UnWholly

The narrator recaps Lev’s past (from the first book in the series): Lev, a well-behaved tithe, gained fame for becoming the clapper who never ignited the compound in his blood (a chemical that allows clappers to explode themselves). In the present time of the narrative, Lev visits a teen in a Cleveland juvenile detention center. Lev warns the kid that he is at risk for being unwound. The kid ends up recognizing Lev from the news, and Lev admits he is visiting detention centers as part of his plea bargain.

Lev thinks about his sentence, including house arrest, community service, and a gag order. He recalls moving in with his brother Marcus and Pastor Dan taking him to various detention centers over a few months. Pastor Dan does not believe in human tithing, and they joke about which religion they practice, saying they are Leviathan (because they were founded around Lev’s actions).

The narrator describes the process of cleaning Lev’s blood. The permanent effects of the chemicals made Lev look young and unfit for unwinding. Only his hair is growing, so he does not cut it.

Lev has some success with the tattooed punk kid in the detention center and leaves with Pastor Dan when visiting hours end. Afterwards, Lev jogs around Lake Erie with Marcus. It was Marcus who got Lev into jogging, and now Lev is faster than Marcus. They stop running as the rain increases and talk about a letter from their cousin Carl.

Lev reflects on the series of letters from Carl, which are coded messages from Connor. The most recent letter mentions, in code, the threat of the Juvies, Connor’s plan for escape, and the lack of help from the ADR. Lev feels trapped and wants to do something to help. Marcus argues against Lev getting involved in politics. Lev storms off and plays a video game.

One Monday morning, Lev, Pastor Dan, and Marcus are eating breakfast and talking about Pastor Dan’s independent activism versus the resistance. There’s a knock on the door, and when Lev answers, it is a girl in a Girl Scout uniform. He invites her in to buy some cookies. She recognizes him and begins to talk about how it is wrong for a clapper to not clap. She says the people in charge are unhappy. Lev realizes she’s a clapper and tries to warn Dan and Marcus, but she claps quickly, exploding.

Pastor Dan is instantly killed in the blast, and Marcus is seriously injured. Lev helps Marcus escape rubble from the blast in the kitchen and calls 911. Lev goes with Marcus to the hospital, and Marcus says he wants parts from unwinds in order to live.

Lev’s injuries are minor—a broken eardrum, cuts, and bruises. The police and FBI interrogate Lev. A nurse tells him Marcus is recovering with five unwind organs, and that their parents have been making decisions about his surgeries. The nurse later tells him which room Marcus is in.

When Lev goes to visit his brother’s hospital room, his parents are there. Lev’s mother hugs him and leaves. His father blames Lev for Marcus’s condition—Marcus is currently healing from the transplants in an induced coma—and disowns him. Lev sees other family members in the waiting room, including a baby in white clothing that indicates he is a tithe. Back in his own hospital room, Lev cries.

A woman from the Cavenaugh Trust meets with Lev the next day and offers him a place to live. He agrees, reflecting on his past and deciding to gamble because he has nowhere else to go.

Lev changes his last name to Garrity and moves to Michigan. The Cavenaugh Trust sets up a front in Detroit, while Lev actually lives in the Cavenaugh mansion in Lake Orion. The mansion has a lot of history: It was an important location in the Heartland War until the Unwind Accord. Eventually, it was taken over by Charles Cavenaugh, Jr. and the ADR.

The narrative returns to Lev meeting Charles Cavenaugh Jr. at the mansion. It is run-down and surrounded by acres of woods. The inside and outside are crumbling and missing key parts, like roofing. The only restored section is the north wing. Lev and Charles walk through the dining hall, where there is a portrait of Lev with offerings around it, making it appear to be an altar.

Rescued tithes, rumored to be sold on the black market by parts pirates, actually live in the mansion. Several come running in to meet Lev and treat him like a hero.

In total, there are 64 ex-tithes in the mansion. Fake quotes of his are written on the walls, and Lev realizes he is taking a position as a spiritual figure.

Over the next week, a routine is established. In the mornings, Lev has private audiences with the ex-tithes, which are similar to his meetings with the kids in detention centers with Pastor Dan. Lev leads prayer before meals and has free time in the afternoons.  

In his second week at the mansion, Lev greets new arrivals—Timothy and Miracolina. She is angry, but Timothy is thrilled to meet Lev. Miracolina’s defiance reminds Lev of himself, and he is determined to convince her that unwinding is evil.

Miracolina fumes about being rescued. The staff of the mansion give her a comfortable bedroom with videos, books, and clothes. A psychiatrist meets with her, and she continues to be defiant. After the evaluation, Miracolina wanders around the mansion. A girl named Jackie attempts to befriend Miracolina at the suggestion of the staff, but Miracolina hurts her feelings and Jackie leaves Miracolina alone.

Miracolina gets angry at Timothy for enjoying being rescued. Jackie comes back and explains that the rescued tithes are restricted to the north wing because of the mansion’s unstable structure in other areas. She also tells Miracolina about the classes.

The ex-tithes’ classes include group therapy and modern history—including the Heartland War, the Unwind Accord, and the creation of tithing cults. Miracolina tries to argue in favor of tithing from the perspective of a Catholic, which is frowned upon.

On a Monday, the mansion staff take Miracolina to an audience with Lev in the arboretum. He asks about her attitude, and she says she doesn’t want to be a prisoner. They argue about unwinding, and Miracolina ends up frustrated when Lev is able to make a good point about miracles.

The next day, she begins a class called Creative Projection. The teacher gives them a writing assignment—to imagine their future lives. Miracolina writes about her parts being given to other people and those people using the parts in parenting, dancing, and winning Nobel Prizes. The teacher reads it and asks about her soul. She believes it goes to God, but the teacher points out that the Catholic Church would consider voluntary unwinding a mortal sin.

Lev is upset that Miracolina hates him. He has weekly meetings with the tithe rescue staff, who are all much older than him. Charles suggests an Easter dance and ignores Lev’s concerns about it.

The dance is held in the mansion’s dining room. At first, no one dances, but after playing the Hokey Pokey, kids start dancing. Lev asks Miracolina to dance, but she refuses and goes back to her room. Then a girl offers to dance with Lev, and he dances with all the girls. 

The following day, Lev’s portrait in the dining room is vandalized. The ex-tithes blame Miracolina, but Lev discourages them from doing so (later, the reader discovers Lev was the vandal). Lev tells Charles the kids need more freedom to express themselves.

Lev visits Miracolina’s room. She confesses to vandalizing the portrait, but Lev says he knows it wasn’t her (because it was him). He apologizes for the method by which she was rescued and asks why she is still angry. Miracolina argues with him and throws a hairbrush at him. She refuses to consider living her life, and simply reiterates that she wants to be unwound. Lev leaves her room.

In the next meeting of the tithe rescue staff, Lev asks about the restoration and return of his portrait. The older staff members assert that it is important. Lev articulates his distaste for being a spiritual figure rather than a person. Charles reiterates that Lev is there to be a role model and dismisses Lev’s concerns. After the meeting, Charles points out that there is spray paint under Lev’s fingernails, revealing that Lev was the vandal.

The authorities transfer Risa between detention facilities and interrogate her about the Graveyard. She refuses to cooperate and doesn’t offer any information. After two weeks of interrogation, a Juvey-cop tranqs her. She wakes up in a location run by someone other than the Juvenile Authority. The interrogations stop, and Risa thinks about how she needs to forget Connor.

Roberta visits Risa and explains that she is part of Proactive Citizenry. Roberta intends to get Risa a new spine, but Risa refuses. The second time Roberta visits Risa, she brings Cam. Risa recognizes him from the news report and insults him. Cam begins to cry as Risa continues to call him an object. Roberta dismisses Cam.

After he leaves, Roberta gives Risa a consent form to sign. Risa refuses to consent to the spinal replacement surgery and tears up the form. Roberta produces a second form and leaves it with Risa in the cell.

Cam watches Risa through the one-way mirror in her cell as she folds the form into a paper airplane and flies it at the mirror. He mopes about Risa’s reaction to him. Roberta joins him, and they talk about how Risa will eventually change her mind. Cam continues to watch Risa until Roberta takes him to a photoshoot for a new advertising campaign. He vows to win Risa’s love.

Nelson checks his trap in a segment of a drainage pipe. There is a boy named William Yotts stuck in it, and Nelson offers to help him get out. Once he is out of the sticky trap, Nelson ties the kid’s wrists with a plastic cable tie. Nelson identifies him as an AWOL with a DNA reader and tells William he’s going to sell him. Then, Nelson injects William, saying there are antibiotics in the syringe.

Nelson cuts the tie and offers William a countdown. In the past, Nelson would rig the countdown game, but this time he lets the kid win. The injection contained a microscopic tracking chip, not antibiotics. Like four other AWOLs he previously injected, Nelson uses William to try and find Connor.

Miracolina plans her escape while trying to fall under the radar of the staff. She searches for weak points in the mansion, gathers items she might need, and gathers information. Miracolina waits for a distraction to enact her plan.

There is a tornado watch one Sunday night after dinner. As the staff begin leading the ex-tithes to the storm cellar, Miracolina sneaks away. She breaks down a termite-weakened mansion door into the garden and runs towards the woods, praying.

Lev sees Miracolina running into the woods through his window.

Security staff shoot tranq darts at Miracolina, but silver platters she stole from the kitchen act as shields. Once she enters the woods, the shots stop. As Miracolina comes to a fence, Lev tackles her. Miracolina hits Lev with a platter. Lev tells her he wants to escape as well.

He gives her a boost up the fence and climbs over after her. Then, Lev suggests they head for the nearest road and hitchhike. Lev makes Miracolina promise not to reveal the mansion, saying he won’t stop her from turning herself in to be tithed. A van pulls over and picks them up. The driver’s mismatched eyes reveal that he is Nelson to the reader.

Lev thinks about how he lied to Miracolina; he will try to stop her from turning herself in. Lev avoids the driver’s gaze, trying to not be recognized. The rain gets worse, causing them to pull off the road. The driver, Nelson, tells Lev he recognizes him and tranqs both of them.

Nelson sees the tornado approach them. The van is dragged into the road by the wind, but the tornado doesn’t pick it up. Nelson believes this is a sign that he will catch Connor soon.