This book pissed me off and left me with an unpleasant taste in my mouth. "The Pines" was one of my favorite books last year. I loved it and have recommended it more times than I can count. I couldn't wait when I saw the sequel was coming out. I should have known. I tried reading several of Crouch's books after "The Pines" and didn't really like them. BUT, I thought he's going back to Wayward Pines. Upcoming spoilers for "The Pines". Consider yourself warned.
The big reveal at the end of the "The Pines", is that our world has been destroyed. It is hundreds of years into the future and the town of Wayward Pines and the outpost in the mountain are the only pockets of humanity left. Ethan Burke, the main character from the previous book has been told the truth and is the new sheriff. He knows it all know. The town is wired. Every aspect of life is under surveillance. Bathrooms, bedrooms, everything is all wired for sight and sound being reviewed up in the mountain. All inhabitants have an imbedded tracker to mark their locations as well. All of this makes you feel uncomfortable and in need of a shower (in the dark). Which is the point I suppose as Ethan is now in charge of upholding the status quo. Out in what's left of the world, the "Abbies" are an ever present threat that the outpost is monitoring under the control of evil mastermind David Pilcher, who is known to the town as their psychiatrist. Crouch spends a lot of time with Pilcher's character. I'm still not sure if we are supposed to understand him or hate him. Whatever, I gave up.
After a very slow opening where Ethan contemplates all that sucks in the world, he finds a dead body. GASP!! How does that happen in this town. Not just any dead body, she's a spy for Pilcher. At this point I did get engaged again. The mystery. The who, what, why of it all. Then we get the end when Ethan figures it all out. Ethan goes for broke, Pilcher throws a tantrum and it ends. Right there, cliffhanger city. Cue the music.
Well no not really, because you know what happened and is happening. Crouch forgot to finish the book. It is to be continued in the third book of the series. My problem is that this book isn't finished. Each book in a series should stand on it's own and this one doesn't. It really, really doesn't. I was so disappointed I would have thrown it across the room, except it was on my Kindle. I realize that I had extremely high expectations for this book and that factored into my reading experience. I can't recommend this book. I really wanted to, but I can't.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
"Wool" ~ Hugh Howey
"Wool" tops my list of must reads for the year. This book is amazing. The book opens with a group of people living in an underground silo. Why? Who are they? Why are they there? "Wool" was initially released as a short stand alone story. Readers demanded more and Mr. Howey obliged. The rest of the story was released over six months. Thankfully I found it after it was finished. Waiting to find out what happens would have driven me crazy.
The worst crime you can commit in the Silo wanting to go outside. The punishment, they let you. In this post apocalypse world, the Silo's inhabitants have one view of the world. The screens on the top most level showing a desolate world of brown. Nobody knows why, they just know they can't survive out there. The story opens with the sheriff stating that he wants to go outside. This means he will be sent outside to clean. The will put him in a self contained suit, strap wool pads to his hands to clean the camera feed sensors and let him go. Nobody makes it very far before their suit disintegrates. And everybody cleans before they die. Every...single...person. Even the ones who swore they wouldn't.
You spend the first part of the book with the sheriff, who's wife was sent to clean three years ago. Then you shift to the mayor and the deputy sheriff as they journey through the silo to hire the next sheriff. Howey's created an amazingly believable world. It makes sense and functions well. You see the how, but again you just can't quite put your finger on the why. The third shift takes you to Juliette, the new sheriff. I love Juliette. As a mechanic and engineer, she's looking for the pieces that don't fit. That don't make sense. She's us, the reader, at this point and actively taking us with her as she tries to figure it out.
And after that? I'm not going to tell you. Go read the book. All I know is that I couldn't put it down. I finished it and bought the next two books in the series. Shift provides the backstory for the Silo as it bounces between the past and present. Dust brings it all together. Did I like them as much as "Wool"? Almost. I had some story issues and some character issues, but over all, I highly recommend the whole series. Why did I like "Wool" better? "Wool" is that magical first experience before you have anything to compare it to. Before there is history, context and explanations. Did I say go read it? Go read it.
The worst crime you can commit in the Silo wanting to go outside. The punishment, they let you. In this post apocalypse world, the Silo's inhabitants have one view of the world. The screens on the top most level showing a desolate world of brown. Nobody knows why, they just know they can't survive out there. The story opens with the sheriff stating that he wants to go outside. This means he will be sent outside to clean. The will put him in a self contained suit, strap wool pads to his hands to clean the camera feed sensors and let him go. Nobody makes it very far before their suit disintegrates. And everybody cleans before they die. Every...single...person. Even the ones who swore they wouldn't.
You spend the first part of the book with the sheriff, who's wife was sent to clean three years ago. Then you shift to the mayor and the deputy sheriff as they journey through the silo to hire the next sheriff. Howey's created an amazingly believable world. It makes sense and functions well. You see the how, but again you just can't quite put your finger on the why. The third shift takes you to Juliette, the new sheriff. I love Juliette. As a mechanic and engineer, she's looking for the pieces that don't fit. That don't make sense. She's us, the reader, at this point and actively taking us with her as she tries to figure it out.
And after that? I'm not going to tell you. Go read the book. All I know is that I couldn't put it down. I finished it and bought the next two books in the series. Shift provides the backstory for the Silo as it bounces between the past and present. Dust brings it all together. Did I like them as much as "Wool"? Almost. I had some story issues and some character issues, but over all, I highly recommend the whole series. Why did I like "Wool" better? "Wool" is that magical first experience before you have anything to compare it to. Before there is history, context and explanations. Did I say go read it? Go read it.
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