Reviews

This might be Bacigalupi's weakest yet, which is actually praise. The several others I've read were taut and imaginative and believable. This one's more of a thriller, with a Latino Bruce Willis and three plucky girls.

The water-short scenario is quite well presented, although at times I wondered, "If this is so badly broken, why does that seem so normal?" The author comes *this* close to crossing the line into preaching when you read for about the fifth time "We saw this coming and didn't do anything." Even if it's absolutely true of our modern society, that's a bit heavy-handed.

The plot ends up keying on a thing, OK a McGuffin, which may not come as a surprise to some when it's revealed. Even the less perspicacious reader will have observed that a certain item is mentioned surprisingly often and pointedly ignored despite being presented to the reader ***--> LIKE THIS! <---***

The Bruce Willis aspect appears when several characters get shot and appear to be only mildly inconvenienced. Early on, there's a nasty bit of torture explained after the fact in great detail. You KNOW that sooner or later one of the protagonists is going to meet the torturer, and sure enough ... but you never really feel that she's in danger because this is one of those books where Something Always Happens, and just as in all the other thrillers it's a remarkable coincidence in which another protagonist goes, "aha! I know where she is!" and they arrive JUST in time.

The plot does roll along with some brio, with lots of bad guys and action.

I agree with everyone else that maybe the author should be one of those who don't use sex scenes. The one here falls just short of "alabaster globes" and "throbbing manhood."

Is this PB's attempt to hit the mainstream market, or the movies? Feels like it. Maybe it will succeed as such, but I hope not. I want the old PB back, because thrillers are a dime a dozen but his previous works are one of a kind.

neensobeens1's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

Good intrigue, interesting premise.

testaroscia's review against another edition

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4.0

Constantly ready to be disappointed but instead, except for the twaddle of the sex scene, the novel stuck together very nicely. Believable scenarios, good pacing, kept me going with no problem. If you like your dystopian novel with a "yeah, I can really see that happening" then this is for you, but it comes along with a fair bit of violence and not many avenues to Hollywood endings.

twagner3's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

mishat's review against another edition

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3.0

The setting for this book is a terrifyingly believable version of our future, and that is what will stay with me. But the characters, especially the women characters, are not very real or believable, and the graphic violence and torture was not for me. I kept reading for the mystery but that didn’t really go anywhere in the end.

migimasa's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

pfruit's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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