A review by story_goblin
Wool by Hugh Howey

adventurous challenging dark hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

A dystopian novel that’s not just full of doom and gloom. I was worried about picking it up in the midst of our current climate (feb 2025), but am actually glad I did. This book does not shy away from the realities of government control and manipulation, but the focus is more on the people who resist. And, unlike the Classic Dystopian novels like 1984, the resisters actually make progress. I liked that it addressed multiple types of resisters- those who find the truth, those who stumble onto the truth, those who are just in the “wrong” place and have to decide what they’re gonna do about it, those who were asked for a favor and had to weigh the risks of helping against the safety of doing nothing, those who were born into the class being controlled, and those who were born into the controlling class. All exist and all make decisions that affect the course of the silo.