Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

In America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts, 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 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. . . .

This post-apocalyptic world really packs a punch. The constant sense of danger was keeping me on my toes and the edge of my seat. The whole world seemed dangerous from Nailer's job of climbing around in rickety old oil tankers in search of copper wire to the ocean polluted with oil to invented creatures with part animal and part human DNA.

Nailer's world is one that can easily be imagined for ourselves. The fall of humanity was a problem that we hear about often in our current times, but anyone has yet to find a solution to our predicament. I often found myself wondering "could that be a near future" throughout the story.

One thing I really loved about this book was the way it made me think. It brought up questions about family, relationships, and loyalty. I was often wondering what the true meaning of each was and how much had to change before their meaning changes as well.

I found the lack of detail in some parts a little disappointing. It felt almost as if too much information was shoved into a small space. The half-men and the state of the world were large elements of the story, but I felt as if they were glossed over a little. I was left with a few questions at the end and a nagging feeling that they should have been answered. Overall though, this was a great read, so I urge you to pick it up sometime.

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 323
Release Date: May 2010
Genre: Dystopian, Post-apocalyptic
Rating: 4 stars