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Sleeping Giants
(Themis Files #1)
by
A girl named Rose is riding her new bike near home in Deadwood, South Dakota, when she falls through the earth. She wakes up at the bottom of a square-shaped hole, its walls glowing with intricate carvings. But the firemen who come to save her peer down upon something even stranger: a little girl in the palm of a giant metal hand.
Seventeen years later, the mystery of the b ...more
Seventeen years later, the mystery of the b ...more
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Hardcover, First Edition, 320 pages
Published
April 26th 2016
by Del Rey
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Sylvain Neuvel
Hi! There'll be at least three. We'll go from there.
Sylvain Neuvel
Thanks! I don't wanna spoil the next book, but you should read the next book :)
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of Sleeping Giants (Themis Files, #1)
You have to understand that this flies in the face of everything we know about American civilizations.
Sleeping Giants is being compared to the bestseller and now successful Matt Damon film - The Martian - which is misleading, if not entirely inaccurate.
The two books' stories, narrative styles, characters and overall tones are actually very different. Almost all the details about this book do not resemble The Martian at all. However, they do share a key similarity.
For me, The Martian is not ...more
This sci-fi novel got a lot of buzz when it came out, and I see why. The basic story: pieces of a gigantic metal robot, thousands of years old, are discovered scattered around the earth, buried deep in the earth or under the sea. Where did they come from? What are they for? A team is assembled in top secrecy to rebuild the robot and figure out how it works. The story is told in a series of interviews -- reports submitted by an anonymous interviewer who is pulling most of the strings behind the p
...more
Update 2/17/18:
Boy, I keep re-reading this stuff and I never seem to have any problems doing so. I'm still having fun and it's still popcorn fun!
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?
So why did I re-read? I just got the pre-release of book three, Only Human. It's CALLING TO ME! :)
Update 12/10/16:
Just re-read and what can I say? I still love it. Didn't really miss anything from the first time, but that certainly doesn't matter when I'm just having fun. :)
Robots! ROBOTS!!!! *squeeeeeeeeeeeeee*
And now that I've go ...more
Boy, I keep re-reading this stuff and I never seem to have any problems doing so. I'm still having fun and it's still popcorn fun!
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?
So why did I re-read? I just got the pre-release of book three, Only Human. It's CALLING TO ME! :)
Update 12/10/16:
Just re-read and what can I say? I still love it. Didn't really miss anything from the first time, but that certainly doesn't matter when I'm just having fun. :)
Robots! ROBOTS!!!! *squeeeeeeeeeeeeee*
And now that I've go ...more
In my humble opinion, this book was 320 pages of info dump. The Martian style except somehow more... overwhelming.
Please don't get me wrong, I am not new to this kind of format. Like World War Z and Illuminae (Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff), the story of Sleeping Giants is told in the form of interviews conducted by a mysterious, nameless person who seems to have a lots and lots and lots of power as well as in the form of oral diary entries. I loved it when it was used in WWZ and Illuminae becau ...more
Please don't get me wrong, I am not new to this kind of format. Like World War Z and Illuminae (Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff), the story of Sleeping Giants is told in the form of interviews conducted by a mysterious, nameless person who seems to have a lots and lots and lots of power as well as in the form of oral diary entries. I loved it when it was used in WWZ and Illuminae becau ...more
I'm really dumb so I didn't realize I had the first book in the series already and I read the second one but I still really enjoyed the first one even though I read it afterwards. I knew what was going to happen but I still felt excited while reading and it kept my attention. Also I love Kara and now I'm even more depressed about the second one. I didn't like this one as much as the second though for some reason even though the plot line was cool, I guess it just wasn't enough character developm
...more
This book is a work of art.
Even though it was written in interviews, journal entries, articles and transcripts, the details were never once left out and there was not a single moment when a certain interview felt detached from the rest of the book, which is extraordinary. All the files merged together very well and once you finish reading a chapter, the part of the story revealed in that chapter adds to everything you already know and forms a steady timeline of events which is amazing.
It was p ...more
Even though it was written in interviews, journal entries, articles and transcripts, the details were never once left out and there was not a single moment when a certain interview felt detached from the rest of the book, which is extraordinary. All the files merged together very well and once you finish reading a chapter, the part of the story revealed in that chapter adds to everything you already know and forms a steady timeline of events which is amazing.
It was p ...more
Man, I loved this SF novel! The sequel, Waking Gods, was published at the beginning of April 2017, and the last book in this series is being published this spring.
Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:
I first read Sleeping Giants six months ago and was immediately sucked into its world. I stayed up far too late reading it, finishing it the next day when I really should have been working. History repeats itself: When it came time to write this review, I thought I would take a quick gla ...more
Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:
I first read Sleeping Giants six months ago and was immediately sucked into its world. I stayed up far too late reading it, finishing it the next day when I really should have been working. History repeats itself: When it came time to write this review, I thought I would take a quick gla ...more
So much Deus ex Machina.
Sleeping Giants is an interesting read for anyone who loves Sci-Fi and mecha or giant robot in their story.
This first book in 'Themis Files' Sci-Fi series by Sylvain Neuvel and it began with an 11 years old kid, Rose Franklin falling down through a rabbit hole (not really but still, a hole). After she was saved, turns out that the place she fell upon was on a giant metal hand. The story then fast forward to 17 years later with Rose now leading a top secret team to unravel the origin, mystery and ...more
This first book in 'Themis Files' Sci-Fi series by Sylvain Neuvel and it began with an 11 years old kid, Rose Franklin falling down through a rabbit hole (not really but still, a hole). After she was saved, turns out that the place she fell upon was on a giant metal hand. The story then fast forward to 17 years later with Rose now leading a top secret team to unravel the origin, mystery and ...more
Listened to this on audio, and it does not disappoint!
Great cast of narrators, intriguing story, I was hooked.
Great cast of narrators, intriguing story, I was hooked.
Sleeping Giants was a truly delightful reading experience; worthy of all the SCIFI stars!
When Rose Franklin is 11-years old, she falls into a giant hole whilst out riding her new bike.
After she is found and rescued, it is discovered that she is laying atop an enormous metal hand. Less than 8-hours later, the U.S. Military arrives to take over the scene.
As an adult, Rose works at the University of Chicago.
One day, an opportunity is presented to her to study that very same hand she stumbled upon ...more
When Rose Franklin is 11-years old, she falls into a giant hole whilst out riding her new bike.
After she is found and rescued, it is discovered that she is laying atop an enormous metal hand. Less than 8-hours later, the U.S. Military arrives to take over the scene.
As an adult, Rose works at the University of Chicago.
One day, an opportunity is presented to her to study that very same hand she stumbled upon ...more
I GASPED AT THE ENDING OH MY GOD THIS WAS SO FANTASTIC??????????
After months of not touching this book, I think I have to call it a DNF.
I started reading this in January when I reached the 18 % mark and I was unable to move ever since. I adored the idea of the book and I read so many reviews for this book, I was just so excited about it... But I did not enjoy reading it. And since I last closed the book, I did not feel like I need to read more to find out what this book is about. I did not think about it at all.
So, eleven months later, I'm here accepting I' ...more
I started reading this in January when I reached the 18 % mark and I was unable to move ever since. I adored the idea of the book and I read so many reviews for this book, I was just so excited about it... But I did not enjoy reading it. And since I last closed the book, I did not feel like I need to read more to find out what this book is about. I did not think about it at all.
So, eleven months later, I'm here accepting I' ...more
I love the idea of this giant metal alien hand thing that has been found and they don't have a clue what is going on!
When Rose Franklin was riding her bike on her 11th birthday she saw something . . . when she gets off her bike to investigate, she falls down in a crater in the a giant metal hand. Well that would freak me clean out.
Cut to 17 years later and Dr. Rose Franklin is now a physicist working on the giant hand. (among other things)
The story is told through interviews from a silent pers ...more
When Rose Franklin was riding her bike on her 11th birthday she saw something . . . when she gets off her bike to investigate, she falls down in a crater in the a giant metal hand. Well that would freak me clean out.
Cut to 17 years later and Dr. Rose Franklin is now a physicist working on the giant hand. (among other things)
The story is told through interviews from a silent pers ...more
I may be the black sheep with this one, but ugh. What a letdown. I am not a fan of the interview/journal method of story-telling (and had no idea this was one of those when I requested it from Netgalley), but I still started to get into the story nonetheless. However, by one point, I just lost interest. It pretty much ceased to be a sci-fi novel and just turned into political intrigue and military operations.
If you think you're going to get this cool story about an alien robot - you're not. The ...more
3.75⭐️
SO SO SO MUCH BETTER THAN I WAS EVER EXPECTING.
This book was all plot and no characterisation whatsoever but damn enjoyable nonetheless.
SO SO SO MUCH BETTER THAN I WAS EVER EXPECTING.
This book was all plot and no characterisation whatsoever but damn enjoyable nonetheless.
I don't like Transformers. So that's for sure I don't like robot giants. From the synopsis, I didn't want to pick up this one. BUT the last paragraph made me to pick up this book at the very instant. Guess why? Because there is written a name of the book which I love more than any other book in the Sci-Fi genre up until now. Of course, The Martian! I can't refuse to read a book which has a touch of The Martian.
Sleeping Giants is an amazing debut of Sylvain Neuvel. Loved the idea. Loved the wr ...more
Sleeping Giants is an amazing debut of Sylvain Neuvel. Loved the idea. Loved the wr ...more
5/5 stars
You know what's great?
Picking up a book that you had decent expectations for and having that book blow your mind by exceeding those expectations tenfold.
Also, beautiful minimalistic covers are also pretty darn great.
It took me about two chapters to get into this. After prologue I was maybe intrigued. After chapter one I was definitely intrigued, but due to the format I didn't think that I'd relate or feel any feelings towards the characters. Somewhere in the middle of chapter two I wa ...more
You know what's great?
Picking up a book that you had decent expectations for and having that book blow your mind by exceeding those expectations tenfold.
Also, beautiful minimalistic covers are also pretty darn great.
It took me about two chapters to get into this. After prologue I was maybe intrigued. After chapter one I was definitely intrigued, but due to the format I didn't think that I'd relate or feel any feelings towards the characters. Somewhere in the middle of chapter two I wa ...more
3.5 ⭐️
This was definitely different! Set out as a series of interviews and diary entries rather than the usual prose, this book set itself apart from the start.
It took a while to get used to this writing style, and while I'm not sure the style is for me, it didn't deter me entirely from enjoying the story.
A young girl stumbles upon a giant hand, which swiftly becomes an obsession for the US Government and other leading countries. Where did it come from? What is it for? As the quest begins to unc ...more
This was definitely different! Set out as a series of interviews and diary entries rather than the usual prose, this book set itself apart from the start.
It took a while to get used to this writing style, and while I'm not sure the style is for me, it didn't deter me entirely from enjoying the story.
A young girl stumbles upon a giant hand, which swiftly becomes an obsession for the US Government and other leading countries. Where did it come from? What is it for? As the quest begins to unc ...more
Found this one because of the Goodreads Choice awards last in 2016. Not sure I would have come across it if it wasn’t for that. It is a pretty decent sci-fi/political intrigue story. Very unique – I cannot say I have read anything else quite like it. Definitely the first book in a series – while it does have a bit of a “stand-alone” climax, I find it very difficult to say that this book would stand on its own.
The format is interviews and diary entries. I am not sure if this sort of thing is for ...more
The format is interviews and diary entries. I am not sure if this sort of thing is for ...more
The author used a unique, new way of telling a Sci-Fi story with mostly or even just dialogues that are so witty, dense, coordinated, interlinked and exciting that the story passes perfectly smooth. I, as a great friend of extreme infodump, can´t say how it is possible to transport all the technical elements in an, for Sci-Fi, such unusual way. Even if one isn't so interested in Sci-Fi, simply the great characterization is worth reading it.
An old question is what one person or humankind would do ...more
An old question is what one person or humankind would do ...more
If you only read one science fiction book this year, read this one. You'll dig it.
On the other hand, if you read lots of science fiction books this year, this one probably doesn't need to be one of them.
On the other hand, if you read lots of science fiction books this year, this one probably doesn't need to be one of them.
This was so intriguing! It's dossier style, a collection of interviews and journals from people who have found unexplained objects around the world and find themselves wrapped up in a secret project. I've heard this compared to Illuminae because of the style, and yes, I think fans of Illuminae would enjoy this, but it isn't as much of a production.
I listened to the audiobook and that format fits the interview style VERY well since the book is mostly dialogue. Highly recommend it.
The only thing I ...more
I listened to the audiobook and that format fits the interview style VERY well since the book is mostly dialogue. Highly recommend it.
The only thing I ...more
"This will change the way we think of the world, the way we see ourselves. This will reshape this planet, and we have an opportunity to help steer that change. How many lives is that worth to you?"
4.5 stars. Some books are just so quotable, you know?
... Well, Sleeping Giants isn't one of them.
It frustrates me to realize that even though I laughed so hard through my read (I even giggled! The infamy!!), I just can't show you. I mean, I could, but you'd probably think I have a terrible se ...more
Alright, if you’re going to read this one, I highly recommend the audiobook. I started listening to it on a whim because I had a long run to knock out and needed a good distraction. This writing style isn’t for everyone (the whole book is comprised of interviews and journal entries rather than paragraphs and whatnot). The audiobook has several different narrators so it feels more like a fiction podcast rather than someone reading a book to you.
Anyway, the story started really strong for me. A g ...more
Anyway, the story started really strong for me. A g ...more
Bonus star 🌟 : The cast of narrators have done a fabulous job. Also,the epilogue had a nice little surprise!😮😀
One of those books where the blurb is much more interesting than the actual book.Great concept ….so much potential…Aah what could have been!
Story begins with the discovery of a giant metal hand. It’s clear pretty soon, that the technologies used are far superior to anything known to us at present. Not only that, tests show that this hand was buried thousands of years ago. Are we not alo ...more
One of those books where the blurb is much more interesting than the actual book.Great concept ….so much potential…Aah what could have been!
Story begins with the discovery of a giant metal hand. It’s clear pretty soon, that the technologies used are far superior to anything known to us at present. Not only that, tests show that this hand was buried thousands of years ago. Are we not alo ...more
➽ book 4 out of 100
Sleeping Giants had me at the prologue. It tells the story of a 10 year old girl who rides her bike into the forest one evening and falls into a crater that is the home of a giant metal hand. Cut to twenty years later and that same girl is now 31 and the leader of a research project that is determined to find the matching body parts to this hand that are hidden all over the world.
This book was an interesting read for me. I’m not the hugest science fiction fan so I felt that a ...more
Sleeping Giants had me at the prologue. It tells the story of a 10 year old girl who rides her bike into the forest one evening and falls into a crater that is the home of a giant metal hand. Cut to twenty years later and that same girl is now 31 and the leader of a research project that is determined to find the matching body parts to this hand that are hidden all over the world.
This book was an interesting read for me. I’m not the hugest science fiction fan so I felt that a ...more
well, that was......interesting
i feel like i just walked out of a sci-fi movie and my brain is still trying to catch up
this book was published in 2016 WHY HAS IT NOT GARNERED MORE HYPE??? (sidenote: how do books get hyped, like is there one person in charge of determining that?? more than one? a collective? a squad of super cool readers that choose which books get hyped and which get pushed to the side?? so many burning questions, so little answers)
but W O W
I think book 1 is just skimming the su ...more
i feel like i just walked out of a sci-fi movie and my brain is still trying to catch up
this book was published in 2016 WHY HAS IT NOT GARNERED MORE HYPE??? (sidenote: how do books get hyped, like is there one person in charge of determining that?? more than one? a collective? a squad of super cool readers that choose which books get hyped and which get pushed to the side?? so many burning questions, so little answers)
but W O W
I think book 1 is just skimming the su ...more
This was such a fun read. I am sad I read it because NOW I have to wait over a year for the sequel. This had such imagination and I loved the concept. It is a pretty addictive read right from the start. In the beginning a young girl finds a giant hand. This is the first piece of what is actually a metal type of giant. Years later that woman leads a team to find the rest of the parts to put it all together. Told in a series of interviews with an unnamed narrator, this book was an addictive read.
...more
LOVED IT!!!!
I have found a new favourite <3
An awesome sci-fi book with lots of science talk and smart female main characters?! HECKYEAH ...more
I have found a new favourite <3
An awesome sci-fi book with lots of science talk and smart female main characters?! HECKYEAH ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodreads Librari...: page number change | 4 | 15 | Sep 30, 2019 03:24PM | |
| Team Hooman: Sleeping Giants- Completed book | 4 | 6 | Sep 17, 2019 06:39AM | |
| Goodreads Librari...: Please combine | 2 | 9 | Sep 11, 2019 04:10AM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...:
Themis Files Series by Sylvain Neuvel - Reading from 'Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1)' from August 5th 2019
|
52 | 62 | Aug 10, 2019 09:04AM |
Readers also enjoyed
Sylvain Neuvel dropped out of high school at age 15. Along the way, he has been a journalist, worked in soil decontamination, sold ice cream in California, and peddled furniture across Canada. He received a Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Chicago. He taught linguistics in India, and worked as a software engineer in Montreal. He is also a certified translator, though he wishes he were a
...more
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Themis Files
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—
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