Book Review: UnStrung by Neal Shusterman

UnStrung (Unwind, #1.5) by Michelle Knowlden, Neal Shusterman
Narrator: Luke Daniels
Series: Unwind dystology #1.5
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on July 24, 2012
Genres: Dystopia
Pages: 60
Length: 1 hr and 25 mins
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads

How did Lev Calder move from an unwillingly escaped Tithe to a clapper?
In this new ebook original short story, author Neal Shusterman opens a window on Lev's adventures between the time he left CyFi and when he showed up at the Graveyard.
Lev's experiences on a Hi-Rez, an extraordinarily wealthy Native American Reservation introduce him to a teen with remarkable musical talent... and whose gifts are destined to end up in the hands of another. And it is this teen's heart-breaking story that inspired Lev to choose the clapper's path.
Pulling elements from Neal Shusterman's critically acclaimed Unwind and giving hints about what is to come in the long-awaited sequel, UnWholly, this short story is a must for fans of the series.

This novella covers part of Lev’s story between his time with CyFi and his arrival at the Graveyard. Lev is a character who spends some time in the record in book 1, but who returns to the action drastically changed. Part of why and how is included here, although he isn’t the main character. Our protagonist here is Wil, a teen who lives in the Hi-Rez where Lev seeks asylum.

There is a series of events that I won’t discuss here. The story is quite short, so anything will be a spoiler, but we go back to part of the body horror we found in book 1 with a twist that will probably be fully explored in the next book.

I also listened to the audio version, and I was more impressed with Luke Daniels than in the previous book.