Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Shusterman, N. (2007). Unwind. Simon and Shuster Books for Young Readers. New York. 

In a far away future in America, a civil war of Pro-Life and Pro-Choice has ended and the new nation has negotiated sides with a "Bill of Life" which states that while abortion is illegal, "unwinding" can now be practiced.  Unwinding is the term used to describe a retroactive termination of a teenager (age 13-17).  The teenager is killed with a parent's consent, and their organs are given to those who need them and they are considered to be living fully but divided.  The story focuses on 3 teenagers who are trying to escape unwinding. Connor, Lev, and Risa runaway and through a series of events find the Graveyard which serves as a home for abandoned, broken air planes as well as a shelter for teenagers escaping their unwinding until they turn 18.  With the help of The Admiral (the leader of the Graveyard), they manage to survive and escape the unwinding with some physical damage along the way.

The story meets the criteria of Dystopian literature, a futuristic world is created where teenagers have no rights or say in their own future.  This would be a great addition for any teacher who is exploring Dystopian genre and is brave enough to bring up important issues and themes in the book such as abortion, the value of human life, personal choice and rights and the governments role in all of it.  These themes are issues of the futuristic and created world of Neal Shusterman but can be applied to our world today.  The book can also be compared to other Dystopian classics such as Brave New World  where citizens are similarly forced to do things deemed necessary by the state.  Anyone who likes Dystopian literature will find books 2-4 (UnWholly, UnSouled, UnDivided) great for follow up reading.