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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
3.5 stars.
This was nothing like I expected at all. It was so much darker and offered more than usual dystopian novels. No cliches, no cookie-cutter characters.
The plot was fast-paced from the very beginning. We entered the story in the middle of actions and thus it kept me on edge all the time, wondering if each individual would make it. The subplot of a broken family desperate to survive was my favorite aspect of the story. The family dynamics was extremely complex. Since we get chapters from all family members, we get to understand each family member's struggles and see them fought their own battles. The overall atmosphere was slightly depressing, but was lighten up by characters who were always striving to be better. Love and hatred and regrets and longing were woven together in the most beautiful way possible. (The ending, ahhhh, I was genuinely glad for them. <3)
The main plot though, very action-packed, but was not my favorite. The antagonists' motives were not convincing enough and lacked depth. "There's a better world out there, and I've been promised a piece of it. Sounded like a very surface-level reason to commit all those crimes to me.
With all the praises being said, I sadly have no interest in reading the next instalment for now, mostly because of how little interest I have in the main plot. Also, I do think I would have gotten much more out of the book and understood deeper meanings Howey was trying to convey, if I am more experienced in life.
This was nothing like I expected at all. It was so much darker and offered more than usual dystopian novels. No cliches, no cookie-cutter characters.
The plot was fast-paced from the very beginning. We entered the story in the middle of actions and thus it kept me on edge all the time, wondering if each individual would make it. The subplot of a broken family desperate to survive was my favorite aspect of the story. The family dynamics was extremely complex. Since we get chapters from all family members, we get to understand each family member's struggles and see them fought their own battles. The overall atmosphere was slightly depressing, but was lighten up by characters who were always striving to be better. Love and hatred and regrets and longing were woven together in the most beautiful way possible. (The ending, ahhhh, I was genuinely glad for them. <3)
The main plot though, very action-packed, but was not my favorite. The antagonists' motives were not convincing enough and lacked depth. "There's a better world out there, and I've been promised a piece of it. Sounded like a very surface-level reason to commit all those crimes to me.
With all the praises being said, I sadly have no interest in reading the next instalment for now, mostly because of how little interest I have in the main plot. Also, I do think I would have gotten much more out of the book and understood deeper meanings Howey was trying to convey, if I am more experienced in life.
It reminded me of Waterworld the movie and the Dune books. A world full of sand built atop ancient civilization. I'm sure there'll be sequels to reveal the why and how this came to be but would have loved all that to be included here.
I bought the book on a whim after attending an interview with Hugh Howey here in Cape Town. What a wonderful speaker and such an engaging person. Sci-fi is not my usual genre but I enjoyed it, a quick easy read and I'll definitely try more books of his.
The plot is decent enough to go along with the well crafted characters. Unfortunately, the larger universe (outside of the immediate setting of the story and the characters) did not make much sense to me, which was a disappointment. This made the last two parts of the book much less absorbing that the first three parts. [a:Hugh Howey|3064305|Hugh Howey|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1327581631p2/3064305.jpg] is a talented sci-fi writer but I can't expect a blockbuster like [b:Wool |13453029|Wool Omnibus (Silo, #1)|Hugh Howey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349614200s/13453029.jpg|18979356] every time.
Great concept. Started off really strong. Got pretty lame and felt rushed at the end. I expected to find there would be sequel and was surprised to discover it is supposed to be stand-alone. That leaves too many questions and too few answers. Not up to the standard of Wool.
Interesting but unsatisfying
I got this book courtesy of the kindle owner's library. I am glad I read it. The story and concept are interesting and the characters complex. Howey has a powerful way with words. It was hard to visualize the setting at times and hard to emotionally connect with the characters, which made it difficult to get reading momentum at first. Overall, the ending was somewhat unsatisfying, and I felt like there were a lot of loose ends and plots points that weren't resolved.
I got this book courtesy of the kindle owner's library. I am glad I read it. The story and concept are interesting and the characters complex. Howey has a powerful way with words. It was hard to visualize the setting at times and hard to emotionally connect with the characters, which made it difficult to get reading momentum at first. Overall, the ending was somewhat unsatisfying, and I felt like there were a lot of loose ends and plots points that weren't resolved.
Another great dystopia from Hugh Howey! The known world is covered in sand, and divers seek buried treasures from civilizations long past - Denver, in particular
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Welcome to another episode of "Hannah judges a book by its cover and is proven utterly incorrect"! I've had Sand sitting on my bookshelf for years but I hesitated to pick it up because I wasn't sure if I wanted to read a space story. And obviously it must be a space story judging by the cover, right?? Well it turns out that Sand takes place in Colorado. That's right, Colorado USA on the blue and green marble we call Earth. Nary a spaceship in sight. I ended up really enjoying this story and wish I had picked it up sooner. It was a harsh story set in a gritty (both literally and figuratively) world with a host of rough characters but there were also a lot of surprisingly poignant moments showing how these people were able to love and live vibrantly despite the harshness of their surroundings. This was so emotional and atmospheric that it's begging to be brought to life on the screen and I hope someone makes that happen soon because I would love to return to the world of Sand.
Sand, it wasn't as gritty as I expected it to be. Still it's good even though the world doesn't get nearly as fleshed out as Wool did.