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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I absolutely loved Wool by Hugh Howie and maybe my expectations were too high afterwards, but Sand fell a bit flat in the end. I enjoyed the beginning, the world building and the characters. Howie knows how to write. But in the end it feels like it's just the first part of something bigger and like there should be a second book. It's almost as if he hit his word count and stopped writing. If you don't mind abrupt endings it's well worth a read.
Not as awesome as Wool (few things are), but still a solid read from a great sci-fi writer. :)
I really enjoyed the first 3/4 of this book. There were several tense moments that really got my heart beating, making it not the best bedtime reading... But the end feels so rushed and sloppily tied together, like the author had a deadline to make, or perhaps lost interest in the story line. I ended up disappointed.
The idea of scavengers living on the surface of a deep sea of dunes, making their living by perilous dives into suffocating depths, is amazing. There are great characters and scenes. But there is too much omitted in the world building, and the ending was deeply unsatisfying to me. If he took another crack at this setting I would absolutely give it a chance, because I really wanted this to be better.
I thought Hugh Howey's Wool series was amazing. The Sand series is just pretty good. The character development was great - I loved the family, and the various members. He did a great job of fleshing them out, and making us really care about them. That was my favorite part.
But the world... as a post-apocalyptic world, it just doesn't have the dimensionality, interest or believability that I expected, or that he pulled off in Wool. Some aspects of it didn't quite make a lot of sense to me. (Frankly, Denver, Colorado below hundreds of feet of sand is pretty darned far fetched, even given his explanation - and if so, getting water would be much more difficult than he suggests.) Although the idea of sand diving is pretty cool.
Anyway, I did enjoy reading it, but it's not up to the same as his other work.
But the world... as a post-apocalyptic world, it just doesn't have the dimensionality, interest or believability that I expected, or that he pulled off in Wool. Some aspects of it didn't quite make a lot of sense to me. (Frankly, Denver, Colorado below hundreds of feet of sand is pretty darned far fetched, even given his explanation - and if so, getting water would be much more difficult than he suggests.) Although the idea of sand diving is pretty cool.
Anyway, I did enjoy reading it, but it's not up to the same as his other work.
Hugh Howey is great at exploring a futuristic science fiction worlds where humans are living in extreme circumstances. In Sand, the world he has created felt new and unique where the land is covered in a relentless expanse of sand that continuously shifts with the wind. I also enjoyed the technology that is highlighted: the suits that give the ability to “dive” down within the sand dunes like divers in water. I was able to clearly picture each diver weaving themselves through the sand to swim and recover ancient artifacts.
Hugh Howey has once again crafted a story with extreme emotional impact. I found the same feel in his silo saga. I always feel like I am pulled along by his stories with a few small redeeming qualities of humanity then slammed with depressing truths of cruelty, betrayal, and evil intent. The people living within his world are fighting great odds to stay alive but more often it is the humans that live with each other that create the most pain. The story may take place within a science fiction world but humanity’s ups and downs are what is explored. I always felt that the characters in Sand felt real and complete, as well as very entertaining to read about. I can always learn a little more about people by reading Howey’s novels.
Hugh Howey has once again crafted a story with extreme emotional impact. I found the same feel in his silo saga. I always feel like I am pulled along by his stories with a few small redeeming qualities of humanity then slammed with depressing truths of cruelty, betrayal, and evil intent. The people living within his world are fighting great odds to stay alive but more often it is the humans that live with each other that create the most pain. The story may take place within a science fiction world but humanity’s ups and downs are what is explored. I always felt that the characters in Sand felt real and complete, as well as very entertaining to read about. I can always learn a little more about people by reading Howey’s novels.
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
If you like dystopia and/or science fiction, you need to read this and the author's Silo trilogy.
Mielenkiintoinen dystopia, tykkäsin. 3/5 koska jäi vähän jotenkin lätyksi, ei lähtenyt kunnolla käyntiin.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes