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A review by steveatwaywords
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
The world Bacigalupi has invented is fascinating and plausible, a post-climate-apocalypse where class difference is strained to the extreme, and the micro-cultures within it seen in this YA novel are the tip of a much larger world realized in his more mature works. This alone makes the book an interesting read.
However, the plot of this work, along with its characters and their development, is given much shorter shrift. The main characters are almost dragged powerlessly from place to place, and it is only through unlikely chances that they sometimes survive their ordeals. More, who they are at the beginning of the novel remains fairly static throughout. What growth they discover is dealt with briefly and is largely attributed to them just meeting a class struggle beyond their own. It could be that these limitations are revealed more powerfully in the later works of the series, but on its own, this title is disappointing--the only suspense is in the somewhat-expected plot-level actions.
However, the plot of this work, along with its characters and their development, is given much shorter shrift. The main characters are almost dragged powerlessly from place to place, and it is only through unlikely chances that they sometimes survive their ordeals. More, who they are at the beginning of the novel remains fairly static throughout. What growth they discover is dealt with briefly and is largely attributed to them just meeting a class struggle beyond their own. It could be that these limitations are revealed more powerfully in the later works of the series, but on its own, this title is disappointing--the only suspense is in the somewhat-expected plot-level actions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Classism