Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Pages: 323

Intended Audience: Teens and Mature Tweens

Genre: Dystopia

Notes for Parents: Scenes of violence.

The Back Cover

In America's Gulf Coast region, grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts by crews of young people. Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota-and hopefully live to see another day. But when, by luck or by chance, he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life....

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

It gives just enough information.

What’s good?

This is a well-paced, gritty adventure set in a desolate future where ecological disaster has left the world struggling to survive. The tone is wrought with sweat and desperation as Nailer ekes out a living scavenging old ships. There are tense moments when Nailer must choose between what’s advantageous and what’s ethical. Loyalty and integrity are themes that run throughout the novel.

Best Part: Tool, the half-man.

What isn’t good?

A lot of little things annoyed me right from the start. I loved the name Nailer, but then we met Sloth, Bapi, Moon Girl, Pearly, Jackson Boy, Tick-tock…and Richard Lopez. It came to feel a little contrived. A lot of his word choices seemed awkward, which is unfortunate because the world he created was very believable in its bleakness. Also, the villains were a little harsh, secreting cruelty without remorse. I prefer my bad guys to have at least a little humanity in them.

Worst part: The author’s corny word choices.

Recommendation þþþoo

This was not a bad book. It’s a fascinating look at one of our possible futures. It has tons of action and adventure, interesting characters, and unique settings. Unfortunately, the language feels juvenile, while the content itself calls for something more mature. The story felt…off balance.

Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2010.