Ship Breaker (National Book Award Finalist)

I don't remember why I came across this book. It's been sitting on my bedroom floor for about two weeks and last night I opened it up for the first time. After reading it, I am now wondering why I left it on the floor for so long. Was I crazy? Well most likely, lazy and it was hidden under my pile of clothes. I'm not going to bore you with a summary. That's what a product description is for. I really liked this book and now it's sitting on my bookshelf along with the other keepers in my collection. I really enjoyed Bacigalupi's writing style. The story was laced with descriptions and it was consistant. They weren't abstract descriptions or lazy descriptions either. They were short and to the point. "Bright tropic sunlight and ocean salt breezes bathed him." As a reader, you get an idea of where Nailer was at. The place he lived just based on this description. There was no need to mention a sandy beach lined with tropical plants. The details were short and they still maintianed an imagery that set both tone and setting. I didn't know what I was getting into when I started reading this book, but I knew pretty soon once I began reading. A futuristic post-industrial almost dystopic setting was here. Yes, there is a slight hint to be enviormentally friendly but that wasn't the point of the story. It annoys me when people says that's what the book represents (based on a small factor of a book). Ship Breaker is about Nailer, the protaganist of the story. It's about his life, his way of life, his beliefs, and how something and someone from outside of his world alters and changes his perception. Ship Breaker is about being human (in regards to Nailer). It's reinforced by the character Tool in the book. It's not a romance. It's not an adventure. Though there are elements of those in this book that's not what this book is about. To some it seems like Bacigalupi has no idea what he wants from his story but I think they are just confused as they are basing this book with other books, (P.S. I absolutely hate that. Don't do that. Read a book and based it on its own merits, not along side another.) or missed the reoccuring hints and themes from the situations in the story. It's not surprising for two people to start liking one another when they have to completely trust the other, especailly with their lives, and just because there are moments like this does not mean the author wanted to make it a romance novel and then didn't know how to expand from there. It happens. Could happen. And it did in Ship Breaker. Plus it was not the focus of the story and it didn't happen within seeing each other, in unbelievable circumstances. The pacing of the story was done well also. The first few pages set the tone of the story, introducing us to the lives of Nailer and those around him. You get to know these people's hard lives, the mentaility to live in such a place, and what they do to survive. The pace picks up soon after and really doesn't stop from there. Again and again, the book questions decisions and what it means for the person making those decision. Do they reflect who that person is or do they create that person to who he is now? I have seen one review where is states that this book is unoriginal. Where else is there a book about a shipbreaker in a dystopian world? Where is this unorginality you speak of? You strip a story to its core and it reeks of unoriginality. If you are to inspect every story and poke and prod it to be an original story, every story would cower and hide in shame. It's how an author approaches the story with its characters. I have not seem many Nailers around. Or Nitas. Or Primas. Yes, Nailer is fighting for survival like many other people in a dystopian world, but unlike those other books, we get to see why and how Nailer acts the way he does. It's not just a race or run for survival. We come to understand him and those characters around him, understanding why they act they way they do and belive in the things they do. ( I hate reviews who say `there's nothing original about this book' without any backed reasons... you are entitled to your opinions but back them up. Saying something like that and leaving it as it stands shows you have no back bone and is merely stating something to be obnoxious and heard.) Verdict: Great story and great characters. Definately one to own.

Ship Breaker is a young adult, post-apocalyptic, science fiction novel from Paolo Bacigalupi. The titular character is Nailer, a teenager who lives (barely) and works (hard) on one of the polluted coasts of North America. Nailer is part of one of many hundreds of crews that swarm over derelict ships and dismantle them for their raw components. In the post-greenhouse-meltdown world, resources are scarce - if it weren't for the crews, there'd be no materials left at all. Nailer's world is a brutal one. The crews are part of a nasty, feudal society. Teens like Nailer are caught between roles - growing too big to crawl through ducts in search of valuable wire, but not big enough to join the adults that dismantle heavy machinery. There's nowhere to fit in and, of course, no escape. Nailer's luck takes a turn for the better when he makes a massive find. One of the newfangled, "swank" clipper ships has washed ashore. The only thing that stands between Nailer and valuable, life-changing salvage? The near-dead young girl that he founds on board. Fortunately, this being a young adult book, so Nailer does the right thing. Also, she's hot. Nailer and Nita (his pretty new friend from the right side of the tracks) are forced to run. As well as being pursued by Nita's high-class corporate enemies and Nailer's low-class gangland foes, they have to deal with the brutal facts of life in their ruined world. Any infection is potentially lethal. A rat makes for a good meal. Half-dogs roam the streets as corporate assassins (ok, the last is a little far-fetched, but give the author credit for having a bit of fun). Bacigalupi's future is a bleak and uninviting one. Ship Breaker is, ultimately, a good story, if not a particularly insightful one. It dances near serious themes, but then sashays away at the last minute. There aren't really a lot of problems that aren't quickly resolved in the next chapter, and most personal relationships don't get explored any more deeply than a confession of "liking" (or even "not liking"). Nailer's world is divided into good people and bad people. Occasionally there's a bit of drama when a bad person turns out to be a good person, but that doesn't happen often enough to be a source of real anxiety for anyone involved. It all concludes in a surprisingly upbeat fairy-tale ending that defies current trends in young adult genre fiction - daring to give the reader satisfaction instead of setting up the gloomy sequel. Ship Breaker isn't a flawless book by any means. Bacigalupi tends to wax preachy when it comes to the use and abuse of natural resources. Agree or disagree, he lays it on a bit thick and interrupts his own storytelling. Having a world with The Orleans (and "The Orleans 2" and two other cities on the same spot) all destroyed by "city killer" hurricanes - all caused by the stripping of barrier islands - is shamefully heavy-handed. Similarly, the characters all become uncharacteristically chatty when the topic of consumerism comes to the fore. Ship Breaker is, largely, an old-fashioned Boy's Own adventure. A young man goes in search of his fortune and, after proving himself morally righteous, finds it. It is a tried and true formula, and one that the author adopts well. An enjoyable book - just one that sometimes gets distracted by another agenda.

Dystopias are just making my summer! Is that weird? Oh well, weird or not, I have read some awesome YA dystopias, and Nebula winner Paolo Bacigalupi doesn't disappoint with Ship Breaker. You might not be able to pronounce the author's last name, but you won't forget this story once you've finished it. Nailer is just one of many kids who work the Light Crew on the beach. Light Crew are small kids who can climb into the old rusting hulks of abandoned ships on the beach from a time long gone. They scavenge anything they can, especially copper, from old ships, but hitting the Lucky Strike of an oil pocket is the dream of any scavenge crew. The worst fate is to be thrown from your blood-oath crew for betraying your oath. If you betray your crew, there isn't much hope for you on the beach. Nailer's mom died long ago and his father waivers between drug-induced hazes and violent abusive rages. His life on Light Crew is the only thing that keeps them fed. His Crew leader, Pima, and her mother are the closest thing to family Nailer has known. When he and Pima discover a shipwreck after a huge "city killer" (hurricane), they decide to scavenge for their own Lucky Strike before anyone else gets there. During their scavenge, however, they find a young girl pinned. If they don't rescue her, she will surely die. Pima wants to kill her and continue the Strike, but Nailer insists on saving the girl they dub Lucky Girl. In doing so, Nailer's very scary father finds them and is determined to sell Lucky Girl to the highest bidder. Pima and Nailer know they have to get away from Nailer's dad and his psychotic crew, but they underestimate the strength of the crew. During their getaway, they are saved by Pima's mom and a half-man (men genetically engineered with dog/hyena/etc. DNA as "loyal" servants). Tool, the half-man, helps Nailer and Lucky Girl escape to Orleans (part of the old New Orleans and Orleans II) where she can find a ship to save her. The reason she shipwrecked in the first place was because she was outrunning a traitor in her father's company who wanted to use her as leverage for power in his company. Now they don't know which ship and captain can be trusted, but Nailer's dad is hunting them as well. Nailer and Tool must find a way to get Lucky Girl back to her family. This is an awesome dystopia, with all the bells and whistles. Hard, gruesome work for the majority of they barely-scraping by masses while the leaders live with extravagant pleasures. The disenchanted masses dream of a better life while trudging through the short, painful lives they lead. It makes you love Nailer and Pima and all the others stuck on the beach, but also frustrated with Lucky Girl and her ignorance to their lives. Lucky Girl isn't without redemption, of course. She has a quality that makes people who haven't even met her want to help her. When Nailer sees how many crew members on one of her father's ships would risk their lives to save her, he knows Lucky Girl is a special kind of "swank". This is a moderately difficult book, in terms of reading level. I would save this story for high skilled junior high through high school. The story is very exciting and interesting. It has some familiar landmarks and cities to keep a student's interest while still exploring a whole new world. The only thing that might be a little confusing is the nicknames and slang the characters use. You get used to the new terms quickly, but when they are first introduced, they can be a little confusing. This is a really great story by a newly acclaimed Sci-Fi author. It is nice when we drag the talented "adult" authors to the YA fun- they never knew what they were missing until they start writing for young adults!

"Ship Breaking" by Paulo Bacigalupi immediately captured my attention but in the end let me down. The story took off right away as we meet Nailer, living on the beach of the Gulf Coast in a world where corporations have taken control, he fights daily to stay alive and employed. Nailer is a ship breaker, working with his crew to strip shipwrecked boats for their scrap metal and wires. Ship breaking is hard work and dangerous, but more frightening is the thought of being without work and left at the mercy of his drug addicted, violent father. On the beach, Crew is everything and Nailer knows it better than anyone. When Nailer and Crewmate Pima find a shipwreck to scavenge for themselves, they discover a half dead girl and Nailer makes the difficult to decision to save her life and thus the adventure begins. Bacigalupi really created his own lingo for this novel which worked amazingly and I loved it. However, I did not like the fact that a lot of these words were thrown around without much description. For instance, the half-men, although information seems to be revealed about them little by little, I was still left slightly confused by these creatures in the end. The corporate wars got a bit muddy and confusing at times. I wish we had seen more of exactly what was happening and had a little more explanation. My biggest problem came when they left the Orleans to sail and then the story seemed to get very stagnant, boring, and overwhelmed with detail. There were much more details about the gears and sails of the ship then Nailer's emotions at the time. A lot of new characters were introduced around the same time as the sailing scenes and it was just too overwhelming for me. I couldn't keep the characters straight and had to keep reminding myself who each one was. I had to really force myself to pay attention for those chapters. The ending of the book was slightly redeeming. I loved Nailer's relationship with his father and his revelation that family is not simply blood. I felt every moment of Nailer's conflicted relationship and his love for Sadna and Pima. I say the ending was only slightly redeeming because I felt that everything was wrapped up a little too neatly in the end. I always think it is better to go in expecting to be disappointed by a book and perhaps that was my problem. I was so excited over "Ship Breaking" that I didn't allow for any disappointment. I do think it is a good read and probably geared more towards a male audience.

Hugo and Nebula wining author of the Sci-Fi novel, The Windup Girl, brings his unique vision of the future to YA. The conventions of this younger demographic solves my biggest problem with Windup, which featured way too many characters and way too byzantine a plot. Ship Breaker has a single narrator and a straightforward enough story. The setting is the American Gulf coast some hundred years in the future after the collapse of our oil dependent technology. This could be the same world as Windup, or is perhaps merely similar. It doesn't matter, it's fascinating. The first 50-60% of the book is absolutely first rate, fantastic. Baciqalupi has a great voice: third person, yet personal, detailed, yet fast paced. I loved the introduction to the world of the ship-breaking yards (see below for more on their real-life inspiration). The protagonist is very likable and the secondary characters mostly well developed. I loved the introduction of "Lucky Girl" (his love interest) and their time together (approximately 30% - 60%, the second act). However, the third act involves her near complete disappearance from the book. Nailer, our protag, goes after her, but this section felt weaker and more disconnected. Even at the end, she's only around for about two lines of dialogue. Additionally, this part of the book features more traditional "big action" and this doesn't seem to be Baciqalupi's strong point. The early parts of the novel contained a great deal of physical tension and that was handled flawlessly, but I didn't totally buy some of the final scenes. And the resolution with the primary villain felt slightly off. I'll have to go with perhaps 8 out of 10 on this book. Very very good, with a lot going for it, but not a total stunner. Still,absolutely worth reading. It's worth a moment's discussion on real Ship Breaking, a strange and dangerous global market niche which is almost entirely done in Bangladesh, at the famous ship-breaking yards. In these real life places, old tankers and the like are driven aground on the beach and then swarms of Bangladeshi workers tear them apart for raw materials. Many are children and working conditions make 19th Century Cotton Mills look pleasant. Check out these amazing photos here. Old ships contain a wealth of valuable materials, but there is no environmentally sound or automated way to scrap them. The current practice takes advantage of the extremely poor to do it "cheaply." The cost, of course, is more human. Andy Gavin, author of The Darkening Dream

I just blazed through Paolo Bacigalupi's Ship Breaker and I really regret having to leave that world. I want to go back along Bright Sands Beach and revisit all those wonderful people I met that are struggling through such hard lives. The author vividly paints the small microcosm that is the life of the ship breakers and successfully creates a culture based on past histories of coastal towns and cities. In this world, a ship breaker is a person employed by one of the few surviving corporate entities to salvage wrecked ships savaged by storms known as "city killers." The world Bacigalupi reveals in the novel is heartbreaking, but anyone who has read history will quickly grasp the giant backward step he makes in this dark future. The book is aimed at the older YA audience, probably eighth grade and up in my opinion, but adults (like me) will enjoy the headlong adventure as well. Nailer, the main character who was really named that, is fourteen or fifteen years old. He works with a "light crew," a group responsible for slithering down through the ducts of old ships in search of copper wiring and other salvageable items. The opening chapter establishes his job as well as the danger that he faces every day, and makes him a sympathetic character in the course of a few pages. I loved the "backward" science of the book. The phosphorescent paint Nailer puts on his forehead to navigate the darkness so he can leave both hands free to salvage and save himself was incredibly neat, and something that I wouldn't have thought of. The author provides a lot of touches like this. The book concentrates on the low-tech coastal life for the most part, and I missed getting a better view of the inland world. Of course, Nailer didn't know much about that world either, so it was fair. However, I can't help wishing that Bacigalupi returns to Nailer's world soon and presents us with another intriguing look at this proposed future. I also enjoyed the details about Tool, the half-man, and how his species were constructed in some laboratory to serve as nearly undefeatable and forever loyal bodyguards. I would love to get Tool's story at some point as well. There is a progressive science that gets revealed in the novel, and most of that comes while aboard the fabulous, solar-powered clipper ships that ply the seas of the worlds. The main plot surrounds the mysterious identity of a "swank," one of those incredibly wealthy corporate people, girl that turns up in a busted ship after one of the colossal storms. Nailer and his friend, Pima, are torn over whether to save her or hack off her fingers to get at the gold rings she wears. This agonizing decision and the cold-blooded way they talk about it is amazing and complex, and shows just how desperate these people are. Nailer's dad, Richard Lopez, is one of the meanest characters I've seen in fiction in a long time. The history that the author gives the man is completely realistic and made his presence on the pages even more chilling. The book shifts from a view of this dystopian future world to a frantic chase that brings Nailer into conflict with new enemies and old ones. The shipboard battle at the end of the book holds classic sea battle overtones, but it done in new ways that make it fresh and original. Highly enjoyable.

Why I Think Boys May Enjoy This When my son first read this book for summer reading before seventh grade, he wouldn’t stop talking about how much he enjoyed it. It took me a year, but I finally got around to it and I’m sad that I took so long for me to get there. Bacigalupi created an amazing dystopian society focused on the rising sea levels predicted by climate change experts. It’s one thing to create a post-apocalyptic world, but amazing authors create fantastic depth, focusing on things like society structure, economy, and other facets of “what will life be like after impending catastrophe”. As usual, what really makes dystopian stories great are the characters. Whether it’s zombies or nuclear fallout or rising water levels, how people respond is what matters. In this world, at least Nailer’s portion world, it’s cut-throat and you’re only as valuable as what you can provide. There is a certain Lord of the Flies element to the relative freedom the children have (with scenes of them drinking, being violent, and acting way more adult-like than a teenager would in our world), but it isn’t without reason. It’s a hard world and hard world create hard people. Nailer’s character progression and his inherent drive to do the “right” thing to him (which isn’t exactly in line with the “right” thing by his peers’ standpoint) is what separates him from the rest of the characters. He represents a kind of impractical humanity/compassion that has been lost to this world in lieu of survivalism. As said above, any good dystopia is less about the events that led to the apocalyptic scenario and more about how people respond. This story is no different and it’s wonderful. Content/Appropriateness As mentioned above, there are scenes with teens cursing and drinking. There is also some somewhat descriptive violence (as well as a certain disregard for other humans) that, while they make complete sense in the world Bacigalupi created, is still a bit dark and cold. Again, this is a dark and cold world. My son was assigned this book in 7th grade so he was just turning 12 when he read it. I think this is a great age range, so long as the content is examined through a comparative filter that the way the teens act in this world is not appropriate for our society. If anything, this would be a more appropriate educational book to examine some of these elements than the tried and true Lord of the Flies, because at least Ship Breaker shows humanity in a cold world whereas Flies shows the inherent darkness in even “civilized” people. Rating 5/5 Giant Cartoon Mallets from Toonopolis, The Blog's Books for Boys review on 4/22/19.

Great book. Fast paced and action packed - I finished it in a day. I have heard PB describe himself as an "extrapolationist" and he does here extrapolate on current trends to build an entirely believable dystopia. Themes of climate change, gender equality, runaway capitalism with the resulting income inequality and the general breakdown of community are explored. He populates Ship Breaker with complex characters and challenges them with ethical dilemmas played out within a poverty-ridden, violent world - how much are they willing to sacrifice to do the right thing? to be loyal to comrades? We see Nailer work through ethical decision-making in a way that makes clear that there are costs; we also see what tips the scale in favor of doing right. An earlier reviewer complained of a lack of strong female characters; I strongly disagree. Although told from the boy Nailer's view, the girls and woman were fully developed and internally consistent. They were courageous and intelligent. Although there is violence and some mild swearing, I am recommending this book to even my 13 year old granddaughter for the lessons on the strength of women, the value of loyalty and friendship. PB clearly addresses the importance of individual ethical choice in maintaining a human community. If the good people are not clearly rewarded, the bad people do seem to get their just rewards in the end. There are very few adults in this story - as in most YA dystopias - and are mostly symbols (Nailer's father the devil, Pima's mother the angel). I try not to take it personally. At least no dogs were killed in the writing of this novel. I agree with previous reviewers that I would like to know more about some of the characters (Nita, Tool, Pima's mother) and hope their backstories will become sequels. Please.

Good book

Having bought the first two boooks by Bacigalupi, I ordered this immediately it became available on Amazon.His first book,Pump Six, is a powerful collection of science fiction stories,many of them based around a dystopian future.His second book, The Windup Girl, also takes place in a dystopian future. The setting for this new novel is the same kind of future with global warming,powerful multinational corporations,augmented humans,and massive differences between the rich and poor.The novel is what is termed as Young Adult fiction (YA) and is aimed at the younger market,but dont let this stop the older people amongst us (I am 54) from reading and enjoying it. I found the story and characters fascinating. The novel moves nicely with moments of tension,action,plot and character development. I feel the core of the novel is how Bacigalupi addresses the issues of trust,loyalty,love and family. For me this is another success from a writer who is producing some very strong fiction and I hope he continues to do so.

Come per la ragazza meccanica, questo libro parla di un futuro dispotico decisamente fin troppo probabile. Il primo libro della trilogia (questo), l'unico che ho letto, potrebbe persino essere interessante per ragazzi (diciamo meglio se cresciutelki, alcuni contenuti sono abbastanza crudi, ma non più di quelli di televisione e videogiochi). E' una bella storia, di coraggio e resistenza, e anche di speranza per il futuro e di ingegno, in un mondo futuro ben costruito. Vale sicuramente la pena. Non vi dico la storia, tanto basta leggere la sinossi e non vorrei fare spoiler. PS io lo ho letto in inglese, preferisco, ma immagino che si sia anche in italiano.

This author has the knack of building a world and filling it with cool and interesting characters. I really like

My class liked the contrast between helpfulness/teamwork of some characters with the self-interest of the other characters. Nailer’s courage was admirable, and we liked how nobly the lower-classes were portrayed.