Unwind

Shusterman, N. (2009). Unwind. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Turning 13 years old can be rewarding and looks at as a privilege to some, like Lev. To some, like Conner, it can be scary and overwhelming, with the feeling of betrayal. Being selected to be unwound meant saying farewell to your family and friends and being sent off to be harvested for your organs. Conner wants nothing to do with it and breaks away, but now he is a fugitive. Through out the story, Conner what sees as rescuing a “tithe” where as the government thinks he is kidnapping. Surviving is all that Conner wants to do until he is eighteen years old, but staying undercover for that long will be a challenge.

Unwind presents a dystopian society that decides to unwind selected children on their thirteenth birthday to satisfy both the pro-choice and pro-life debates.  The contents of the novel deal with survival and horror. Teachers should be aware of individuals personal views before offering such a novel to them.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Black, H. (2013). The coldest girl in Coldtown. New York, NY: Hachette Book Group. In a world were cities are walled shut to contain the monsters, predators, and preys, once you cross the wall, there is not turning back. These cities are called Coldtowns.  After waking up the previous night’s party, Tara finds that she is engulfed with corpses around her, all attacked by vampires. Those who survived, her ex, who is now infected, and another boy who is mysterious in his own ways. Does he have something to hide, a secret he is keeping? In order to save herself and the boys, she must venture to Coldtown risking everything. IS she ready to cross over and leave everything behind?

This fantasy novel is intended for adolescents ages 14 years old and up.  Tara knows what happens to those who transform, she saw it with her own mother. The book deals with guild, love, rage, and revenge, as well as horror. Librarians and teachers need to know what extend students are interested in horror before offering the novel.

This novel can be compared to other vampire series, such as Twilight. Teachers can complete a cross text analysis to see who similar and differences there are between the two.