Howey, Hugh; Shift (Silo #2); Informal Buddy Read; Start Date 28 November 2014

[Kimberly]

My book is the US one and it's most definitely 'Donald'.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

lol
ok
So I think that there was some postings of "Daniel" instead of "Donald" and that has created the confusion.

Add to that a couple of comments that maybe should have gone under spoiler tags... ;)

Just ignore it all Kristie and keep reading I think! :D

[Kristie]

okie doke...sounds like a plan. lol

[Renee]

Just finished Chapter 30.

@ Karen re you First Shift spoiler
(view spoiler)[ They just explained why they were using the tablets. Makes sense now - very clever. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

@Renee - Yes, I didn't want to create another spoiler when I read that bit earlier today. Now I'm happy that plot hole has been filled ;)

[Renee]

Doing lots of housework today so ploughing through this one. I don't have the audio, but I'm using a text to speech app on my phone with the ebook. Not quite the same atmosphere you would have Karen, but I'm enjoying the story. Just finished Chapter 62.
(view spoiler)[ I wonder if Jimmy will be able to hold them off. Interesting to see things from the perspective of Silo 1 watching the disaster and from Jimmy who is right in the middle of it unfolding. Silo 1 is supposed to be monitoring everything, but still not many people there know the truth. (hide spoiler)]

[Renee]

Just finished Chapter 82
(view spoiler)[ So there has been some reference to the events in Wool now. Reading a report on the cleaner who made it out of sight.

And I think Jimmy is Solo.
(hide spoiler)]

[Kimberly]

Kristin - Im on Chapter 54. The pace definitely picks up and the story gets more interesting - but in my opinion, this book can't hit the stride that Wool so expertly maintained.

It's enjoyable but not riveting.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

I'm into chapter 34 and I am really intrigued by (view spoiler)[ the note that was given to Mission by his friend. Can he really help him even if he wanted to? (hide spoiler)]

Also so much of the storyline is reminding me of Across the Universe and I can't work out if that means Howey has kind of stolen Revis' idea and slightly changed it into silos rather than a spaceship ; or if this is just a 'common' idea in sci-fi

[Cynthia]

Karen wrote: "I'm into chapter 34 and I am really intrigued by [spoilers removed]

Also so much of the storyline is reminding me of Across the Universe and I can't work out if that means Howey has..."

I've thought a lot about that note. (view spoiler)[ Does Rodny mean 'Help me escape from this place...I'm in terrible danger' or does he mean 'Help me take control of the Silo'. I can't be sure what Rodny was thinking, or if he hoped he could count on his friends no matter what he had to do. (hide spoiler)]

[Renee]

Just finished. Started off slow, but picked up the pace by the end.

(view spoiler)[ I liked that we got to see familiar characters from a different POV. And now Donald and Juliet are in the same timeline. Donald was that voice on the other end checking to see if Juliets friend was appropriate to become head. After that Donald made some reference to an experiment he was trying - I think the experiment was to see what someone like himself would do with a silo and if that would work out better that the official plan. (hide spoiler)]

Re the final line in the book
(view spoiler)[ I think Juliet is going to actually dig with those big machines and try to reach another silo underground. Maybe that will be the next book? (hide spoiler)]

[Cynthia]

Kristin wrote: "Just finished Part 1. And the pace has picked up! I never thought the people who created the Silos would have cyrogenics. I know from Wool they had some advanced technology but that seemed far bey..."

(view spoiler)[ I think they (they being the people that engineered this whole silo business) ask them to choose new names because they're trying to keep them from remembering the past. I don't know if cryogenics itself is killing them, or if it's wearing the body out to wake up for 6 months, sleep for 10 years, wake up for 6 months, repeat. It probably wasn't meant to be used like that. Maybe one day it would have been perfected, but at the time it was developed this is probably the best they could do.

Anna is a real piece of work. How selfish!!! On the other hand...the people in silo 1 aren't awake and living real lives. They wake up for shifts and have no real identity. So Anna probably gave Helen a chance to have a real life, even though it was one without Donny. And also, Helen seemed like an annoying person. I'm glad we don't have her in the book. (hide spoiler)]

[Cynthia]

Re Helen (view spoiler)[ She gave him a lot of grief about working on silo architecture when he 'could have stayed at home and done that' instead of doing what she thought a new Senator should do. I can only imagine what it would have been like if they had been together in the Silo. Donny was resistant to the memory eraser, so he would have known that he designed it, that he was a part of the group that created it. I think it would have snapped his mind.

Donny would have been a 1st generation cleaner, and Helen would have been alone. (hide spoiler)]

[Kristie]

I made it to 20% today. This one is probably going to take me a bit longer. But I am curious about a few things and have some theories as to what's happening / going to happen. And a few clues as to what was going on in Wool that we were unaware of! Looking forward to catching up and reading the spoilers.

[Snowtulip]

Started today and got to 25% of the story.

Kristin, I also was a little surprised with cyrogenics because of what we saw in Wool, just figured if we had advanced that far with technology there would have been a different solution than what we saw in Wool.

I agree it's a slow start, but I can see it beginning to get more interesting :)

[Tawallah]

I've just finished the First Shift. Well, I read some of the comments before I finish so the whole Troy/Donald aspect was blown. I'm not sure if I would blame the meds per, but I wonder if Donald has always being avoiding confronting the obvious. I not sure if I should feel sorry for Donald, all the hints were there. He is the clueless one here.

The technology doesn't seem that far advanced than ours. I know everyone is saying that Wool is more advanced. But remember that Shift is more of a prequel. The silos in wool are generations later. Silo 1 is completely different in its workup and function to those other silos.

This progression of story kinda bucks the system we usually experience in reading, the story tends to move forward. And I'm curious why does the second book in a trilogy always slows down to explain things?

Looking forward to the next shift. Think I'll comment after the next shift and stay away from here, so no more spoilers for me.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

@Kristie/Cynthia/June

re: first shift

(view spoiler)[
I agree that Donald should've been given more information, but I do wonder if he was, but then forgot that he had because of the meds he was on?
I'm not sure that Helen was in the wrong place on purpose or not. If she had been in silo 1 it would've been pretty awful and not a life. She would have just been on "shifts". The Senator did ask him to bring his wife, so at least he wanted to make sure she was saved? (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Chapter 47

Now things are getting interesting (view spoiler)[ as we find out what Victor may have known.... (hide spoiler)]

Can someone who read Wool recently remind me... was it Silo 18 that Wool was based in? (and then Juliet found silo 17?) or was it the other way around?

[Renee]

@ Karen - Juliet found 17 in Wool.

[Kristie]

Oh boy...I keep accidentally reading spoilers. :/

[Renee]

Naughty girl Kristie!

[Kristie]

lol! Unintentional, I swear! I'm not peeking. I need to read faster though, if I'm going to keep looking at this thread.

[Cynthia]

@ June - I don't think the silos in Wool are technologically advanced, but it's possible I totally missed something (even though I've now read Wool twice LOL).

End of book spoiler (view spoiler)[
According to the Pact, Silo 1 and its technology would be destroyed at the 'End Shift' so that humanity could exist without the technology to repeat history. I guess the End Shift occurs when the nanos have all broken down.

I think that's why the Legacy, which seems to be a set of encyclopedias with selective entries, exists. Some knowledge is allowed but not everything. (hide spoiler)]

I'm trying to hold off on reading Dust, but it's difficult!

[Kimberly]

I've just finished. I'm on the app so no spoilers - but the ending... Wow!

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Kristie (~ Gaildis, of the Elves ~) wrote: "lol! Unintentional, I swear! I'm not peeking. I need to read faster though, if I'm going to keep looking at this thread."

lol!

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Ok I just finished the second shift (end of chapter 57)

(view spoiler)[
I was so surprised with the Crow and Rodny and Mission... and Donald! This has been a really good insight into the origins of the SIlos and how they make decisions of "resets" or "losing" a silo. I'm so interested as to how these characters may (or may not) reappear in the third shift and hopefully we will meet with Juliet again! (hide spoiler)]

[Kristie]

Karen wrote: "@Kristie/Cynthia/June

re: first shift..."

I'm only about chapter 31 now (38%). I think (view spoiler)[ they didn't tell him more because they knew he had a hard time with the initial information. He basically had a breakdown and couldn't handle it. They knew he either wouldn't be on board or he couldn't handle the knowledge.

About Helen - I feel like they set that up on purpose. Or at least Anna had something to do with it. I don't know how, but I feel like she or the senator are somehow to blame. It's possible that Helen just didn't get Donald's messages and went to the tent where they were originally supposed to meet and no one is at fault, but I feel like they changed his location last minute on purpose.

I love that Donald chose the name Troy because of Helen of Troy. ♥ So sweet. (hide spoiler)]

Hoping to get a bit further tomorrow! I seem to be reading just under 10% a day.

[Snowtulip]

Kristie, (view spoiler)[ agree about Anna's involvement with everything going on, I can't trust her (hide spoiler)]

[Kristie]

Snowtulip - Not at all!!!

[Tawallah]

Cynthia wrote: "@ June - I don't think the silos in Wool are technologically advanced, but it's possible I totally missed something (even though I've now read Wool twice LOL).

End of book spoiler
According to t..."

Now that I'm in part of second shift, you may be right about Wool not being so advanced. It is more that the first shift is more of a prequel. Sorta. It's just than Silo 1 is run differently to the rest.

[Tawallah]

Kristie (~ Gaildis, of the Elves ~) wrote: "Karen wrote: "@Kristie/Cynthia/June

re: first shift..."

I'm only about chapter 31 now (38%). I think they didn't tell him more because they knew he had a hard time with the initial information. ..."
Kristie we are about the same place. I find it interesting that he made that link so he would remember. But is there more to it? Is this the set-up for a bigger surprise. Is it related to the Greek myth about the Trojan Horse?

[Cynthia]

I can't think of the name Helen without thinking 'of Troy', so I'm assuming he chose the name so it hopefully trigger a memory of her.

I never thought it was alluding to a Trojan Horse, but in a way the memory is a kind of Trojan Horse, setting off a cascade of thoughts. I don't think he was able to make that much of a plan in the horror of the beginning, but he was able to hang on to just one thing, Helen.

[Kristie]

I think we need to continue to use spoiler tags in case others aren't quite as far along as we are. I know that I learned a few things ahead of time on this thread. (view spoiler)[ I agree with you Cynthia. I think he was just trying to make that connection, hoping to jog his memory so that he would remember his wife. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Renee wrote: "Doing lots of housework today so ploughing through this one. I don't have the audio, but I'm using a text to speech app on my phone with the ebook. Not quite the same atmosphere you would have Kare..."

Oh I got so annoyed at about chapter 76
(view spoiler)[ Why didn't Jimmy just put in the code 3 times every day so they wouldn't be able to?! I know he said it was kind of what he looked forward to every day for "human contact", but gees man... seriously...
I do like that we get to see the origins of Solo, but this third shift is the slowest for me so far (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Renee wrote: "Just finished Chapter 82...
"

Yes I like that (view spoiler)[ the end of Wool is winding together with this one and it is interesting to read these bits now we know about Silo 1 (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Chapter 94

(view spoiler)[
Interesting that in this desolate world and broken silo there are fish, worms, and a cat!
I guess the introduction of the cat is to create a bridge for Jimmy from his fear of people to a need for company for when he meets Juliette. I have to say, I'm getting a little impatient for the story for him to reach 2345.
Did I hear right that earlier Donald discovered they were only meant to be in silos for, maybe, 200 years? It has been 400... but then I wonder why the others that go cleaning die. Is it just because they don't have the nanos? Why wouldn't Silo 1 have already started to get out?
(hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Finished
I found the third part the slowest (view spoiler)[ and I got a bit tired of the Solo timeline (hide spoiler)], but still interesting to have that time before Wool explored. I think it sets up book 3 nicely too

@Renee
(view spoiler)[ I wondered if Juliette would do that too, but then I think Donald will go out in the drones with his sister. I can only assume "Dust" refers to them getting out of the silos.
(hide spoiler)]

[Renee]

@ Karen

re: Chapter 76 spoiler

Hey Karen, I want you on my team if we are ever caught in an apocalypse - I hadn't even thought of that! Would work perfectly though.

re: Chapter 94 Spoiler
(view spoiler)[ I kept thinking of Cat from Red Dwarf when they mentioned a cat was alive. The one in Red Dwarf had evolved while the rest of the space ship was in stasis though, so not quite a cat anymore. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

@Renee

Chapter 76
(view spoiler)[Lol!. I was screaming at him through that bit to stop eating peaches and go and plug the code in every day :o
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 94
(view spoiler)[ Oh I didn't even think of that. I was just amazed that other life could have survived for so long! (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

So frustrated - why am I having such a hard time getting into this? It is slowing me down. I don't want to give up, I won't, but it hasn't grabbed me yet.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Sarah wrote: "So frustrated - why am I having such a hard time getting into this? It is slowing me down. I don't want to give up, I won't, but it hasn't grabbed me yet."

I understand Sarah. I had that happen to me to a book just last week. I had it on audio and I ended up putting it aside for a few days, reading some on kindle, and then going back to the audio.
Maybe you can try that and if it's just not happening for you, maybe leave it for a few weeks

[Snowtulip]

Sarah, it took me some time to get into this one as well, but the middle part of the book really brings to light many things, hang in there!!

[Snowtulip]

Wowza, I finished last night!

Karen (view spoiler)[ I didn't even think about the code be entered!! (hide spoiler)]

Thoughts (view spoiler)[overall, the middle portion and Silo 1 kept me the most intrigued. I was really bummed about Rodny :( I am completely curious to see how the relationship between Donald and Juliette will be forged in the next book (hide spoiler)]

[Kristie]

Karen wrote: "Finished
I found the third part the slowest [spoilers removed], but still interesting to have that time before Wool explored. I think it sets up book 3 nicely too

@Renee
I wondered if Juliette wo..."

Oh no, really? I'm only at chapter 51, I think, and I'm really interested in it. I was hoping it would keep up the pace to the end.

[Kristie]

Cynthia wrote: "Re Helen [spoilers removed]..."

Cynthia & Kristin (view spoiler)[ I also found Helen a bit annoying, partly because she gave him a hard time about what he did at his job, but also because she was on his case about having to work with Anna. He intentionally made it so that he wouldn't have to see her much and his wife was still miffed about it. How about trusting that your husband won't cheat on you just a little bit. I think it was the dinner they had that she kept bringing it up when he was trying to enjoy time with her that really bothered me.

With that said, she wouldn't have remembered any of that if she was in another silo. And even though they wanted to be together, I don't think that would have been allowed. Imagine how crazy she would have thought he was when he came to her telling her that she was his wife in a previous world!! I think you're both right. He would have lost it there and been one of the first cleaners. (hide spoiler)]

[Cynthia]

@ Kristie (view spoiler)[ That's what I found so annoying about her, too. Nothing spoils a relationship faster than jealousy and controlling behavior, and Helen was full of both. Yeah, that'll work real well in the apocalypse. It seems like the kind of ingrained personality defect that would survive any kind of meds. (hide spoiler)]

[Kristie]

OMG!! The beginning of Shift 3!!! (view spoiler)[ I can't believe Thurman gave Donald his position! Wow! He really did want him in charge. Or someone did! (hide spoiler)]

This part is really interesting to me! Is anyone else still reading?

[Kelly]

Going to start reading Silo real soon. Just got it from library.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Kristie (~ Gaildis, of the Elves ~) wrote: "OMG!! The beginning of Shift 3!!! [spoilers removed]

This part is really interesting to me! Is anyone else still reading?"

lol. That was the storyline I enjoyed in the third shift. The alternate storyline is the one that I found a bit too slow

[Kristie]

Kristin wrote: "I'm towards the end of Shift 3. I am bored by the other storyline like Karen was but I like the one with Donald. (view spoiler) "

That's just what I was thinking. That was who my "someone else" referred too. (view spoiler)[ How ticked would Thurman be, if that's the case and they woke him up! lol (hide spoiler)]

The other storyline hasn't bored me yet. Possibly because it has just started, but also because I like its connection to Wool.