  In all these ways, the book would be a great classroom text - a great springboard for discussions.

My main complaint with the novel is that at times the plot is overwrought with melodramatic characters and action - for example, the character of Roland, an evil teen in the unwind underground whose sociopathic behaviors feel like a stock "bad guy" character, and not very believable.  In spite of my problems with some of the characters and scenes, I'd definitely recommend this book as a substantive/thoughtful read for someone who likes thrillers and/or dystopian futuristic novels.