“Ship Breaker” by Paulo Bacigalupi

(Color me surprised. Just as I was finalizing this review, “Ship Breaker” won the Printz Award. Have to say, this will be my least favorite Printz thus far. Please keep in mind that I didn’t think it was a bad book, just not ~~my~~ thing. Much like “No Country for Old Men” I can acknowledge the brilliance without particularly liking it.)

This 2010 National Book Award nominee was, perhaps, not the best choice to read right after concluding the Suzanne Collins series. Filled with dense text worthy of an SAT exam, it is yet another post-apocalyptic, dystopian story of violence and brutalized kids. That being said, the lead character of Nailer is both engaging and encouraging as a born survivor in the bleakest of worlds (although he does seem to spend a good deal of the tale recovering from injuries). I can see boys, in particular, being attracted to this strong male protagonist. Rich vocabulary and a detailed world make for a rather European novel. Given the author’s name and the foreign feel, I was sure this book was a translation. I was quite surprised to discover the author lives in Colorado. The dark tone is apparently typical of the works of Mr. Bacigalupi, who has won both Nebula and Hugo awards for his adult titles. This is the first book he has written for young adults, although the complexity of the novel makes me think the only reason it is labeled “young adult” is because of the age of the main character. It is a worthy read if you don’t mind another gut-wrencher like “Mockingjay.” Enjoy ! ? ! ?