book resonse

Question: For what audience is this book, and how can you tell (in other words for whom would you recommend this book)?)

My book, Unwind, by Neal Shusterman is a Science Fiction story about kids on the run from the government in order to escape from being unwound. If I had to choose a main audience for this book I would choose the audience as young adults. The two reasons why this is true are because of the language that the kids use and the sort of trouble that the runaways are faced with in their journey to escape.

The reason that I chose language as one of my reasons is because it seems like Shusterman uses slang and urban vernacular all around the book. Some of the words and phrases that he uses that he used are ones that us kids use in our everyday conversations such as ‘totally’ and ‘it was a piece of crap’. I predict that he uses word and phrases like this to draw young adults into his book and make us feel that he is sort of like us. One example of this is here

“How much is ransom?” Lev asks. “Ransom? There’s no ransom”, says the crazy kid. “I took you to save you, Idiot!”

This quotes explains how when Connor captures Lev and their journey starts. Lev thinks that he has been kidnapped by some psycho and is being held hostage. Notice that Shusterman uses the word idiot. If this book were directed towards and older audience such as adults he probably would have used the word idiot because it is a more youth friendly word. With the use of more words like these it appeals to the audience because it makes them think that this book might be worth reading and not be boring.

The second technique that Shusterman uses is adding situations that the young adults of today can relate to. This is exemplified when the group finds that abandoned baby, and Connor explains why they can’t just leave it. He then goes on to tell a story about how this is how he got two of his brothers and sisters. Connor was not treated as well as his brother and sister who were both ‘storked’ (which means they were left on another person’s door step at birth to have the other people have to take care of them). They then decide to take in the newborn as if it is their own for a while. I think that the young adults of America can relate to this because as time goes on it seems like the age for teenage pregnancy and parenthood is dropping like crazy. Even today there is a show on MTV called Sixteen and Pregnant, which I think is wrong on so many levels, that shows how your life will be if you have a baby at this age. Having the reader be able to relate to your story is crucial if you are looking for a certain type of audience.

Language and situations are a very important part of appealing to the right audience, and if you get them wrong the whole age target switches to a whole different age group. Since Shusterman is trying to target the audience of young people his language had to be correct, and I think he did a very nice job on making the reader feel relatable.