Ship Breaker

From it's gritty cover to it's solid characters and environment, Ship Breaker is a very good read. Details of screwed up environment aren't displayed as art or read out like sermons, instead they play a crucial part in the story. Just enough details of the drowned city (New Orleans) are given for the story, leaving this reader satisfied yet wanting to know more.

Male and female characters are played as equals, a refreshing change from the classic sci-fi I've read lately. Race is ignored, though color of skin is occasionally mentioned. The motivations of the strong characters are tested often, with subtle changes to their outlook through the book.

The pace of the adventure is fairly quick; the "young-adult" label showing through somewhat. I finished this book in just five days. While the novel ends well on its own, the fact that there is a sequel is not at all surprising. Comparing this to other dystopian young-adult novels, I found it far superior to the Hunger Games and The Giver - both far more social.

I understand Paolo Bacigalupi linked this novel in some ways with his other works. I look forward to reading them and finding those links soon. Recommended, 5 stars, and I am glad to see this being read in schools.