Plot Synopsis: Did you read Wool? Good. Shift is the prequel to Wool. How did the silos come to be? What happened to the world that it turned so toxic and nearly wiped out humanity? The answers to these questions and more are revealed through the eyes of a handful of characters--Donald, a recently elected congressman from the state of Georgia; Mission, a porter in Silo 18; and the familiar Jimmy (Solo) of Silo 17.
Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: Hugh Howey had a dilemma: he envisioned this post-apocalyptic world within a dystopian society and had to figure out how to explain it all. While this may be your motivation for reading Shift, some mysteries should stay mysteries. Howey's backstory on the silos is hokey, because that's the only real way it could be explained. There are enormous holes that will nag you until the very end when you realize Howey has no intention of filling them in. Shift is rather long and drawn out. Remember my criticism of Wool's tedious beginning, 30% of the book devoted to Jahn's stair climbing? Yeahhhh... this prequel is 70% tedium. The author spends too much time focusing on the daily lives of his characters. The suspense is there only because you want answers and there are periodic hints that you'll get them in time. But that's my gripe...all the waiting for that one bombshell reveal.
Oh, you think I hate the book due to what I wrote above? No, I actually liked it! It's strange and weird and wonderful. The hokey explanation may leave a metallic taste in your mouth (get it?) but you can digest it. Silo 17's plotline is fun and scary, the backstory on Jimmy exciting and insightful. Donald's slow piecing together of the dots is thrilling. Is Shift worth reading? YES, but know this: Shift doesn't reach the high bar that Wool created.
Final Rating: 8/10. It's great, but not as legendary as Wool. I'm reading the final installment of the Silo trilogy now, still totally motivated to see how all this pans out!
Friday, August 23, 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Wool Omnibus (Wool #1-5) by Hugh Howey
Plot Synopsis: A very toxic outside world has driven humanity to live within an underground "silo." 140 floors are devoted to keeping things humming - mechanical down below, hydroponic farm levels throughout, the IT department, Supply, porters (for delivering items), and even offices devoted to law and order -- deputies, sheriffs, and a mayor. But all is not exactly well in the silo as certain individuals begin to question why the outside is "taboo" and discussing an interest in it is punishable by "cleaning" (wherein those sentenced are put in special suits, let outside in the toxic environment, and for some reason, they clean the sensors that allow those in the silo to view the outside...only for the cleaner to then die a quick death outside). One individual, Juliette, a mechanic-turned-mayor begins to discover the awful truth about cleaning, just moments before she herself is sentenced to cleaning...
Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: This is an incredibly well-done story! And to think it was written by some guy who just decided to self-publish his writing on Amazon! So, let's talk about why this book is so good. First, the writing is so easy to read, so smooth, the descriptions spot on. Each chapter ends on a bit of a bombshell which propels you to keep reading, even when you expected to take a break. The chapters are small and easily digestible. The characters are all very unique and the author does a great job of getting the reader into each of their mindsets. I loved how I could understand the intentions of each of them due to the fact that each chapter is in a third-person-limited POV. You certainly get invested in characters like Jahns and Juliette among others. And the plot is so out there, so original, very dystopian and science-fictiony and yet real enough that it's totally believable. There is no magic here, just deception. It's such a suspenseful story, slightly complex due to seeing the conflict from multiple angles, that it's simply too good to put down until you've made it to the last page.
Was there anything I didn't like about this book? Yes. In the beginning of the novel, there's an immense amount of description of Jahn's descent down to Mechanical. Okay, I get it, the silo is very large and it takes days to traverse all the levels. But was it worth devoting 30% of the book for Jahn's to reach the bottom (rather anti-climatic) and then come back up (okay, that was climatic. No spoilers here!)? Sort of...while I found it difficult to trudge through all the description of aching legs, worn stairs, and porters running up and down, I did understand that these descriptions really did explain in large part how the silo functions which is important to get in order to appreciate the rest of the novel.
My other gripe is about the switching from one character's point of view to another every other chapter. As I continue to reiterate, this book is suspenseful and each chapter ends with a bombshell. So when you hit one bombshell and the next chapter does not follow up on that bombshell, you will be left absolutely frustrated and given no choice but to speed through this chapter to get back to the last "event" of the former chapter. It's very frustrating...great for suspense, but it can drive you a little crazy!
Final Rating: 10/10. I kind of wanted to give this book a 9/10 because of the heavy, boring descriptions in the beginning of the book, but I just can't bring myself to do it. This story is just too good and makes up for whatever faults it may have in the beginning. Oh, and did I mention I'm reading the splinter saga of this book, Shift Omnibus, as we speak? Any book that makes me excited enough to read its continuation less than 30 minutes after finishing it deserves a 10/10!
Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: This is an incredibly well-done story! And to think it was written by some guy who just decided to self-publish his writing on Amazon! So, let's talk about why this book is so good. First, the writing is so easy to read, so smooth, the descriptions spot on. Each chapter ends on a bit of a bombshell which propels you to keep reading, even when you expected to take a break. The chapters are small and easily digestible. The characters are all very unique and the author does a great job of getting the reader into each of their mindsets. I loved how I could understand the intentions of each of them due to the fact that each chapter is in a third-person-limited POV. You certainly get invested in characters like Jahns and Juliette among others. And the plot is so out there, so original, very dystopian and science-fictiony and yet real enough that it's totally believable. There is no magic here, just deception. It's such a suspenseful story, slightly complex due to seeing the conflict from multiple angles, that it's simply too good to put down until you've made it to the last page.
Was there anything I didn't like about this book? Yes. In the beginning of the novel, there's an immense amount of description of Jahn's descent down to Mechanical. Okay, I get it, the silo is very large and it takes days to traverse all the levels. But was it worth devoting 30% of the book for Jahn's to reach the bottom (rather anti-climatic) and then come back up (okay, that was climatic. No spoilers here!)? Sort of...while I found it difficult to trudge through all the description of aching legs, worn stairs, and porters running up and down, I did understand that these descriptions really did explain in large part how the silo functions which is important to get in order to appreciate the rest of the novel.
My other gripe is about the switching from one character's point of view to another every other chapter. As I continue to reiterate, this book is suspenseful and each chapter ends with a bombshell. So when you hit one bombshell and the next chapter does not follow up on that bombshell, you will be left absolutely frustrated and given no choice but to speed through this chapter to get back to the last "event" of the former chapter. It's very frustrating...great for suspense, but it can drive you a little crazy!
Final Rating: 10/10. I kind of wanted to give this book a 9/10 because of the heavy, boring descriptions in the beginning of the book, but I just can't bring myself to do it. This story is just too good and makes up for whatever faults it may have in the beginning. Oh, and did I mention I'm reading the splinter saga of this book, Shift Omnibus, as we speak? Any book that makes me excited enough to read its continuation less than 30 minutes after finishing it deserves a 10/10!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)