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Unwind Theme

• Categories: Adolescence Coming of Age Society

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Published: Mar 13, 2024

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Unwind by Neal Shusterman Book Analysis Essay Example

When it comes to my life things get a little crazy but do they get as crazy as Unwind by Neal Shusterman? In the novel Unwind, The author Neal Shusterman describes that the setting is after World War II. Abortions are banned so instead of aborting their kid they can unwind them at the age of 13 and the oldest of 18.  

Firstly, when a mother gives birth the baby is tracked to see if the baby is a good kid or a bad kid. If the mother finds out that the kid is bad that kid has a higher chance of getting unwound. When the unwound’s 13th birthday comes up their mom has an opportunity to schedule an unwound date. The kids mostly get a more significant birthday if they are good or their parents' favorite child. Secondly, when your mother gives birth to you in the real world she gets a certificate with your name, weight, and birthdate. Nothing really bad happens when you grow up. The most significant birthday party in our world for Hispanics is that when a female turns 15 they are transitioning into a woman which means they get a really big party and a traditional dress. It is much better and cooler to have a big party when you turn 15 than to get unwound at the age of 13. 

Furthermore in the book Unwind health care isn't a thing. They do have a couple of programs for runaways, unwinds, and for tithes; however, the programs are not as good as they seem to be, it’s like living in a dusty old basement with no doors, no shower, and a little bit of food that's not even enough to feed everyone, unless you're a tithe, of course. Adding on to that the government barely cares about the people's health, women aren't even allowed to have abortions which means they are forced to give birth! Moving on, in the real world the people over the age of 65 and the low-income citizens get access to medicare. Although the other citizens have to pay the cost for health care it is pretty advanced which can save their life. Not to mention but they also have pretty good programs and rehabs for people that need it. I always look forward to not having to pay a lot to stay healthy. 

Adding on, the elderly are treated with much respect knowing how much that they’ve gone through. Even if they were a good kid they can still get unwound, these types of people are called a tithe. Being a tithe is something religiously related but it is also when a family has more than 10 kids. Lev’s parents have 10 kids; therefore, they are unwinding him. Although he’s getting unwound he gets to pick his schedule to be unwound and he also has a great place to live until his unwinding date; he’s living a luxurious life because he’s a tithe. The end of life is very different for everyone. If they are scheduled to get unwound they go into the “chop shop” where they get their body, and brain dismantled while they are awake. Most teens try to hide and escape until their 18th birthday. Unlike the unwinds/ unwound kids the “good” or “lucky” kids get to die just of old age.  Similarly, the elderly in the real world are also treated with lots and lots of respect. We have to be respectful to elders because they have been in this world longer than us and it is also just a way to show respect. In the real world, funerals can be set whenever. Even when you are young you can set your funeral. Most people plan funerals for loved ones, they have a choice to plan their own funeral. Funerals are set so when people get to the end of their life you kind of have a little celebration to celebrate or honor them. There are also many different things to do at the end of your life like donating the body to science, mummification, space burial resomation, and many more.  

To sum it up, in our world, there are not a lot of crazy deaths and chaos like in Unwind so I would like to keep it that way. I prefer the world I live in now because if I was in the book Unwind I would be pretty scared for myself and for the other kids.

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Unwind Teen Book Review

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Unwind is a dystopian thriller by Neal Shusterman that follows three teens on the run from a government that believes “unwinding,” or body harvesting, is an alternate solution to abortions and unwanted teens. Unwinding is also a choice for extremely religious families who want to tithe one of their teens. Although controversial in topic, this disturbing novel inspires deep thought about organ donation, abortion, and one’s personal right to make decisions regarding his or her body. This book is recommended for mature teens.

Story Overview

After America’s Second Civil War between the pro-life and pro-choice factions, a compromise was reached and called The Bill of Life. In this bill, any teens between the ages of 13-18 who are troublemakers, a ward of the state, or a tithe could be “unwound”. In other words, their bodies could be harvested for organ donation in order to give others the opportunity for a better quality of life. To be unwound was to continue “living” through another human being.

Connor, Risa, and Lev are three teens who are scheduled to be “unwound”. Connor is seventeen and according to his parents a troublemaker. Risa is sixteen, a talented pianist and a ward of the state, but she isn't talented enough for them to keep her alive. Lev is thirteen and the tenth child of a religious family. He is proud to be a Tithe until an opportunity to run away is presented and his church pastor tells him to run.

Through unusual circumstances, the three teens find one another, but Connor and Risa are separated from Lev and are taken to the Graveyard, a hiding place for teens on the run. Eventually, all three are captured by the police and are escorted to the Happy Jack Harvest Camp. Now their goal is to find a way to escape and survive until they turn eighteen. Eighteen is the magic number, and if a teen on the run can survive until that golden age, he or she will no longer be a target for unwinding.

Author Neal Shusterman

Neal Shusterman is an award-winning author who has been writing books and screenplays for more than twenty-five years. When asked about his purpose in writing Unwind Shusterman responded, “ Unwind intentionally does not take a side on any issue. My point was to point out the fact that there are two sides on all of these gray-area issues, and that’s part of the problem. You have to look at it from a different perspective.”

For more information about the author and his writing career, read Spotlight on Neal Shusterman.

The Unwind Dystology

Unwind is Book One in the Unwind Dystology. The complete Unwind Dystology includes the books Unwind , UnWholly , UnSouled and UnDivided . All the books are available in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and audio editions.

Review and Recommendation

Unwind is a classic study on the value of human life and personal choice. Who owns our bodies? Does the government have the right to determine whose life is more valuable over another? Although the storyline seems extreme, it is not unlike other classic novels such as 1984 and A Brave New World where the individual, in this case, teens, become subordinate to the state. However, in this story, the three teens are determined to fight back.

Without a doubt, Unwind is a disturbing read, but it is a thinking read. Questions about personal rights, especially teen rights, government power , and the sanctity of life flow through your mind as you read. Reading this book puts a new spin on organ donation and gives readers the opportunity to wrestle with difficult topics and think about their personal convictions on emotionally charged subjects. The publisher recommends this book for ages 13 and up. (Simon and Schuster, 2009. ISBN: 9781416912057)

“Interview with Author Neal Shusterman.” YA Highway .

• Monster Book Review
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
• The Appeal of Dystopian Novels for Teens
• 10 Classic Novels for Teens
• 10 Contemporary Biographies, Autobiographies, and Memoirs for Teens
• Chinese Silk and the Silk Road
• Must-Read Books for Homeschooling
• 7 Tips for Homeschooling Teens
• Angels and Demons Book Review
• An Interview With Ellen Hopkins
• Motivational Quotes for Teens
• A Chinese Empress and the Discovery of Silk-Making
• All About Abortion Rights
• Summer Reading Lists For Kids, Tweens, and Teens
• 10th (or 11th) Grade Reading List
• The Pro-Life vs Pro-Choice Debate

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In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would “unwind” them Connor’s parents want to be rid of him because he’s a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev’s unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family’s strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can’t be harmed — but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away.

In Unwind , Boston Globe /Horn Book Award winner Neal Shusterman challenges readers’ ideas about life—not just where life begins, and where it ends, but what it truly means to be alive.

Check out the Unwind Movie Site !

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Awards & Honors

2008 ALA Top Ten Picks for Reluctant Readers 2008 ALA Best Young Adult Book list 2010 Japanese Sakura Medal 2008 Bank Street Best Books of the Year Nevada Young Reader Award WINNER 2010 Washington Evergreen YA Book award List WINNER WINNER OF 2010 Oklahoma Intermediate Sequoyah Award List Nominee for 2010 Oklahoma High School Sequoyah Award List 2009/2010 Texas Lonestar Award List 2009 Texas Tayshas Award List 2009/2010 Virginia Readers Choice Award WINNER 2009/2010 Indiana Rosewater High School Book Award WINNER 2010 Utah Beehive Award Nominee 2009/2010 Missouri Gateway Readers Award WINNER 2010 Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award List 2009/2010 Vermont Green Mountain Book Award 2010 Rhode Island Teen Book Award List 2010 Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award List 2009/2010 Georgia Peach Award List 2009/2010 Florida Teens Read Award List 2009/2010 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award List WINNER 2010-2011 One Book for Nebraska Teens WINNER 2010-2011 California Young Reader Medal Nomination The United Kingdom Coventry Inspiration “Simply the Book” Award WINNER 2009/2010 Kentucky Bluegrass Award List 2010 South Dakota YARP Award List 2011 Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award WINNER 2010-2011 New Hampshire Isinglass Teen Reads Award List NY Public Library “Books for the Teen Age” 2010 New Jersey Garden State Children’s Book Award Nominee 2010 Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award List 2011 Nutmeg Book Award Nominee WINNER Vermont’s Green Mountain Book Award 2011 YALSA’s Popular Paperback Award List 2011 Iowa Teen Award List Germany’s 2013 “Buxtehuder Bulle” Award — nomination

The New York Times

What keeps Unwind moving are the creative and shocking details of Shusterman’s kid-mining dystopia. First, there are the Orwellian linguistic tricks. People who have been unwound are not “dead”—they are “in a divided state.” Then there are the rules and rituals. Before being unwound, Lev is honored with a lavish “tithing party,” which bears a strong resemblance to a bar mitzvah. The most terrifying scene is devoted to the unwinding itself. The author’s decision to describe the process is a questionable one—a book’s great unknown can leave the strongest impression on a reader—but he executes as precisely as the surgeons who perform the unwinding. Ultimately, though, the power of the novel lies in what it doesn’t do: come down explicitly on one side or the other.

. . .The novel follows three protagonists who are attempting to “kick-AWOL” and survive to eighteen to escape their unwindings: Connor, the rebellious teen; Risa, a ward of the state being unwound because of budget cuts; and Lev, a tithe born as an unwind sacrifice. The novel begs two questions: When does a life have value? Who determines whether it is worth keeping? Unfortunately who is unwound and who gets which “parts” is often determined by socio-economic status. In addition, parents seem to shamelessly unwind their children for typical teen frustration and rebellion. Betrayal by parents and the system is a horrifying truth for the protagonists. As such, there are many passages that are difficult to read either for their heartrending nature or their shocking specifics, particularly the detailed “harvest” of a well-known character. Poignant, compelling, and ultimately terrifying, this book will enjoy popularity with a wide range of readers beyond its science-fiction base.

School Library Journal STARRED REVIEW

…There is evenhanded, thoughtful treatment of many issues, including when life starts and stops, consciousness, religion, free will, law, trust and betrayal, suicide bombers, and hope. Initially, the premise of parents dismantling their children is hard to accept; however, readers are quickly drawn into the story, which is told in a gripping, omniscient voice. Characters live and breathe; they are fully realized and complex, sometimes making wrenchingly difficult decisions. This is a thought-provoking, well-paced read that will appeal widely, especially to readers who enjoy Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies (2005)…

TEENSREADTOO.COM

In his chilling new novel, Neal Shusterman paints a picture of a world where there aren’t any cures and doctors, just surgeons and replacements. Three unwanted teenagers face a fate worse that death — unwinding. Their bodies will be cut up, and every part of them used, from their brains to their toes. But if they can stay out of the authorities’ clutches until the age of eighteen, they just might survive…. The most frightening science fiction novels are always the ones that are most similar to our world. Shusterman doesn’t fail to describe how a wrong solution to a modern issue can affect generations to come. Thought-provoking, terrifying, and almost inconceivable, UNWIND will keep you reading late into the night

. AND – HERE’S A LINK TO A GREAT REVIEW BY A BOOK SELLER (who also happens to be the daughter of Laurie Halse Anderson – How cool is that!)

35 Comments so far:

[…] Adam: This book is shocking. An outstanding book. This book plays on a gritty aspect. I say this because if you read the back, it only tells you a little bit of what’s happening in this new dystopian society. In the beginning, there is one part with a brutal bus crash. This will set the mood of the book. I was expecting a dark horror aspect throughout the book, but what I got was a gritty, twisting turning masterpiece. And there are three other books! I cannot wait to read the others…

[…] From entertainment to academics, literature has inspired me to write. There are both “good” and “bad” books published, but it gives me the time to learn about different writing styles. What makes their storytelling interesting, why I am interested with the characters, and what are the themes or meanings behind them. Not all books have themes and that’s fine. In this list if it wasn’t for my mom who got me into reading, I doubt that I would be writing and creating my own stories. My favorite childhood book is The Music of the Dolphins. The link to that information is here. For Fantasy is Harry Potter, and ScFi book currently is Unwind. Link for that book is here.  […]

[…] https://www.storyman.com/books/unwind/ […]

Someone please help my daughter wants this book but I don’t know which to buy or even really what the difference is between the unwind collection or the unwind dystology please help

There are five books in the Unwind series: Unwind, UnWholly, UnSouled, UnDivided and UnBound.

once and for all Neal – WILL THERE BE AN “UNWIND” MOVIE???

No — it’s in development as a TV show now.

i read this book . i was sitting on the edge of my seat for days just trying to finish i don’t think of books as sucking you in for more, but i did this time. cant wait to read the others!

I love this book keep it up

Well, this was a good book. Although there was a page where the wrong ¨here¨ was used. How does the editor miss something like that? I wish there was more of a life conclusion in the end of the book as well. It doesnt tell much about how everyone lives afterwards.

It’s the first book of a four book series. UnWholly comes next

I just want to say that these have been my favorite books since I was 15. They really changed the way I view writing and other books! Unfortunately this highlighted how uncreative a lot of writers are with imagery in comparison! Ive read lots of your other books as well and have Bruiser at home on my book shelf! I also really enjoy the diversity you have in your books in terms of races and also the inclusion of Cyfi’s fathers! If anything Id love to see more trans characters in your work! I also thought it’d be interesting if Hayden was asexual (as a side note). Anyways, Im buying undivided once I get home from college so I just want to thabk you for always giving me something to look forward to.

Thank you for your comments, Maya! I try to be diverse with my books. With regards to Hayden, I thought it was much-needed to have a character who chooses to keep his sexuality his own business, and refuses to be defined by it. Hayden could be gay, straight, bi, or asexual, and he is happy to keep it to himself!

hi Neal i really enjoyed reading unwind i’m currently reading unwholly and i love how soul gripping they are its so hard to put down in class that i just wish i could freeze time and just read all day keep up the awesome work also I’ve looked at scythe and i really want to read it once i’m done with the unwind series and have a great day Neal

Hello,I check your new stuff named “The Unwind Dystology | Neal Shusterman” on a regular basis.Your story-telling style is witty, keep it up! And you can look our website about love spells.

Will any of the books in the dystology become a movie?

[…] Unwind by Neal Shusterman […]

I love these books so much and I am so excited for it to be a tv show. One of my all time favorite series- if you’re looking for a read that will make you wanna clean up society you’ve come to the right place. I love the viewpoints and writes style- it’s so unique and well written!!! Not to mention the amazing character development that’s better than anything I’ve read in a really long time. So much love for this series!

Well, this was a good book. Although there was a page where the wrong ¨here¨ was used. How does the editor miss something like that? I wish there was more of a life conclusion in the end of the book as well. It doesn’t tell much about how everyone lives afterwards.

This is still my favorite series I have ever read. The Unwind Dystology is and will probably always will have a special place in my heart. It was hard for me to move onto reading other books when I just wanted that series to go on forever. I will always be a huge fan.

Thank you!!!

I LOVEEE THISSS BOOOKKKK, its such an amazing book, I can literally imagine all the scenes as I read…….I can also picture what each and every character looks like. The author doesnt get enough credit for this book!!

After finishing the Delerium trilogy by Lauren Oliver, I was on the hunt for another great dystopian novel (stand alone or series) that could measure up and also give me a fresh outlook for my own novel. My fiancé ordered the entire Dystology for me off of Amazon, and I must admit, I was a bit skeptical at first. The pro-life vs pro-choice thing is what made me a bit hesitant. I read enough about it in the news lol HOWEVER, Shusterman takes the concept and creates an intricate world out of it and does an outstanding job! I finished UnWholly in 3 days (would’ve been less had I not gotten the flu) and am currently over halfway finished with UnWholly. Even though I’m only on the second book, I’m in love and pleasantly surprised at how much enjoy these books. I even stopped by Books-A-Million on my day off to pick up Dry and Scythe!

These books keep me on the edge of my seat, keep me guessing, and keep me up until 3 a.m knowing I have to be up with the kids and for work in 4 hours! Hahaha. Also, these books (along with the parts of Dry I have skimmed through) personally give me a George Carlin kind of vibe, which is definitely a good thing!

10/10 would recommend for anyone whether you’re into politics/dystopians or not, you will LOVE this adventure!

I’ve been reading this book for the last 10 years or so and I was lucky enough to meet you and get my book signed. My high school and class was actually the one you use for your author meet and greets video section. I absolutely love this book and all the characters. I love that even after 10 years I can still react and get the same emotion from it as if I were reading it the first time. It’s so full of suspense and character. It’s so thought provoking and it makes you question what it means to be human. I love all your books and anxiously await the next book/series. Thank you for giving me my favorite book!!

I really loved this book

The audiobook is not available for this book but they are for the rest of the series? What am I missing? Thanks!

The audio book was available until just a few weeks ago. We’re trying to get to the bottom of why it’s not up anymore. I’m sure it will be back, soon!

Is there any update on this?

Also wondering about an audiobook version.

There are audiobooks for all the Unwind books!

Hi,Neal,I am Chinese kid,I really sympathize with Rowland.

Even though Roland is an antagonist in the story, at the end, it’s my hope that you’ll feel sympathy for him.

Because of this book series it has inspired me to make my own stories, and now I hope to be a future author.

Hey Neal!! im currently starting to read UnSouled and im still confused by the “Yin families”. Like, was gay marriage made illegal? I don’t understand very well that part.

Greetings from México!!!

I wanted to have a different term in Unwind for gay marriage that separates it from the socio-political atmosphere of our time. That’s the same reason why I don’t describe people as “black” or “white,” but instead “umber” and “sienna” And why suicide bombers are “clappers.” Also, the idea of being Mmarried, or Wwed (the extra “M” or “W”) was to point out how ridiculous opposition to gay marriage is. Some people have a problem with the word, so in Unwind, they just changed the word, and added an extra letter.

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American Government in Unwind By Neal Shusterman Essay Example

The American government in the novel Unwind, by Neal Shusterman signs the Bill of Life in order to end the second civil war known as the Heartland War, which was fought over abortion. The bill was a compromise where human life was not allowed to be touched from conception until the age of thirteen, as such the parents when their child reaches the ages thirteen to eighteen would be able to have their child “unwound” through the harvesting of their body parts to be donated to others in need. As one reads the book however, the reader will meet many runaway unwinds that bring into question the whether or not their Government should be able to determine the worth of their lives over others. By empathizing with the stories of these runaway unwinds the answer is easy to see, that no, the government does not have that right. 

Let’s look at an example from the book where the Bill of Life has done more harm than good. In Part Two: Storked, a reiterated theme is the huge surplus of unwanted babies, so much so that the government had to implement a law called ‘storking,” where mothers of newborn children could leave them at a stranger's doorstep leaving them legally responsible for the child. Through Connor’s memory of an incident where his family was storked and then the baby was illegally passed around the neighborhood until it reached them again, it’s clear that a storked baby is not often a welcome responsibility. Not to mention Risa’s experience with the hundreds of infants that were put into the state home she was in. In this part Risa remembers a conversation with Nurse Greta from when she was in the state home. The nurse was old enough to remember times before the war when they’re weren’t so many unwanted babies because there was an option to terminate the pregnancy. The sole reason that Risa was meant to be unwound was because the state home she was in didn’t have enough funding due to the amount of babies, so they decided to “cut” the teenage population of the home by ten percent. Risa was average, and that was enough for the government to decide that her life was not valuable enough for her to remain whole. Even those who aren’t average like Connor and Roland who are considered bad or scary, that still doesn’t give anyone the right to decide they’re worth because they will never be given the chance to grow and develop into better people.

However, it is arguable that because the Bill of Life was signed in the first place, that it does legally give the government the right to weigh the value of people's lives. The key word here is legally, this book is a clear example of a dystopian society giving context to the fact that while the government may be in the legal right to make this decision that does not make it ethically correct. In Part Two: Storked, Risa and Conner discover people willing to help them such as Hannah the Teacher, and Sonia, the woman who’s basement they hide in along with three other runaway unwinds. They then discover that there is a whole system dedicated to helping kids like them. This shows them that there are many people who don’t  agree with the practice of sending children off to have their organs harvested. 

By giving the government the power to decide the value of one life over the other, this society has only led to a decline in the worth of human life and a place where teenagers as young as thirteen are forced to run for their lives. Reading Risa, Connor, and Lev’s perspectives as well as hearing about the other three unwinds they met, leads to many pervasive questions about the sanctity of life and how a government power should affect it. But one thing is clear is that the Bill of Life was never a compromise and placing that power into the hands of the government has only only caused suffering and created burdens upon their society.

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By Matthew Cullen

A 4.8-magnitude earthquake sent tremors from Philadelphia to Boston this morning, rattling New York City skyscrapers and surprising many East Coasters. Some ran out of their homes. Others hung on to a piece of furniture for dear life. Air traffic was briefly halted. But no major damage has been reported .

The earthquake struck at 10:23 a.m. Eastern, with an epicenter near Whitehouse Station, N.J. — about 40 miles west of New York City — according to the United States Geological Survey. It was the largest quake within 250 miles of Manhattan in more than 30 years, and the third largest since the data began in 1957. New Yorkers are more familiar with much smaller tremors, which usually go unnoticed in a city full of rumbles.

The quake, which would have been relatively minor in places more prone to shakes, revealed potential shortcomings in New York’s emergency notification system: A text warning went out nearly 40 minutes after the earthquake hit . The city is also filled with old brick buildings, and officials said they remained concerned about the aftereffects of the quake .

Israel disciplined officers for aid worker killings

The Israeli military announced today that two officers had been removed from their posts and three senior commanders were reprimanded for their role in the drone strikes that killed seven aid workers in Gaza this week.

The army’s findings will also be sent to military prosecutors to determine whether anyone should face criminal charges for their role in the attacks, which Israel said were the result of a string of significant errors . In the meantime, the military is assessing whether to move the two dismissed officers to other roles or to fire them.

In related news, Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed Israel’s plan to establish new aid routes into Gaza, but stressed that the measure of success will be whether enough trucks get in to ease the humanitarian crisis .

During a visit, Biden vowed to rebuild Baltimore’s bridge

In Baltimore today, President Biden toured the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed 10 days ago after a shipping vessel slammed into it. He told the city’s residents that “your nation has your back,” and called on Congress to fund the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge as quickly as possible .

How much of the cost taxpayers will end up bearing is a more challenging question. Determining who is ultimately on the hook to pay for the deadly disaster is set to become one of the messiest and most expensive disputes of its kind .

A recycling breakthrough is coming up short

A new generation of recycling plants, called advanced recycling, promises to revolutionize the industry by breaking down plastic much further and transforming it into new plastic. Big brands like Procter & Gamble and Nestlé say the technology will help them make good on their sustainability promises.

But so far, advanced recycling is struggling to deliver . Technical issues and lawsuits have fueled concerns that the technology won’t be able to keep up with increasing plastic production.

More top news

Economy: U.S. employers added 303,000 jobs in March, as the labor market remained robust. The unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent .

Eric Adams: Federal prosecutors are examining free flight upgrades they believe New York City’s mayor got from Turkish Airlines.

Ukraine: Soldiers are reaching for some of the last ammunition for some types of weapons after months of aid delays in the U.S. Congress.

Courts: Biden is headed for a showdown with Republicans who oppose the nomination of the first Muslim American to be a federal appeals court judge .

New York: The city agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle a lawsuit from two women who were made to remove their hijabs by the police before being photographed.

Bird flu: Medical officials say they’re ready to combat avian flu if it does end up spreading among humans.

China: Facing a difficult job market and uncertainty about the future, some young people are rejecting the idea of saving for old age .

Sports: Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, will enter the N.B.A. draft .

TIME TO UNWIND

Enjoy the eclipse from wherever you are.

Monday’s total solar eclipse will be a rare treat for the millions of Americans who either live in the path of totality or plan to travel there this weekend. There won’t be another like it for 20 years, and with the right eye protection it should be an amazing sight.

But for those who didn’t plan ahead, or don’t want to shell out $1,000 for a budget hotel , there’s a surprisingly long tradition of watching eclipses online. My colleague Katrina Miller writes that the 1998 eclipse was a major milestone in the world of online streaming .

For more, we answered common questions about the eclipse .

Also , this playlist compiled by our critic aims to get you in the mood for the cosmic event. It features Cat Stevens’s “Moonshadow.”

‘Curb’ is ending, so we rewatched it

Twenty-four years after it premiered, HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is scheduled to air its final episode this Sunday. You may know it as the show Larry David created after “Seinfeld,” but there’s more to it than that. Our critic Wesley Morris rewatched the series, and argues that David is the greatest interpreter of American etiquette since Emily Post .

“Television has never had anything like this show, nothing as uncouth and contradictory and unhinged and yet somehow under a tremendous amount of thematic control,” Wesley wrote.

For more, our style reporter writes that David might be the most unsung fashion critic of our time .

Dinner table topics

Jewel heist: Murph the Surf became an unlikely folk hero after robbing the American Museum of Natural History’s Hall of Gems in 1964 .

Six-figure education: Some colleges say the cost of attending will be $100,000 next year. How did this happen?

The Roys in theater: There seems to be a secret ingredient to stage success this season: a stint on “Succession.”

Science quiz: We all know what flavor is, but do you know how flavor works ?

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND

Cook: The sauce for this garlicky crab and brown butter pasta comes together in less than the time it takes to boil pasta.

Watch: Our critic recommends a PBS mini-series about a real-life injustice .

Read : Here are six new paperbacks to check out this weekend.

Explore: We have advice on how to burst out of travel’s luxury cocoon .

Budget: Therapists share the secrets to a drama-free money chat for couples .

Game: Our critics reviewed new horror video games, along with remakes of classic titles .

Compete: Take this week’s news quiz .

Play: Here are today’s Spelling Bee , Wordle and Mini Crossword . Find all of our games here .

ONE LAST THING

An ’80s fad gets a social media revival.

Seasonal color analysis — a classification system that matches a person’s features to shades associated with winter, spring, summer or fall — is suddenly popular again. When The Times wrote about the craze in 1983 , the idea was spreading to clothing stores. Now it’s big on Instagram and TikTok , with people shelling out hundreds of dollars for consultations with color analysis influencers.

The trend has many skeptics, who don’t think it’s worth $500 to be told they look pasty in blue. Luckily for color analysis, though, disagreement tends to feed, not quash, social media trends.

Have a glowing weekend.

Thanks for reading. Emree Weaver was our photo editor today. I’ll be back on Monday. — Matthew

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