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gavinofhaynes 's review for:
The Water Knife
by Paolo Bacigalupi
Bacigalupi continues his trend of writing interesting works based on the trends of the world. The story is a grim walk through the run down southwest of the United States.
The characters in the story for the most part are very strong, and carry the weight of the setting very well. There are a few questionable decisions made regarding some of their choices, but most of the character work feels grounded, and although most of the characters come out of this story the same, the change they did go through is apparent enough to be satisfying.
The real enjoyment of the book for me at least is Bacigalupi's setting. The pseudo-anarchy of a world deprived of the things that once made it what it was. Gangs run the streets, inter-state immigrants are routinely murdered, and aid organizations and other local forces are left to pick up the pieces. Some of the world feels underdeveloped however: a gang leader (or mob boss) known as the Vet is just there it seems, there is a religion of sorts that springs up around all the turmoil that is not touched upon, and ultimately the thing being sought by many of the characters ends up feeling like a water based MAcGuffin. This isn't to say it's not done well, I just wish some of the setting had been expanded on.
My critique of the book mainly revolves around personal preference of Bacigalupi's writing style. A lot of the Spanish in the book comes across as thrown in to remind you a character is Hispanic, and there is a noticeable amount of repeating prose. The third act also features a couple strange twists in the story. In one instance, a character all of a sudden has access to high tech and life saving medical attention, seemingly out of nowhere.
Overall, the setting and characters are enough to keep the book held together tightly. I appreciate the length of the story as well, the writing felt lean and kept a quick pace to the delivery of information. Bacigalupi's world leaves you feeling that if you were to look up from the pages that a sand storm may be blowing outside your window at any moment. Although there are some weak spots, The Water Knife does a good job of bringing a concept to the reader and attaching a believable story to it, not a small feat for many writers.
The characters in the story for the most part are very strong, and carry the weight of the setting very well. There are a few questionable decisions made regarding some of their choices, but most of the character work feels grounded, and although most of the characters come out of this story the same, the change they did go through is apparent enough to be satisfying.
The real enjoyment of the book for me at least is Bacigalupi's setting. The pseudo-anarchy of a world deprived of the things that once made it what it was. Gangs run the streets, inter-state immigrants are routinely murdered, and aid organizations and other local forces are left to pick up the pieces. Some of the world feels underdeveloped however: a gang leader (or mob boss) known as the Vet is just there it seems, there is a religion of sorts that springs up around all the turmoil that is not touched upon, and ultimately the thing being sought by many of the characters ends up feeling like a water based MAcGuffin. This isn't to say it's not done well, I just wish some of the setting had been expanded on.
My critique of the book mainly revolves around personal preference of Bacigalupi's writing style. A lot of the Spanish in the book comes across as thrown in to remind you a character is Hispanic, and there is a noticeable amount of repeating prose. The third act also features a couple strange twists in the story. In one instance, a character all of a sudden has access to high tech and life saving medical attention, seemingly out of nowhere.
Overall, the setting and characters are enough to keep the book held together tightly. I appreciate the length of the story as well, the writing felt lean and kept a quick pace to the delivery of information. Bacigalupi's world leaves you feeling that if you were to look up from the pages that a sand storm may be blowing outside your window at any moment. Although there are some weak spots, The Water Knife does a good job of bringing a concept to the reader and attaching a believable story to it, not a small feat for many writers.