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Silo #1-3
Wool Trilogy Collection Hugh Howey 3 Books Bundle
Wool Trilogy Collection Hugh Howey 3 Books Bundle includes Titles in this Collection :- Wool, Shift, Dust. Description:- Wool (Wool Trilogy) In a ruined and hostile landscape, in a future few have been unlucky enough to survive, a community exists in a giant underground silo. Inside, men and women live an enclosed life full of rules and regulations, of secrets and lies.To live, you must follow the rules. But some don't. These are the dangerous ones; these are the people who dare to hope and dream, and who infect others with their optimism.Their punishment is simple and deadly. They are allowed outside.Jules is one of these people. She may well be the last Shift: (Wool Trilogy 2) In a future less than fifty years away, the world is still as we know it. Time continues to tick by. The truth is that it is ticking away.A powerful few know what lies ahead. They are preparing for it. They are trying to protect us. They are setting us on a path from which we can never return. A path that will lead to destruction; a path that will take us below ground. The history of the silo is about to be written.Our future is about to begin. Dust: (Wool Trilogy 3) In the aftermath of the uprising, the people of Silo 18 are coming to terms with a new order. Some embrace the change, others fear the unknown; none have control of their fate. The Silo is still in danger.There are those set on its destruction. Jules knows they must be stopped. The battle has been won.The war is just beginning
Paperback
First published February 13, 2014
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About the author
Hugh Howey
146 books57.3k followersI'm the author of WOOL, a top 5 science fiction book on Amazon. I also wrote the Molly Fyde saga, a tale of a teenager from the 25th century who is repeatedly told that girls can't do certain things -- and then does them anyway.
A theme in my books is the celebration of overcoming odds and of not allowing the cruelty of the universe to change who you are in the process. Most of them are classified as science fiction, since they often take place in the future, but if you love great stories and memorable characters, you'll dig what you find here. I promise.
A theme in my books is the celebration of overcoming odds and of not allowing the cruelty of the universe to change who you are in the process. Most of them are classified as science fiction, since they often take place in the future, but if you love great stories and memorable characters, you'll dig what you find here. I promise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 445 reviews
August 9, 2016
This has to be one of my favourite books of all time. I loved everything about the Silo-Verse, and finished it within a couple of days of first starting. Each book: Wool, Shift and Dust was equally entrancing.
The story starts with Holsten, the Sheriff of Silo 18, who wants to go outside - and anyone who wants to leave the Silo is granted their wish: because asking to go outside is a crime in itself; punishable by death. And leaving the Silo truly is a one way trip. When people break the law or ask to go outside - they are sent to clean the cameras; with wool pads, so the people inside can see the outside. And surprisingly, they actually do it, and seem pretty happy about doing it, though the reason why isn't apparent until later on in the book.
It's not until Juliette (Jules) is sent out to clean that the story really kicks into high gear - and what she learns changes everything she thought she knew about Silo 18.
I really liked Jules. She is a very strong character who has to come to terms with the lies she's been told, and it's just a matter of time before she puts a plan into motion, so that everyone in Silo 18 knows its secrets.
I'll have to do a re read sometime.
The story starts with Holsten, the Sheriff of Silo 18, who wants to go outside - and anyone who wants to leave the Silo is granted their wish: because asking to go outside is a crime in itself; punishable by death. And leaving the Silo truly is a one way trip. When people break the law or ask to go outside - they are sent to clean the cameras; with wool pads, so the people inside can see the outside. And surprisingly, they actually do it, and seem pretty happy about doing it, though the reason why isn't apparent until later on in the book.
It's not until Juliette (Jules) is sent out to clean that the story really kicks into high gear - and what she learns changes everything she thought she knew about Silo 18.
I really liked Jules. She is a very strong character who has to come to terms with the lies she's been told, and it's just a matter of time before she puts a plan into motion, so that everyone in Silo 18 knows its secrets.
I'll have to do a re read sometime.
October 11, 2016
I love my husband, but his book recs are terrible.
November 16, 2015
The Wool Trilogy is, without a doubt, my favourite dystopian read.
It has everything you need in a good dystopian book whilst managing to go against the grain of what is so popular. We have the necessary degraded world, filled with secrets we want to understand, and characters who have their mind set on life being lived in a particular way. For me, the winning element is the characters: they’re so well developed from the outset. Rather than a world of teenagers overthrowing the terrible adults, we have adults who have lived in the world and understand the need for answers and change.
This is a more mature dystopian read than most, and because of that I find it to be much more enjoyable. It’s a series I recommend to any dystopian fan.
It has everything you need in a good dystopian book whilst managing to go against the grain of what is so popular. We have the necessary degraded world, filled with secrets we want to understand, and characters who have their mind set on life being lived in a particular way. For me, the winning element is the characters: they’re so well developed from the outset. Rather than a world of teenagers overthrowing the terrible adults, we have adults who have lived in the world and understand the need for answers and change.
This is a more mature dystopian read than most, and because of that I find it to be much more enjoyable. It’s a series I recommend to any dystopian fan.
October 9, 2015
On the surface, a promising post-apocalypse SF novel by first timer Hugh Howey, but the hype surrounding it acts like the digitised view of the world-beyond-the-silo, the vast bunker in which a whole society operates. It takes a little while to see what is actually there on the page (not what the glowing endorsements want you to see): wooden characters and dialogue; film treatment prose; a George RR Martin ‘Old Testament’ style author-god, killing of his characters with predictable brutality (‘doing a Ned’ times ten); creaking Marxist dialectic (the underclass workers vs the nasty elite); an uneasy mismatch of technology (powerful computers but no lifts?); terrible ‘typo’ character names (all monosyllabic except for the unlikely ‘Juliette’ heroine); a painfully extended metaphor – ladled on thick in each section title. I got halfway through before I realised what a predictable load of old-school tosh this was (another ‘rebellion-fantasy’ dystopia, another bit of Capitalist product/worker-drone fodder, keeping the wheels of the mainstream turning – the ‘anarchy-lite’ of The Hunger Games and its clones). If it was well-written I might have kept going. Instead, as I turned the pages I felt my IQ dropping and my will to live as it slipped into predictable SF action movie mode. Feels like it’s been written for Hollywood more than Waterstones (in contrast a novel by say Ursula K Le Guin - lets pick her classic, The Dispossessed - shows what intelligent, well-crafted SF can actually be like). Literature doesn’t have to be this terrible – but this is what we’re being sold these days – a shoddy simulacrum of the real thing. Yet another zombie-author wanting to snack on our brains. Where’s that shotgun?
September 28, 2023
And done! Here are my thoughts on each of the three books:
Wool (5 stars)
Oh wow! What a fantastic read! Utterly gripping from start to finish, I almost couldn’t cope with some of the tension! Wool was originally published as five novellas, which appear simply as parts 1-5 here.
Although I am reading the omnibus edition, which contains Wool, Shift, and Dust, I’ll review each book individually as I complete them. They count as books, they’re counting towards my reading goal, hahaha!
My first encounter with this was with the Silo TV series. Mostly I was interested because my other half works in the film/TV industry and was involved in this production (I like to watch his shows or at least the credits to see his name), and I was instantly hooked. The show does the central themes and action well, giving us a compelling cast of characters and mystery upon mystery to unravel.
By the end of season 1, I was DESPERATE for more answers, so I grabbed the eBook to hopefully find some.
Wool is masterfully written. It excels at edge-of-your-seat tension, characters caught up in something far bigger than themselves, and the desperate fight not just to survive - but for the answers that will help with said survival.
Juliette, or Jules, is our protagonist - a 34 year old engineer used to the “down deep” of Mechanical. She sees problems. Fixes things. Is always working with her hands, and is in fact happier when she is. So when she's unexpectedly thrust into the role of Silo Sheriff without experience or training, she must get to grips with everything she thought she knew about the world being turned on its head.
She is such a brilliant character and I had my fingers crossed throughout that she’d be okay.
Set in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world where the last 10,000 people on earth are living in an underground Silo, the sense of “wrongness” is immediately apparent. Many people see it too, but they are governed by a strict set of rules known as the Pact, which is there for everyone’s safety.
The main knowledge is the fact the outside is deadly, full of toxins and fumes that’ll kill you within a few minutes. Despite that, some people ask to leave. They are put to “cleaning” where they will use a wool sponge to “clean” the cameras on the outside which shows people inside the Silo the view of the barren landscape.
We follow a few characters on their journey to understand more, to ask questions, and what becomes of them when they do. Some questions are answered, others aren’t. As you might expect, the world isn’t quite what people believe.
The mysteries are brilliant, the pacing is brilliant, the writing style is brilliant.
I can see why the TV show made the changes it did, and I think it is a brilliant adaptation.
Absolutely one of the best reads of the year and I cannot wait to dive into book 2: Shift.
Shift (4 stars)
After staying up past midnight to read just one more chapter of Wool, I couldn’t wait that long before diving into book 2, shift. Made up of three parts (Legacy, Order, and Pact), it throws us head-first into more questions while also answering several thrown up by book one.
It is a prequel, though eventually the timeline converges with the end of Wool, following those responsible for the state of the world and how the silos came to be.
Not all of our characters know everything, so there is still a lot of mystery to be unravelled, which felt very similar to book one, which was great! There are plenty of characters caught up in things far bigger than they realise, and as each part progresses, we learn just how out of their depth they are.
It is, in parts, terrifying to see what people are capable of, how things could have changed drastically from one shift to the next, and ultimately what the future of humanity is.
The stories are really quite incredibly told, from different silos to different time periods, while never feeling jarring. There is so much depth to this, from the creators of the silo, the original plan, how plans change, uprising, death, betrayal, and so much unfairness in an unjust world.
On the plot itself, I’m not sure I fully understand exactly why the creators decided to do what they did. We’re given reasons, but I do feel there has to be more to it than “the only thing we could have done,” but I’m waiting to see if there are more revelations in book three!
Donald is the closest thing we have to a protagonist in Shift, and it was interesting seeing him from an inexperienced guy slightly out of his depth to making world-shattering decisions. I don’t know what I would have done in his shoes. Towards the end, he definitely made a couple of decisions that I didn’t agree with, and am curious what the repercussions of those will be!
While not quite as enjoyable as Wool, Shift is a solid sequel that kept me guessing and glued to the pages!
Dust (3 stars)
The Wool trilogy has concluded! I do have a lot of mixed feelings about the third and final book, though.
Book 1, Wool, and many parts of book 2, Shift, kept me up reading until past midnight. They were utterly gripping from start to finish, with a great cast of characters and a central mystery driving the intrigue.
Although I didn’t enjoy Shift quite as much as Wool, I loved that we finally had some answers to a lot of the questions (this was the main reason I read this - after watching the spectacular first season of Silo, I neeeeeded to know more), and I was looking forward to more things being wrapped up in the finale.
However, I took quite a long time to read the third book. It didn’t really grab me with that same intensity until towards the halfway mark, and it still left me with a tonne of unanswered questions and loose ends.
It was nice to see more of what was happening with Charlotte, though many of her chapters felt repetitive, waiting until plot-related reasons before things moved forward. A lot of the decisions characters made (especially Donald) didn’t make much sense to me, and they seemed to be continually shooting themselves in the foot and slowing down their own progress. I think this fed into the slower pacing.
There were also some sub-plots that appeared kind of out of left field that made me quite uncomfortable (Mr Rash & Elise), just a bit of mixed bag, really!
However, Dust was brilliantly written throughout, with pockets of brilliance in terms of atmosphere, tension, and description. It is incredibly easy and enjoyable to read.
Overall, it wasn’t quite the conclusion I’d hoped for, but it was still satisfying in certain ways.
Wool (5 stars)
Oh wow! What a fantastic read! Utterly gripping from start to finish, I almost couldn’t cope with some of the tension! Wool was originally published as five novellas, which appear simply as parts 1-5 here.
Although I am reading the omnibus edition, which contains Wool, Shift, and Dust, I’ll review each book individually as I complete them. They count as books, they’re counting towards my reading goal, hahaha!
My first encounter with this was with the Silo TV series. Mostly I was interested because my other half works in the film/TV industry and was involved in this production (I like to watch his shows or at least the credits to see his name), and I was instantly hooked. The show does the central themes and action well, giving us a compelling cast of characters and mystery upon mystery to unravel.
By the end of season 1, I was DESPERATE for more answers, so I grabbed the eBook to hopefully find some.
Wool is masterfully written. It excels at edge-of-your-seat tension, characters caught up in something far bigger than themselves, and the desperate fight not just to survive - but for the answers that will help with said survival.
Juliette, or Jules, is our protagonist - a 34 year old engineer used to the “down deep” of Mechanical. She sees problems. Fixes things. Is always working with her hands, and is in fact happier when she is. So when she's unexpectedly thrust into the role of Silo Sheriff without experience or training, she must get to grips with everything she thought she knew about the world being turned on its head.
She is such a brilliant character and I had my fingers crossed throughout that she’d be okay.
Set in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world where the last 10,000 people on earth are living in an underground Silo, the sense of “wrongness” is immediately apparent. Many people see it too, but they are governed by a strict set of rules known as the Pact, which is there for everyone’s safety.
The main knowledge is the fact the outside is deadly, full of toxins and fumes that’ll kill you within a few minutes. Despite that, some people ask to leave. They are put to “cleaning” where they will use a wool sponge to “clean” the cameras on the outside which shows people inside the Silo the view of the barren landscape.
We follow a few characters on their journey to understand more, to ask questions, and what becomes of them when they do. Some questions are answered, others aren’t. As you might expect, the world isn’t quite what people believe.
The mysteries are brilliant, the pacing is brilliant, the writing style is brilliant.
I can see why the TV show made the changes it did, and I think it is a brilliant adaptation.
Absolutely one of the best reads of the year and I cannot wait to dive into book 2: Shift.
Shift (4 stars)
After staying up past midnight to read just one more chapter of Wool, I couldn’t wait that long before diving into book 2, shift. Made up of three parts (Legacy, Order, and Pact), it throws us head-first into more questions while also answering several thrown up by book one.
It is a prequel, though eventually the timeline converges with the end of Wool, following those responsible for the state of the world and how the silos came to be.
Not all of our characters know everything, so there is still a lot of mystery to be unravelled, which felt very similar to book one, which was great! There are plenty of characters caught up in things far bigger than they realise, and as each part progresses, we learn just how out of their depth they are.
It is, in parts, terrifying to see what people are capable of, how things could have changed drastically from one shift to the next, and ultimately what the future of humanity is.
The stories are really quite incredibly told, from different silos to different time periods, while never feeling jarring. There is so much depth to this, from the creators of the silo, the original plan, how plans change, uprising, death, betrayal, and so much unfairness in an unjust world.
On the plot itself, I’m not sure I fully understand exactly why the creators decided to do what they did. We’re given reasons, but I do feel there has to be more to it than “the only thing we could have done,” but I’m waiting to see if there are more revelations in book three!
Donald is the closest thing we have to a protagonist in Shift, and it was interesting seeing him from an inexperienced guy slightly out of his depth to making world-shattering decisions. I don’t know what I would have done in his shoes. Towards the end, he definitely made a couple of decisions that I didn’t agree with, and am curious what the repercussions of those will be!
While not quite as enjoyable as Wool, Shift is a solid sequel that kept me guessing and glued to the pages!
Dust (3 stars)
The Wool trilogy has concluded! I do have a lot of mixed feelings about the third and final book, though.
Book 1, Wool, and many parts of book 2, Shift, kept me up reading until past midnight. They were utterly gripping from start to finish, with a great cast of characters and a central mystery driving the intrigue.
Although I didn’t enjoy Shift quite as much as Wool, I loved that we finally had some answers to a lot of the questions (this was the main reason I read this - after watching the spectacular first season of Silo, I neeeeeded to know more), and I was looking forward to more things being wrapped up in the finale.
However, I took quite a long time to read the third book. It didn’t really grab me with that same intensity until towards the halfway mark, and it still left me with a tonne of unanswered questions and loose ends.
It was nice to see more of what was happening with Charlotte, though many of her chapters felt repetitive, waiting until plot-related reasons before things moved forward. A lot of the decisions characters made (especially Donald) didn’t make much sense to me, and they seemed to be continually shooting themselves in the foot and slowing down their own progress. I think this fed into the slower pacing.
There were also some sub-plots that appeared kind of out of left field that made me quite uncomfortable (Mr Rash & Elise), just a bit of mixed bag, really!
However, Dust was brilliantly written throughout, with pockets of brilliance in terms of atmosphere, tension, and description. It is incredibly easy and enjoyable to read.
Overall, it wasn’t quite the conclusion I’d hoped for, but it was still satisfying in certain ways.
December 2, 2021
I know... 3 stars on a series that everyone loves. I did really like the first half of this omnibus edition (I'm not really sure where the individual books start and stop) but about half way to 2/3rds through things started going a bit downhill for me - . Overall a good book, I'd recommend it, but wouldn't read it again.
August 28, 2014
The edition of 'Wool' that I've read is a compilation or omnibus of several shorter stories or novellas which are interrelated and which appeared in a sequence over several months as self-published on-line editions authored by Hugh Howey. He became a bit of an internet celebrity for the success of his on-line publishing, which bypassed the usual processes of publishing houses. At some stage the collection has been brought together and published in hard copy, catapulting Howey into the ranks of successful authors very quickly.
The early novellas, entitled 'Holston' and 'Proper Gauge', chapters in this edition, concern the lives and deaths of Holston, Jahns and Marnes, senior figures in the administration of the Silo, a totally self-sustaining underground installation of thousands of people taking refuge from a post-apocalyptic Earth which has been decimated. I greatly enjoyed the economy of the language of these opening chapters, which tell their story effectively with a leanness which is missing from the subsequent chapters. Certainly this spare style propels the reader along at a cracking pace. These two chapters, which are more or less independent of each other, narrate the fate of their subjects, but at the same time introduce us to the workings of the remarkable subterranean society of the Pact. Everyone adheres to the Rules and the system works. But it becomes apparent that there is one set of rules for the majority and another set for the elite, secretive world of IT, headed by by the odious Bernard.
We are introduced to the remarkable character Juliette, a strong, no-nonsense, hard-working mechanic, whose single-minded dedication to her job keeps much of the infrastructure of the silo functioning as well as possible. She's one tough lady and her strength and will-power make her the focus of, and heroine of the subsequent chapters, 'Casting Off', 'Unravelling' and 'Stranded'. I found her to be an immensely likeable heroine, and I admired her mental resoluteness and physical endurance. All the way through the book I wanted her to survive and thrive, despite the enormous dangers she faced.
Under the conditions of the Pact, members of the community who transgress are exiled to the outside, with the instruction to clean the lenses of the observation cameras mounted on the roof of the silo. Some people, restless with the enclosed world of the silo, opt to go outside voluntarily, in a desperate search for answers to the questions of the great beyond. Because the surface of the Earth is highly toxic, nobody has ever survived the cleaning, until Juliette...The consequences for the ordered world of the silo are unprecedented, and the functionality of the hierarchical society held together by the Pact's enforcers falls apart. It would spoil the story for readers if I divulge more at this point.
I found 'Wool' to be a thoroughly engrossing world and a highly enjoyable read.
The early novellas, entitled 'Holston' and 'Proper Gauge', chapters in this edition, concern the lives and deaths of Holston, Jahns and Marnes, senior figures in the administration of the Silo, a totally self-sustaining underground installation of thousands of people taking refuge from a post-apocalyptic Earth which has been decimated. I greatly enjoyed the economy of the language of these opening chapters, which tell their story effectively with a leanness which is missing from the subsequent chapters. Certainly this spare style propels the reader along at a cracking pace. These two chapters, which are more or less independent of each other, narrate the fate of their subjects, but at the same time introduce us to the workings of the remarkable subterranean society of the Pact. Everyone adheres to the Rules and the system works. But it becomes apparent that there is one set of rules for the majority and another set for the elite, secretive world of IT, headed by by the odious Bernard.
We are introduced to the remarkable character Juliette, a strong, no-nonsense, hard-working mechanic, whose single-minded dedication to her job keeps much of the infrastructure of the silo functioning as well as possible. She's one tough lady and her strength and will-power make her the focus of, and heroine of the subsequent chapters, 'Casting Off', 'Unravelling' and 'Stranded'. I found her to be an immensely likeable heroine, and I admired her mental resoluteness and physical endurance. All the way through the book I wanted her to survive and thrive, despite the enormous dangers she faced.
Under the conditions of the Pact, members of the community who transgress are exiled to the outside, with the instruction to clean the lenses of the observation cameras mounted on the roof of the silo. Some people, restless with the enclosed world of the silo, opt to go outside voluntarily, in a desperate search for answers to the questions of the great beyond. Because the surface of the Earth is highly toxic, nobody has ever survived the cleaning, until Juliette...The consequences for the ordered world of the silo are unprecedented, and the functionality of the hierarchical society held together by the Pact's enforcers falls apart. It would spoil the story for readers if I divulge more at this point.
I found 'Wool' to be a thoroughly engrossing world and a highly enjoyable read.
December 28, 2014
Apparently, I purchased all 5 books in 1 through audible, so I read the entire series without realizing it. I'm glad I got everything in owe, otherwise, I think I would have felt shorted. Now, I guess I have to move onto Shift. Honestly, I don't know how I feel about these books. I am very disturbed by books that have leaders/government officials gleefully telling lies and keeping important information from the population. I guess it's too close to reality.
October 16, 2014
This was a phenomenal book. I had a hard time putting it down. I liked that all of the books were available in one, and very reasonably priced. Started off a little slow, and I had my doubts, but once the pace picked up I couldn't get enough.
February 12, 2025
Overhyped, overlong, frustratingly bland youth-oriented post-apocalyptic soap opera
Claustrophobic is the best way to describe how I felt reading this mega-hyped New York Times Bestselling post-apocalyptic, dystopian science fiction fantasy epic. Now "Wool" is mostly hyped because of the way it was written/published... or should I say, the way it evolved into the product I read, the 507 page paperback edition published by Simon and Schuster in 2012. "Wool" was originally published as a TEOTWAWKI short story. Now I love TEOTWAWKI stories. Doesn't matter the scenario HOW the world ends -- if civilization collapses or WWIII starts or an EMP hits or a pandemic kills 95% of the population or turn them into zombies or Jesus Christ returns or whatever -- I am game. But I never read the original "Wool" story. I'd like to imagine it was the segment making up the novel's first part about Sheriff Holston. It's a tight little story that leaves you wondering about the bizarre silo world of "Wool." And had it stopped there, I would have given this four or more stars. The title itself is suggestive of that part's main premise: Wool is used to clean the sensors that show the underground occupants of the silo what the toxic world outside is like. Yet for those who demand, or are sometimes sentenced, to go outside, the fake eye-pieces on the protective suits they wear makes the outside world look like a livable paradise. The delusion is intended to get them to fulfill their promise to "clean" the sensors and encourages them to then wander off to their death. Because no one is supposed to ever leave the silo. The outside really IS a toxic nightmare. It's a play on words i.e. "they've had the wool pulled over their eyes." Apparently the rest of the novel emerged as installments published on the author's blog. With some input from those who followed his blog. I guess this technique is so valuable that anything it produces deserves to be hyped. But I found the rest of the book to be filled with trite, unrealistic and adolescent drama. The main protagonist is a young woman named Juliette who is selected to be the Sheriff... for no other reason than she is a strong female with a good work ethic from the lowest levels of the silo. Odd. She possesses no other resources except that in teen novels, a girl like her is always "that strong female character" we are all supposed to love. We discover that the silo is divided into classes of workers, depending on the level where you are born. The place is secretly run by the most inept bad-guys I have ever seen in a dystopian novel, the clueless geek wimps of "IT Support" led by the un-sinister Bernard. Juliette discovers some of the secrets of the silo along with the help of others from her level. And Lukas, her younger, secret boyfriend, an IT guy who is hand-picked by Bernard to succeed him as "Head of IT" and the de facto "secret ruler" of the silo ("IT Support" is like a secret gnostic group - get the joke? I.e. possessors of secret knowledge and stuff). As such, Lukas is taught all of the secrets of the silo and it's history. This part is the only thing that kept me reading to the end. Because the post-disaster silo world Hugh Howey has created is, in fact, interesting. We learn that there are more than one silo and that people have lived in them for over 200 years. And that the occupants of the silo are supposed to be kept in the dark about the existence of other silos while they wait out the environmental disaster on the surface. Which sucks because by page 150, after WAY too many trips up and down the silo stairwell, I was ready to don one of those inadequate environmental suits and head for the surface. Surely the post apocalyptic surface world has something to add to the story. Because the human dramas inside the silo are disinteresting. The characters all speak like 16-year-old, 20th century Americans (including excessive use of the F-bomb). They make strange and irrational decisions (Juliette makes her own deep-sea diving suit to try to get to a pump in another flooded silo to pump out the water seepage, a pointless adventure that eats up chapters of this overlong novel and takes us nowhere). The gun fights are inauthentic. I wish the "IT Support" people were more sinister. And where is the technology i.e. cameras and sensors, to control inside the silo? It's the weakest dystopian setting I have ever read about. *sigh* Yet Wool's author manages to get book endorsements from the likes of Justin Cronin (another NYT phenomena who writes overly long books), Rick Riordan and Douglas Preston! Some of these endorsements describe "Wool" as "Scary" and "Frightening" when it's not. Unless you are claustrophobic like me, and want out by page 150. Or if you fear falling down spiral staircases. I suppose this might be a five-star novel for a fifteen year old... if you want to teach them the finer points of employing F-bombs. Mercifully free from erotic or gratuitous violence, "Wool" won't bother those who are bothered by such things. But the end of the world never seemed so... claustrophobic before. Don't let the hype pull the "Wool" over your eyes. Read Peter Heller's "The Dog Stars" instead.
Claustrophobic is the best way to describe how I felt reading this mega-hyped New York Times Bestselling post-apocalyptic, dystopian science fiction fantasy epic. Now "Wool" is mostly hyped because of the way it was written/published... or should I say, the way it evolved into the product I read, the 507 page paperback edition published by Simon and Schuster in 2012. "Wool" was originally published as a TEOTWAWKI short story. Now I love TEOTWAWKI stories. Doesn't matter the scenario HOW the world ends -- if civilization collapses or WWIII starts or an EMP hits or a pandemic kills 95% of the population or turn them into zombies or Jesus Christ returns or whatever -- I am game. But I never read the original "Wool" story. I'd like to imagine it was the segment making up the novel's first part about Sheriff Holston. It's a tight little story that leaves you wondering about the bizarre silo world of "Wool." And had it stopped there, I would have given this four or more stars. The title itself is suggestive of that part's main premise: Wool is used to clean the sensors that show the underground occupants of the silo what the toxic world outside is like. Yet for those who demand, or are sometimes sentenced, to go outside, the fake eye-pieces on the protective suits they wear makes the outside world look like a livable paradise. The delusion is intended to get them to fulfill their promise to "clean" the sensors and encourages them to then wander off to their death. Because no one is supposed to ever leave the silo. The outside really IS a toxic nightmare. It's a play on words i.e. "they've had the wool pulled over their eyes." Apparently the rest of the novel emerged as installments published on the author's blog. With some input from those who followed his blog. I guess this technique is so valuable that anything it produces deserves to be hyped. But I found the rest of the book to be filled with trite, unrealistic and adolescent drama. The main protagonist is a young woman named Juliette who is selected to be the Sheriff... for no other reason than she is a strong female with a good work ethic from the lowest levels of the silo. Odd. She possesses no other resources except that in teen novels, a girl like her is always "that strong female character" we are all supposed to love. We discover that the silo is divided into classes of workers, depending on the level where you are born. The place is secretly run by the most inept bad-guys I have ever seen in a dystopian novel, the clueless geek wimps of "IT Support" led by the un-sinister Bernard. Juliette discovers some of the secrets of the silo along with the help of others from her level. And Lukas, her younger, secret boyfriend, an IT guy who is hand-picked by Bernard to succeed him as "Head of IT" and the de facto "secret ruler" of the silo ("IT Support" is like a secret gnostic group - get the joke? I.e. possessors of secret knowledge and stuff). As such, Lukas is taught all of the secrets of the silo and it's history. This part is the only thing that kept me reading to the end. Because the post-disaster silo world Hugh Howey has created is, in fact, interesting. We learn that there are more than one silo and that people have lived in them for over 200 years. And that the occupants of the silo are supposed to be kept in the dark about the existence of other silos while they wait out the environmental disaster on the surface. Which sucks because by page 150, after WAY too many trips up and down the silo stairwell, I was ready to don one of those inadequate environmental suits and head for the surface. Surely the post apocalyptic surface world has something to add to the story. Because the human dramas inside the silo are disinteresting. The characters all speak like 16-year-old, 20th century Americans (including excessive use of the F-bomb). They make strange and irrational decisions (Juliette makes her own deep-sea diving suit to try to get to a pump in another flooded silo to pump out the water seepage, a pointless adventure that eats up chapters of this overlong novel and takes us nowhere). The gun fights are inauthentic. I wish the "IT Support" people were more sinister. And where is the technology i.e. cameras and sensors, to control inside the silo? It's the weakest dystopian setting I have ever read about. *sigh* Yet Wool's author manages to get book endorsements from the likes of Justin Cronin (another NYT phenomena who writes overly long books), Rick Riordan and Douglas Preston! Some of these endorsements describe "Wool" as "Scary" and "Frightening" when it's not. Unless you are claustrophobic like me, and want out by page 150. Or if you fear falling down spiral staircases. I suppose this might be a five-star novel for a fifteen year old... if you want to teach them the finer points of employing F-bombs. Mercifully free from erotic or gratuitous violence, "Wool" won't bother those who are bothered by such things. But the end of the world never seemed so... claustrophobic before. Don't let the hype pull the "Wool" over your eyes. Read Peter Heller's "The Dog Stars" instead.
July 19, 2018
¿Quiere saber más de esta trilogía, sin spoilers? Visite:
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October 3, 2020
Society lives in silos underground for hundreds of years. Stepping outside is certain death due to the toxic nature of the outside air. As a result, people learn to live and self-sustain life in these underground facilities for years.
However, what they believe about the danger outside world isn't 100% true and the problem-solving protagonist Jules is going to uncover the truth.
This book was originally released as a series of novellas. I read the first one years ago but found the completed edition at a Goodwill early this year and was happy to add it to the list. While it shares themes with other dystopian novels (post-apocalyptic society, fascism, not-all-is-as-it-seem) this story comes across fresh. The author writes short, hooked chapters that keep the reader flipping through the pages.
However, what they believe about the danger outside world isn't 100% true and the problem-solving protagonist Jules is going to uncover the truth.
This book was originally released as a series of novellas. I read the first one years ago but found the completed edition at a Goodwill early this year and was happy to add it to the list. While it shares themes with other dystopian novels (post-apocalyptic society, fascism, not-all-is-as-it-seem) this story comes across fresh. The author writes short, hooked chapters that keep the reader flipping through the pages.
July 18, 2019
Wool is a book that I wanted to keep picking up, which makes for a great vacation read. I think it’s the first of a series and, though the page length is a big commitment, I’ll probably keep reading the series.
The reason it’s called “Wool,” methinks, is because the majority of humanity has the wool pulled over their eyes by a few in power. People live in underground silos to protect them from the noxious gases that have ruined the world outside. However, when the heroine of the plot, Juliette, is sent outside the silo to her supposed execution, she uncovers the secret that other silos exist. From there it’s the underdogs with the truth battling against the man with the wool.
The reason it’s called “Wool,” methinks, is because the majority of humanity has the wool pulled over their eyes by a few in power. People live in underground silos to protect them from the noxious gases that have ruined the world outside. However, when the heroine of the plot, Juliette, is sent outside the silo to her supposed execution, she uncovers the secret that other silos exist. From there it’s the underdogs with the truth battling against the man with the wool.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2017
Ahoy there mateys! Though the first mate and I have very different reading tastes, occasionally we do recommend books to each other. Books the first mate introduced to me included xom-b, holes, and the perks of being a wallflower. He and I both read the following:
the wool series (Hugh Howey)
We were talking about the books and I enjoyed his viewpoint so I ordered him to write a review. So you get one from me and a bonus additional review from me crew. Please note that I write like I talk and the first mate writes like he thinks. Hope you enjoy!
From the Captain:
So this trilogy is made up of the books called wool, shift, and dust. Or as I like to think of them – questions, answers, and consequences. This series is one of the best dystopians that I have ever read. The writing is fantastic, the world building exciting, and the characters exquisite. This book was filled with twists and turns and tensions. It kept me guessing and I was thoroughly engrossed during the reading process. I can’t get into major details because that would spoil everything. I don’t recommend reading the synopsis either because ye need to be surprised. Seriously wonderful books. The only downside were some parts of how the consequences were structured and the not as good ending. But the first and second books are damn near perfect. Commandeer yerself a copy.
From the First Mate:
I have to admit that I really drug my feet about reading “Wool,” and to tell you the truth I really have no good reason for doing so. From the instant it appeared as one of the first Kindle Direct successes it received great reviews, had many online champions, seemed to appear on tons of people’s favorite lists, and was just generally very well regarded whenever I heard about it. And yet, well, its plot sounded like a bad 70s sci-fi film (a bad version of “Logan’s Run” perhaps) or a young adult novel centered on an ingenue bringing down the system. It kind of sounded like it was going to be slog to get through; having to wade through the new sheriff making mistakes and learning that the world she lived in was far more corrupt than she’d previously thought. I was wrong. Oh, my, how I was wrong.
“Wool” is an adult sci-fi novel. Not in the “there’s sexytimes and profanity everywhere” sense that the word “adult” has come to mean in some contexts. In fact, there’s very little profanity and practically no sexuality at all. No, “Wool” is adult in the sense that all of the primary characters are actually adults, behave and reason like adults, have realistic adult relationships, and engage in complex themes and motivations. A significant part of the early part of the novel is devoted to two senior citizens (Jahns, the mayor, and Marnes, the deputy sheriff) descending from the top of the silo to the bottom to interview a candidate to be the new sheriff, all the time talking about relationships and history, and it is fascinating. Howey’s deft characterization here is so skillful that it was impossible not to be fully drawn into the decades long relationship that these two characters had shared. Reading that section I knew that I should’ve read this book long ago.
Perhaps the most fun aspect about “Wool” was the ways in which Howey kept taking standard story expectations and refusing to let them be played out in an easy, simplistic way. It would’ve been very easy for this novel to have settled into a procedural or a simple political struggle. But every moment where the story might have gone in a simple standard direction, Howey appears to have asked himself, “what would Bernard or Juliette really do here to screw up the other’s plan?” And then, after getting that answer, he’d ask it again.
When I finished the book, though, I had two thoughts: 1) Given the world that’s been set up, there’s no way this has a happy ending. And, 2) Given what we learn about the Silo in the latter third of the book, it’s difficult to understand how the events of the ending could have occurred (being vague, sorry, trying not to spoil). Thankfully, there was a second book, “Shift,” to dive right into.
“Shift” is, in my opinion, just as good as “Wool” just in a completely different way. Whereas “Wool” was very much a character driven story with our protagonist and antagonist altering the world they inhabited through sheer will, “Shift” is a plot driven story wherein a sad man, Donald, is caught in the currents of the decisions of others. Sadly, those decisions by other people end up destroying the world. It’s kind of a bureaucratic nightmare where one can be a cog in a machine that’s reaping untold destruction and yet be completely incapable of doing anything to prevent it. “Wool” was a novel about agency; “Shift” is a novel about helplessness.
In addition to telling Donald’s story, “Shift” also tells the story of a character from “Wool” about whom I absolutely did not want to read any more. Seriously, I audibly groaned when I saw that I was going to be reading about this character. And, well, Howey makes it work. He told me a story that I in no way wanted to read, and I ended up enjoying it. That’s gotta be a mark of some damn fine writing skill.
“Shift” ends in the same time period that “Wool” ends and gives a good explanation for how the end of that book was able to happen. However, given that we know even more about the world, it’s even more difficult after reading this book to see how there’s going to be any type of happy ending here for anyone.
The final book in the trilogy, “Dust,” may as well have been titled “The Consequences of Bad Decisions” as that’s really all there is to the book. It’s the shortest book in the series and, honestly, it feels as though Howey was done with these characters in this world and was really just looking to wrap things up in the fastest way possible. Virtually every bad decision that any of the characters made in the previous books comes back to bite them. Most of the consequences have a narrowing effect on the novel. Characters and possibilities are peeled away to allow the story line to progress quickly towards the finish. Unlike the previous novels which were full of surprising twists, “Dust” simply grinds through its plot towards a more or less predictable conclusion.
The only addition to the world in “Dust” was a completely unnecessary and bizarre religious story line. Basically a cult of really crazy people doing the things crazy cult people do (think Jim Jones and the People’s Temple and you’re on the right track). The only reason I can see for Howey to have put it in was to pad the length of the novel and that really seems at odds with how tight and well plotted the previous two novels were.
And the ending? Well, I wouldn’t call it a satisfying ending, but it also wasn’t the super dour ending that I was expecting. Does Howey cheat a little bit? Yes, he does. But, I admit, by that point I really didn’t care anymore.
I’d recommend “Wool” and “Shift” without reservation to anyone who enjoys sci-fi or post apocalyptic fiction. They should rightly be viewed as modern classics. Were I to recommend them, I’d probably also say that the third book is the weakest of the bunch and you might be better off skipping it.
the wool series (Hugh Howey)
We were talking about the books and I enjoyed his viewpoint so I ordered him to write a review. So you get one from me and a bonus additional review from me crew. Please note that I write like I talk and the first mate writes like he thinks. Hope you enjoy!
From the Captain:
So this trilogy is made up of the books called wool, shift, and dust. Or as I like to think of them – questions, answers, and consequences. This series is one of the best dystopians that I have ever read. The writing is fantastic, the world building exciting, and the characters exquisite. This book was filled with twists and turns and tensions. It kept me guessing and I was thoroughly engrossed during the reading process. I can’t get into major details because that would spoil everything. I don’t recommend reading the synopsis either because ye need to be surprised. Seriously wonderful books. The only downside were some parts of how the consequences were structured and the not as good ending. But the first and second books are damn near perfect. Commandeer yerself a copy.
From the First Mate:
I have to admit that I really drug my feet about reading “Wool,” and to tell you the truth I really have no good reason for doing so. From the instant it appeared as one of the first Kindle Direct successes it received great reviews, had many online champions, seemed to appear on tons of people’s favorite lists, and was just generally very well regarded whenever I heard about it. And yet, well, its plot sounded like a bad 70s sci-fi film (a bad version of “Logan’s Run” perhaps) or a young adult novel centered on an ingenue bringing down the system. It kind of sounded like it was going to be slog to get through; having to wade through the new sheriff making mistakes and learning that the world she lived in was far more corrupt than she’d previously thought. I was wrong. Oh, my, how I was wrong.
“Wool” is an adult sci-fi novel. Not in the “there’s sexytimes and profanity everywhere” sense that the word “adult” has come to mean in some contexts. In fact, there’s very little profanity and practically no sexuality at all. No, “Wool” is adult in the sense that all of the primary characters are actually adults, behave and reason like adults, have realistic adult relationships, and engage in complex themes and motivations. A significant part of the early part of the novel is devoted to two senior citizens (Jahns, the mayor, and Marnes, the deputy sheriff) descending from the top of the silo to the bottom to interview a candidate to be the new sheriff, all the time talking about relationships and history, and it is fascinating. Howey’s deft characterization here is so skillful that it was impossible not to be fully drawn into the decades long relationship that these two characters had shared. Reading that section I knew that I should’ve read this book long ago.
Perhaps the most fun aspect about “Wool” was the ways in which Howey kept taking standard story expectations and refusing to let them be played out in an easy, simplistic way. It would’ve been very easy for this novel to have settled into a procedural or a simple political struggle. But every moment where the story might have gone in a simple standard direction, Howey appears to have asked himself, “what would Bernard or Juliette really do here to screw up the other’s plan?” And then, after getting that answer, he’d ask it again.
When I finished the book, though, I had two thoughts: 1) Given the world that’s been set up, there’s no way this has a happy ending. And, 2) Given what we learn about the Silo in the latter third of the book, it’s difficult to understand how the events of the ending could have occurred (being vague, sorry, trying not to spoil). Thankfully, there was a second book, “Shift,” to dive right into.
“Shift” is, in my opinion, just as good as “Wool” just in a completely different way. Whereas “Wool” was very much a character driven story with our protagonist and antagonist altering the world they inhabited through sheer will, “Shift” is a plot driven story wherein a sad man, Donald, is caught in the currents of the decisions of others. Sadly, those decisions by other people end up destroying the world. It’s kind of a bureaucratic nightmare where one can be a cog in a machine that’s reaping untold destruction and yet be completely incapable of doing anything to prevent it. “Wool” was a novel about agency; “Shift” is a novel about helplessness.
In addition to telling Donald’s story, “Shift” also tells the story of a character from “Wool” about whom I absolutely did not want to read any more. Seriously, I audibly groaned when I saw that I was going to be reading about this character. And, well, Howey makes it work. He told me a story that I in no way wanted to read, and I ended up enjoying it. That’s gotta be a mark of some damn fine writing skill.
“Shift” ends in the same time period that “Wool” ends and gives a good explanation for how the end of that book was able to happen. However, given that we know even more about the world, it’s even more difficult after reading this book to see how there’s going to be any type of happy ending here for anyone.
The final book in the trilogy, “Dust,” may as well have been titled “The Consequences of Bad Decisions” as that’s really all there is to the book. It’s the shortest book in the series and, honestly, it feels as though Howey was done with these characters in this world and was really just looking to wrap things up in the fastest way possible. Virtually every bad decision that any of the characters made in the previous books comes back to bite them. Most of the consequences have a narrowing effect on the novel. Characters and possibilities are peeled away to allow the story line to progress quickly towards the finish. Unlike the previous novels which were full of surprising twists, “Dust” simply grinds through its plot towards a more or less predictable conclusion.
The only addition to the world in “Dust” was a completely unnecessary and bizarre religious story line. Basically a cult of really crazy people doing the things crazy cult people do (think Jim Jones and the People’s Temple and you’re on the right track). The only reason I can see for Howey to have put it in was to pad the length of the novel and that really seems at odds with how tight and well plotted the previous two novels were.
And the ending? Well, I wouldn’t call it a satisfying ending, but it also wasn’t the super dour ending that I was expecting. Does Howey cheat a little bit? Yes, he does. But, I admit, by that point I really didn’t care anymore.
I’d recommend “Wool” and “Shift” without reservation to anyone who enjoys sci-fi or post apocalyptic fiction. They should rightly be viewed as modern classics. Were I to recommend them, I’d probably also say that the third book is the weakest of the bunch and you might be better off skipping it.
May 21, 2024
What a delighftul (not so little) romp in a dystopian future! The books get progressively better, the last one I could simply not put down (and read it in a day). The idea of people living in silos is interesting, who put them there and why is better - and what they do about it is the best.
August 29, 2025
4.5/5, rounding up to 5 because I really enjoyed this read
it’s everything you’d look for in a dystopian/sci-fi/mystery, which is maybe one of my favorite genres. the story is well told and keeps you engaged throughout the book. would recommend and will now be watching the show adaptation as well
it’s everything you’d look for in a dystopian/sci-fi/mystery, which is maybe one of my favorite genres. the story is well told and keeps you engaged throughout the book. would recommend and will now be watching the show adaptation as well
April 29, 2025
Currently reading. Finished book 1 around 4/3, working on book 2 right now.
Okay, so I got through books 1 and 2 and am burned out for now. I might get around to reading Dust at some point in the future, but right now have other things queued up that I will lose from the library if I don't connect to wifi (and in doing so, will lose this trilogy). I als0 need a break.
Overall the series is compelling enough. Book 1 is the futuristic world inside a silo: it is post apocalyptic and very interesting and leaves the reader wondering how these silos came to be. Book 2 starts in almost modern times (2050-ish) and then moves forward so that by the end it overlaps the end of book 1.
I anticipate book 3 will then be the end of this society (or maybe the end of the silos and re-beginning of humanity).
Howey does a good job of world building and makes a lot of commentary on human in-group/out-group stuff. It is both compelling and light (sci-fi plot focused) and has some social critique.
I did not find it amazing, but maybe that is in part because it is so long and I read 1-2 back to back.
Okay, so I got through books 1 and 2 and am burned out for now. I might get around to reading Dust at some point in the future, but right now have other things queued up that I will lose from the library if I don't connect to wifi (and in doing so, will lose this trilogy). I als0 need a break.
Overall the series is compelling enough. Book 1 is the futuristic world inside a silo: it is post apocalyptic and very interesting and leaves the reader wondering how these silos came to be. Book 2 starts in almost modern times (2050-ish) and then moves forward so that by the end it overlaps the end of book 1.
I anticipate book 3 will then be the end of this society (or maybe the end of the silos and re-beginning of humanity).
Howey does a good job of world building and makes a lot of commentary on human in-group/out-group stuff. It is both compelling and light (sci-fi plot focused) and has some social critique.
I did not find it amazing, but maybe that is in part because it is so long and I read 1-2 back to back.
July 26, 2019
This book personifies why dystopian can be an amazing genre. This book is phenomenal!
I’m always a fan of books that make me think and Wool has me pondering “the right thing to do” for days! Is it fair to let people live in innocence of a truth that would destroy the very safety that controls their lives?
This book is based around the typical dystopian idea that the world is destroyed and this is the last pocket of humanity, but it goes far further than that. It takes this concept and present moral issues in a mature and mind bending way.
This book is brilliant and I cannot wait to read the next two!
I’m always a fan of books that make me think and Wool has me pondering “the right thing to do” for days! Is it fair to let people live in innocence of a truth that would destroy the very safety that controls their lives?
This book is based around the typical dystopian idea that the world is destroyed and this is the last pocket of humanity, but it goes far further than that. It takes this concept and present moral issues in a mature and mind bending way.
This book is brilliant and I cannot wait to read the next two!
December 3, 2015
This was an outstanding book! I cant recommend this enough if you are into thrillers or sci-Fi. I had real difficulty actually turning my kindle off at night after the first two chapters. The first two chapters of the book pulled on my emotions in such a manner that I actually looked at reviews to see if I the whole book was going to have the same emotional impact. Thankfully the first two chapters set the hook and the rest of book was a fantastic emotional ride. I cant wait to read more by Howey
October 5, 2016
Narrativa detalhada demais, as vezes fica chata, mas a estoria é instigante.
May 28, 2024
Just a banger !
June 15, 2025
If you have time set aside for around 1,600+ pages of reading, you will enjoy this comprehensive trilogy plus some extras as compiled by the author. Using a post-apocalyptic dystopian setting, the author uses his narrative to tackle various philosophical and ethical questions such as: does humanity deserve to live? To survive, where do the lines get drawn between societal stability and individual freedoms? Who gets to decide and enforce the rules? How are lessons and knowledge passed between generations? How dangerous is the truth, and when does one decide to filter information? These questions get explored through several characters and their character growth through their respective journeys and roles.
While there isn’t truly a singular main character, I was pleased to see the author portray a very strong female protagonist who rises to the occasion and overcomes challenges thrown her way, while also showing the very human side of leading people into the unknown, with all the anxieties and self-doubt that come with it. While relationships wind up becoming an important means of exploring the story, the romance pieces themselves are at most briefly mentioned and not a focus of the storytelling (which I found appropriate as I believed it would not have added as much value in answering the questions above).
I found the author did an excellent job in their world building, and through the stories of numerous characters managed to paint quite the comprehensive mosaic of the world. In between the trilogy titles the author had an ‘interlude’ of sorts, where he broke the fourth wall and spoke to readers directly about what was going through his mind while writing the books, which I found added value to further understanding the setting and the themes being discussed. The author also included short stories in this package, which both helped add additional context to parts of the story not as well explained via new and existing characters, as well as tidying up some very minor loose ends to paint a fully wholesome picture.
Overall a very enjoyable read: if you are interested in yet another tale of humanity struggling to survive the burdens it placed on itself, I highly recommend the Wool (Silo) trilogy.
While there isn’t truly a singular main character, I was pleased to see the author portray a very strong female protagonist who rises to the occasion and overcomes challenges thrown her way, while also showing the very human side of leading people into the unknown, with all the anxieties and self-doubt that come with it. While relationships wind up becoming an important means of exploring the story, the romance pieces themselves are at most briefly mentioned and not a focus of the storytelling (which I found appropriate as I believed it would not have added as much value in answering the questions above).
I found the author did an excellent job in their world building, and through the stories of numerous characters managed to paint quite the comprehensive mosaic of the world. In between the trilogy titles the author had an ‘interlude’ of sorts, where he broke the fourth wall and spoke to readers directly about what was going through his mind while writing the books, which I found added value to further understanding the setting and the themes being discussed. The author also included short stories in this package, which both helped add additional context to parts of the story not as well explained via new and existing characters, as well as tidying up some very minor loose ends to paint a fully wholesome picture.
Overall a very enjoyable read: if you are interested in yet another tale of humanity struggling to survive the burdens it placed on itself, I highly recommend the Wool (Silo) trilogy.
July 15, 2020
In the far future the earth is dead. The human population lives in an underground silo that is so large, you could spend days traversing its winding metal steps before you reach the other end. Howey puts us in the environment--into the very body of a character--by flooding us with that persons senses, of touch, taste, smell, hearing, sight, insight, and emotions. For that reason the characters appear solid as they climb up and down the different levels or ply their trade. We hear the ring of metal steps, feel the strain of leg muscles, and dodge the bustle of foot traffic.
This is a plot-driven novel in which seemingly main characters die, one after the other. They are unique from one another, sympathetic and heroic, so I didn't want to lose them. By the time we meet Juliette (Jules) several chapters into the book, we have an edgy feeling over whether she, another heroic character, can survive long enough to carry the plot to its conclusion.
IT is the control center of the silo, applying rules in order to keep things running smoothly. It includes a taboo on certain thoughts and certain topics of conversation. Breaking the taboo can bring condemnation and death. Breaking the taboo is what you do if you want to sift truth from lies.
Jules has been moved from Mechanical to the position of sheriff. She's been moved from a close-knit community to a lonely place. Right away she sets out to investigate what happened to the previous sheriff. Right away she has broken a taboo, and she must face death.
The tension continues to grow as the story takes unexpected turns. Drama mounts both psychologically and physically. When details narrow and build along certain lines, the reader senses a catastrophe coming. And there are plenty. The story ends in too surprises. Good ones.
I need to catch my breathe before I continue with Shift, the second book in this trilogy.
This is a plot-driven novel in which seemingly main characters die, one after the other. They are unique from one another, sympathetic and heroic, so I didn't want to lose them. By the time we meet Juliette (Jules) several chapters into the book, we have an edgy feeling over whether she, another heroic character, can survive long enough to carry the plot to its conclusion.
IT is the control center of the silo, applying rules in order to keep things running smoothly. It includes a taboo on certain thoughts and certain topics of conversation. Breaking the taboo can bring condemnation and death. Breaking the taboo is what you do if you want to sift truth from lies.
Jules has been moved from Mechanical to the position of sheriff. She's been moved from a close-knit community to a lonely place. Right away she sets out to investigate what happened to the previous sheriff. Right away she has broken a taboo, and she must face death.
The tension continues to grow as the story takes unexpected turns. Drama mounts both psychologically and physically. When details narrow and build along certain lines, the reader senses a catastrophe coming. And there are plenty. The story ends in too surprises. Good ones.
I need to catch my breathe before I continue with Shift, the second book in this trilogy.
April 2, 2017
Al haberlo cogido sin esperar nada especial de él, lo he disfrutado bastante. Es un buen libro, aunque algo irregular en los timings y demasiado vago en algunos aspectos.
Me ha gustado que incorpore cliffhangers al final de algunos capítulos (pocos, muy pocos, y de resolución algo aparatosa, pero ya es más de lo que ofrece el común de los mortales).
No me ha gustado el modo de tratar a los personajes. Sólo he conseguido identificarme con la heroína y con el villano, y el resto parecía que estuviesen de adorno, hasta el punto de resultar incluso molestos a la trama, habida cuenta de su papel de herramienta más que de personaje como tal.
Es una idea original muy potente, pero poco desarrollada. La descripción de los entornos es prácticamente nula, aún cuando ese, a mi parecer, sería el punto más fuerte de la novela, incluso más allá de la propia trama. El primer tramo es muy, muy muy lento, y el propio autor se lo ventila de buenas a primeras y empieza el libro docenas de páginas más tarde. La elección del timing a la hora de mostrar la información y la elección de qué personajes cuentan qué, no me ha convencido demasiado.
No obstante, es un buen libro, y pese a su resolución algo... discutible, deja con ganas de seguir leyendo, más que nada por tooooodo lo que hay detrás que en ningún momento se desvela. Confío los otros dos tomos suplan estas pequeñas carencias, que a mi humilde parecer tiene el primero, y me atrapen aún más.
David.
Me ha gustado que incorpore cliffhangers al final de algunos capítulos (pocos, muy pocos, y de resolución algo aparatosa, pero ya es más de lo que ofrece el común de los mortales).
No me ha gustado el modo de tratar a los personajes. Sólo he conseguido identificarme con la heroína y con el villano, y el resto parecía que estuviesen de adorno, hasta el punto de resultar incluso molestos a la trama, habida cuenta de su papel de herramienta más que de personaje como tal.
Es una idea original muy potente, pero poco desarrollada. La descripción de los entornos es prácticamente nula, aún cuando ese, a mi parecer, sería el punto más fuerte de la novela, incluso más allá de la propia trama. El primer tramo es muy, muy muy lento, y el propio autor se lo ventila de buenas a primeras y empieza el libro docenas de páginas más tarde. La elección del timing a la hora de mostrar la información y la elección de qué personajes cuentan qué, no me ha convencido demasiado.
No obstante, es un buen libro, y pese a su resolución algo... discutible, deja con ganas de seguir leyendo, más que nada por tooooodo lo que hay detrás que en ningún momento se desvela. Confío los otros dos tomos suplan estas pequeñas carencias, que a mi humilde parecer tiene el primero, y me atrapen aún más.
David.
November 29, 2023
In post apocalyptic world where no one goes outside, people live in an underground silo and are separated by job function and level you live on, anoyone who wants to go out is sent "to clean", everyone does and then they die within view of the people of the silo.
Book one focuses on Silo 18 and how the society of the silo can collapse or maintain. There's some good intrigue. A super fast pace, and you really get to know the main characters
Book two shows how we got to the Silo society and does a bit of a Rashamon where you read the events in Silo 18 from someone else's perspective.
Book three brings it all together and wraps up the arc real well. I honestly was surprised that Howey was able to bring everything to a satisfying close, I was at 93% done and couldn't see it getting wrapped up but man, well done.
A lot of fun to read, moves fast, and I was bummed to leave the characters and the world when I was done.
Book one focuses on Silo 18 and how the society of the silo can collapse or maintain. There's some good intrigue. A super fast pace, and you really get to know the main characters
Book two shows how we got to the Silo society and does a bit of a Rashamon where you read the events in Silo 18 from someone else's perspective.
Book three brings it all together and wraps up the arc real well. I honestly was surprised that Howey was able to bring everything to a satisfying close, I was at 93% done and couldn't see it getting wrapped up but man, well done.
A lot of fun to read, moves fast, and I was bummed to leave the characters and the world when I was done.
April 12, 2018
Ok, so coming back with a review of the overall series.
Usually, when I rate a Science Fiction book, I consider the following:
1) Idea/Plot - the same tiresome conspiracy of an organization to control the world, undone with help from the inside.
2) Originality - unfortunately, not so original. It really has one too many similarities with (the first that comes to mind is the movie The Island) other related work.
3) Characters - interesting enough character development to keep me reading till the end.
4) Writing style - decent - still at some point, whilst reading Shift, it gets really boring together with Solo in the server room (I was seriously considering to give up).
Overall, a nice and fast read, but don't expect too much.
Usually, when I rate a Science Fiction book, I consider the following:
1) Idea/Plot - the same tiresome conspiracy of an organization to control the world, undone with help from the inside.
2) Originality - unfortunately, not so original. It really has one too many similarities with (the first that comes to mind is the movie The Island) other related work.
3) Characters - interesting enough character development to keep me reading till the end.
4) Writing style - decent - still at some point, whilst reading Shift, it gets really boring together with Solo in the server room (I was seriously considering to give up).
Overall, a nice and fast read, but don't expect too much.
December 12, 2017
Enjoyable enough. Howey has a talent for creating tension and capturing the isolation of paranoia. He falls down in his development of some of the relationships between his characters, and he often spends far too long overly describing minutiae that often has no real bearing on the story.
The most regrettable parts are his abandonment of some major early plotlines. I suspect some of these are resolved in the sequels, but I haven't been gripped enough to keep going. For sci-fi fans and those who love a good post-apocalyptic tale, I think this novel will enthrall you more than it did me. I didn't hate it; I didn't love it.
The most regrettable parts are his abandonment of some major early plotlines. I suspect some of these are resolved in the sequels, but I haven't been gripped enough to keep going. For sci-fi fans and those who love a good post-apocalyptic tale, I think this novel will enthrall you more than it did me. I didn't hate it; I didn't love it.
April 2, 2025
A highly complex and well told story spanning both a pre apocalyptic and post apocalyptic world. The plot evolves cleverly and evilly revealing a whole new governance and ethics structure to support the new reality that is hard for the inhabitants to understand and then defeat.
February 5, 2020
I really enjoyed this. Good characters, good plot, dystopian, and relatable. One of the more mainstream science fictions.
September 2, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, its one of them that you just want to read one more chapter before bed. A very detailed story with a few twist and turns. I recommend this and think anyone would enjoy this story.
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