Review: Wool – by Hugh Howey

Synopsis: 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.

Title: Wool
Author: Hugh Howey
Publisher: Arrow
Pages: 576
ISBN: 9780099580485

Rating:

I’ve seen this book on countless shelves, and been told to read it dozens of times; yet I’ve only just read the first book. Yes people, my to-read list has gotten that bad. When I did finally start Wool, I was immediately engrossed by the concept – the scene is quickly set in the first few chapters with a number of cliff-hanger moments.

After about 100 pages however, things started to drag. You can tell the book started as a series of self-published novellas – it desperately needs an editor to cut through all the mundane detail. I think you could take out about 100 pages and still have a great book.

It got so bad that I considered giving up at one point – well at numerous points, actually. But I struggled on with the promise from friends that it gets better and, thankfully, they were right. The pace picks up and the different plot lines start to come together. Even though I started whizzing through the pages, I did find it was more to skip the unnecessary parts and get to the point of the book. Why were they put there? What happened to the world? The answer? I still don’t know, apparently I’ll find out in book 2. Humph!

Furthermore, despite liking Juliette’s character, I found her adventures to be repetitive. She’d do something dangerous which, initially goes to plan. Then it all goes wrong and by her sheer determination to survive, she escapes and succeeds. It was great the first time, tedious the second, and tiresome by the third.

All in all, I’d recommend the book if you’re a quick reader and into the genre. There’s a great concept there and I am intrigued enough to read the second book. I can only hope they edited this one a little better!