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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I really liked this at the beginning and my like faded a little as the book went on. It got a little preachy and self-impressed towards the end, particularly the last five percent or so. Also, the world-building didn't completely hang together for me. There were certain things that existed in that world that I just couldn't quite square with some of the other limitations introduced. It was still pretty good, though, and I'll certainly read more Howey in the future. I'll be interested to see if in future books, this universe merges with the Wool universe. I could see it happening, and it would be intriguing.
More like 3.5 stars.
More like 3.5 stars.
A weirdly interesting dystopian society where they “dive” in to the sands in which they live on top of. Much like the movie “Waterworld”, they find buildings, valuables, hidden truths, and deception below in the depths.
The writing and story can be a little dry at times, but the story and idea are imaginative.
The writing and story can be a little dry at times, but the story and idea are imaginative.
While I enjoyed the Wool series by Hugh Howey more than this latest book, it was still a great concept. I would enjoy seeing this world expanded upon. I feel like it took a while to find its footing and there were some weaker elements to the story, but I enjoyed the novelty of the plot. I would have liked a less open ending.
I feel like this book should have been longer, or maybe multiple books. Some parts, especially near the end, felt rushed, and at one point I was aware I was reading a book, I kinda fell out of it.
This book was hard to put down! Definitely not a feel good story, but a great story all the same. I'm anxious for the next one. It brought about some disturbing images at times, had one of the most gruesome deaths I've read in a book, and had some pretty bad language throughout. So take those things as warnings if you'd rather not read them!
Hugh Howey created a fascinating world where sand acted like water and covered the old world. Sand divers dived under the sand, retrieving artifacts from the old world to help them survive. The characters were well developed, and I felt for their inner struggles as they faced the central issue at hand. I hope Howey continues this world with a series! Loved it!
Let me start by saying I wish I could give it a 3.5. I loved the setting and it fascinates me how many post-apocalyptic worlds Hugh Howey can create. His voice is beautiful as always, and I loved the characters, family, and various points of view he chose to use. That being said, I hated the plot. I thought this would be more of a sand-diving adventure (which I loved when it started out like this) but ultimately it turned into an attempt at a deeper, humanity-loving theme (which normally I would enjoy) that was done poorly. The ultimate deeper lessons felt rushed and disconnected. I’m still holding out for his future works!
After reading the Wool Trilogy, Hugh Howey earned a spot in my favourite authors list. Wool is to this day my favourite dystopian series meaning I had very high hopes for Sand. Whilst I did thoroughly enjoy Sand it was not as great as Wool – although, I guess nothing could be that great.
Howey once again creates a unique dystopian world, this time in a land covered by sand (hello title). Much like Wool we were given the what and the how – although this story was condensed to be much shorter than the Wool series. Sadly, however we were not given the why. When the book ended I still had questions concerning the why of the world. With Wool we were given the answers in the second book, Shift, but this one leaves us with that question hanging in the air. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the book. I just would have liked the answer to that. Still, with that in mind, such a thing was not possible in the story context. What we’re given is the myths of the world, as we’re seeing things in the way that the characters do.
Speaking of characters, Howey has once again created a world of loveable characters. Each character is unique in their own way, playing a vital role as the story unfolds. I will admit that I was attached to some characters more than others, but that was mainly due to being able to relate to them more than others. No characters were two dimensional, all had personalities and all played their part in the story, everyone growing over time.
There were a few predictable events, which was quite surprising considering how Wool was one shock after the other, yet despite this it was a fast paced engaging story. I was constantly telling myself I would read just one more chapter and before I knew it I’d read another fifty pages without even realising it.
All in all, it is another great story. If you’re a Hugh Howey fan I certainly recommend reading it. If you’re new to his wonderful worlds then it isn’t a bad place to start, although I would certainly point you towards Wool instead simply because I enjoyed it more.
Howey once again creates a unique dystopian world, this time in a land covered by sand (hello title). Much like Wool we were given the what and the how – although this story was condensed to be much shorter than the Wool series. Sadly, however we were not given the why. When the book ended I still had questions concerning the why of the world. With Wool we were given the answers in the second book, Shift, but this one leaves us with that question hanging in the air. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the book. I just would have liked the answer to that. Still, with that in mind, such a thing was not possible in the story context. What we’re given is the myths of the world, as we’re seeing things in the way that the characters do.
Speaking of characters, Howey has once again created a world of loveable characters. Each character is unique in their own way, playing a vital role as the story unfolds. I will admit that I was attached to some characters more than others, but that was mainly due to being able to relate to them more than others. No characters were two dimensional, all had personalities and all played their part in the story, everyone growing over time.
There were a few predictable events, which was quite surprising considering how Wool was one shock after the other, yet despite this it was a fast paced engaging story. I was constantly telling myself I would read just one more chapter and before I knew it I’d read another fifty pages without even realising it.
All in all, it is another great story. If you’re a Hugh Howey fan I certainly recommend reading it. If you’re new to his wonderful worlds then it isn’t a bad place to start, although I would certainly point you towards Wool instead simply because I enjoyed it more.
Although not quite as captivating as his Wool series, I left satisfied and feeling good about this book. It had several characters with different traits, their different stories folding into one bigger narrative as (in my experience) Mr. Howey tends to write his books. It's certainly one of his books' strengths.
The plot itself didn't quite unfold for me as quickly as I would have liked, but no matter - I was intrigued at the end of it and stuck with it because I wanted to know more. However, I feel as though the last 2-3 hours of the audiobook was where the plot truly started speeding up, which you might argue is a little late... Nevertheless, pleasant experience, no character that annoyed me all that much, but none I truly felt connected to either.
Still, I wouldn't say that it spoiled the experience for me. Then again, I have a general tendency to be a plot driven person rather than a character driven one. Generally.
The plot itself didn't quite unfold for me as quickly as I would have liked, but no matter - I was intrigued at the end of it and stuck with it because I wanted to know more. However, I feel as though the last 2-3 hours of the audiobook was where the plot truly started speeding up, which you might argue is a little late... Nevertheless, pleasant experience, no character that annoyed me all that much, but none I truly felt connected to either.
Still, I wouldn't say that it spoiled the experience for me. Then again, I have a general tendency to be a plot driven person rather than a character driven one. Generally.