BOOK REVIEW: Wool
Title: Wool, also known as Wool Omibus
Author: Hugh Howey
Series: Wool (Book 1)
In a post apocalyptic future, the outside world is toxic to the touch. As a result, humanity rests in a giant silo which extends underground for over a hundred floors. Inside the silo, a complex community has taken root, ruled by a mayor, and enforced by a sheriff. That us until Sheriff Holston does the unthinkable. He asks to me let outside. Still reeling over the death of his wife, Holston can't help but wonder if there's more to outside than he suspects. But the mysteries of outside are matched by the secrets that lay hidden within the silo itself.
Wool is one of those books that has been making a lot of noise lately. Originally self published as five interconnected omnibuses, the print version of Wool has recently been acquired by a traditional publisher and the rights purchased for a future film adaptation. Unlike a lot of big name self published work that have made the leap to the mainstream, such as Fifty Shades of Grey, Wool is not only praised for it's addictivenes, but for the quality of it's writing and storytelling. Admittedly, when I first picked it up, I didn't feel that way at all. I found the first novella (the shortest in the collection) to be painfully overwritten, despite it's unique twist in the end. Then partway way though the second novella, the story began to pick up. Buy the time I began the third section, I found myself honestly enjoying Wool and beginning to see what everyone was so excited about.
Part of the appeal of Wool is the mystery of the silo. What's really going on in IT? What's beyond the hill outside? Wool manages to strike a perfect balance between maintaining the mystery while not stringing the reader on without answers for an unnecessarily long amount of time. The writing becomes more streamlined with each section, and there are some truly suspenseful moments later in the book. I felt that some of the side characters felt like they could use a little more development, but I did really like the protagonist, Juliette.
Final Thoughts: Wool may require its reader to be patient at first, but it's certainly worth sticking around. Before I knew it, I was flying through the pages, wanting to know what happened next. I found the ending to be very satisfying, and am looking forward to going back in time to read Shift, the recently published prologue to Wool, which I already have waiting for me on my kindle. Four Stars
Author: Hugh Howey
Series: Wool (Book 1)
In a post apocalyptic future, the outside world is toxic to the touch. As a result, humanity rests in a giant silo which extends underground for over a hundred floors. Inside the silo, a complex community has taken root, ruled by a mayor, and enforced by a sheriff. That us until Sheriff Holston does the unthinkable. He asks to me let outside. Still reeling over the death of his wife, Holston can't help but wonder if there's more to outside than he suspects. But the mysteries of outside are matched by the secrets that lay hidden within the silo itself.
Wool is one of those books that has been making a lot of noise lately. Originally self published as five interconnected omnibuses, the print version of Wool has recently been acquired by a traditional publisher and the rights purchased for a future film adaptation. Unlike a lot of big name self published work that have made the leap to the mainstream, such as Fifty Shades of Grey, Wool is not only praised for it's addictivenes, but for the quality of it's writing and storytelling. Admittedly, when I first picked it up, I didn't feel that way at all. I found the first novella (the shortest in the collection) to be painfully overwritten, despite it's unique twist in the end. Then partway way though the second novella, the story began to pick up. Buy the time I began the third section, I found myself honestly enjoying Wool and beginning to see what everyone was so excited about.
Part of the appeal of Wool is the mystery of the silo. What's really going on in IT? What's beyond the hill outside? Wool manages to strike a perfect balance between maintaining the mystery while not stringing the reader on without answers for an unnecessarily long amount of time. The writing becomes more streamlined with each section, and there are some truly suspenseful moments later in the book. I felt that some of the side characters felt like they could use a little more development, but I did really like the protagonist, Juliette.
Final Thoughts: Wool may require its reader to be patient at first, but it's certainly worth sticking around. Before I knew it, I was flying through the pages, wanting to know what happened next. I found the ending to be very satisfying, and am looking forward to going back in time to read Shift, the recently published prologue to Wool, which I already have waiting for me on my kindle. Four Stars