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!
No comments:
Post a Comment