sr_marshrat's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
My favorite parts of Bacigalupi's works are his vividly believable dystopian landscapes, harsh predictions about the trajectory of our world if climate change is not addressed. But Water Knife's cautionary drought tale is overshadowed (and accordingly underdeveloped) by a James-Bond-style race-for-highly-valuable-object, rife with violence for shock value and improbable coicindences. What could have been a heart wrenching mystery centering on a tough-skinned orphan is instead a shallow action movie centered around two washed-up, and frankly less engaging, adults.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Xenophobia, Classism, Gore, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, and Drug use
Minor: Death of parent and Suicidal thoughts
mordshunger's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Potent, snappy, depressing and depressingly real. The plot is just a little garnish, an excuse for us to see how all this works, how the people work in this world.
This pairs really terribly well with all the news of Texan heat records being broken, 30+ days with temperatures over 100° Fahrenheit etc etc etc.
The future is now, and water rights are human rights.
This pairs really terribly well with all the news of Texan heat records being broken, 30+ days with temperatures over 100° Fahrenheit etc etc etc.
The future is now, and water rights are human rights.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Deadnaming
Moderate: Xenophobia and Racial slurs
rockin_robyn's review
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, Death, Violence, Torture, Murder, and Kidnapping
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
ricksilva's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In the near-future American Southwest, California and Nevada fight a covert war over the dwindling Colorado River while the city of Phoenix, Arizona, is dying a slow death by thirst and dust.
The story focuses on three characters: Angel, a "water knife" doing the dirty work of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Maria, a refugee from Texas making money selling water alongside a streetfood vendor, and Lucy, a news reporter whose friend just turned up dead.
The Maguffin of the story, an ancient water rights document, is a bit dubious, but the action and pacing are intense, and the worldbuilding is inspired. There are some places where the story gets predictable. There are characters that you just know are going to get killed; it's only a matter of when. But there were still enough surprises to keep it interesting.
I liked the ongoing interplay between trust and distrust among the main characters.
There is a lot of brutal material here, including some fairly graphic torture, and the future it presents is pretty bleak. But it's also carefully thought out and frighteningly believable.
The story focuses on three characters: Angel, a "water knife" doing the dirty work of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Maria, a refugee from Texas making money selling water alongside a streetfood vendor, and Lucy, a news reporter whose friend just turned up dead.
The Maguffin of the story, an ancient water rights document, is a bit dubious, but the action and pacing are intense, and the worldbuilding is inspired. There are some places where the story gets predictable. There are characters that you just know are going to get killed; it's only a matter of when. But there were still enough surprises to keep it interesting.
I liked the ongoing interplay between trust and distrust among the main characters.
There is a lot of brutal material here, including some fairly graphic torture, and the future it presents is pretty bleak. But it's also carefully thought out and frighteningly believable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Violence
ndyl's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Torture, and Blood
carissa230's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
In the future water is a scarce resource. Angel is a water knife. He goes into states or areas where there is water and cuts their access to give it to his boss Catherine Case in Las Vegas. Las Vegas is resplendent with water.
Maria is from Texas. The worst state for water access. Maria has fled to Phoenix. Phoenix is doing terrible, but better than Texas. Maria is running from The Vet. The man that runs Phoenix and takes the money that people are able to collect. She hustles for survival, but she's not desperate enough to sell her body...yet.
Lucy is a journalist. Lucy has documented the downfall of Phoenix. Most recently a friend of hers is brutally murdered and she makes it her mission to find out why. Lucy has seen the worst aspects of Phoenix and yet she stays to ensure the information she is allowed to release gets out to people.
When the three lives converge nothing will ever be the same. Angel and Lucy work together to see her friend was killed and find what he had that was so valuable. Maria just tries to survive and keep herself safe.
Maria is from Texas. The worst state for water access. Maria has fled to Phoenix. Phoenix is doing terrible, but better than Texas. Maria is running from The Vet. The man that runs Phoenix and takes the money that people are able to collect. She hustles for survival, but she's not desperate enough to sell her body...yet.
Lucy is a journalist. Lucy has documented the downfall of Phoenix. Most recently a friend of hers is brutally murdered and she makes it her mission to find out why. Lucy has seen the worst aspects of Phoenix and yet she stays to ensure the information she is allowed to release gets out to people.
When the three lives converge nothing will ever be the same. Angel and Lucy work together to see her friend was killed and find what he had that was so valuable. Maria just tries to survive and keep herself safe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexual violence, Murder, Gun violence, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Body horror
hazel_georgene's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Sexual content
jrubi35's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Cursing, Sexual content, Excrement, Blood, Death, Violence, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Drug use
crlpedigo's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
ineffablebob's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The Water Knife is a near-future thriller set in a third-world area where climate change and environmental excess have driven some people to desperation and others to predation. The twist in this particular novel is that the third-world area is the Southwest USA, after battles over water rights have turned states against one another. I thought that was the least believable part of the premise, honestly, but it's not too hard to suspend disbelief and roll with it. And once you do, the rest is a solid thriller story with lots of danger, betrayal, and near escapes. Plenty of excitement and action with characters that are various shades of gray. Recommended if you're into the thriller genre and the premise sounds intriguing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence