Book: Paolo Bacigalupi, Ship Breaker, Chapters 8-19
Overall, what kind of feeling did you have after reading a few paragraphs of this work? Midway? After finishing this work?
Initially, I was a little bored and waiting for the plot to really kick off. I understand now that the author was simply trying to establish the setting, but i felt like the early parts of the book might have been a little jargon-heavy. The overall writing style of the book is sound, though. Midway, I felt like the story was becoming a little too generic, though there were nice touches here and there. Toward the end (I didn't finish) I was growing somewhat tired of action sequences and wanted to get back to the strong character development that had been present in the middle of the story.
Do you like this piece of work? Why or why not?
There are aspects of Ship Breaker that I like: particularly, I liked the survival elements of the story and a lot of the earlier scenes with Nailer talking about his crew and meeting Nita. I also appreciated that the characters were not overly nice to each other and realistic about their situations. However, I was much less of a fan of the setting and general plot of the novel. At this point, I have read so many post-apocalypse stories that it is hard for a new one to stand out from the pack, and this one felt like Cowboy Bebop on earth mixed with a Walking Dead volume. The setting of New Orleans II was something that seemed like it was envisioned for an inevitable film adaptation, and I did not get a clear enough sense of how the city looked or felt within the novel. Though the author tries to make it seem like all of the villains are doing bad things because they are in a bad situation, I actually felt like they were a little over the top, particularly Lopez's gang. The shift in plot to trying to protect Nita also felt like a damsel in distress scenario that came out of nowhere and was belittling of a character who initially seemed quite capable of taking care of herself. I would not be opposed to finishing the novel, though I ran out of time, but I am not sure I could recommend it to others unless they are new to the genre/setting.
I am reading the same novel, and I feel similar sentiments. I felt as though the relationship between Nita and Nailor could have been explored more in depth. I found it interesting that two people from different economic backgrounds can come together, but I wished the author delved more into what one's background means for their future. The author focuses on the importance of rising above your familial history, but does not mention too much what it means to rise above your social standing, which I find more interesting and pertinent to our current society.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first year I have included this novel--it has gotten a good deal pf press lately and received a few awards--it is interesting to hear your reviews. Do you think your familiarity with and expectations for the genre have skewed expectations? I sometimes include books in my classroom library (i.e. Bar Code Tattoo, for sure) that are a bit obvious in theme and lacking in craft but students seem to love. Where do we find the balance between what students might appreciate and what we want them to appreciate?
ReplyDeleteI think there is definitely a fine line here. Without seeing responses from the target audience of the novel, it's hard for me to tell how a student would respond. I think this one is a little tricky since the reading level is somewhat higher than a lot of YA, (at least, I thought it was) so it might fit best in an older Honor's class reading group or something.
DeletePersonally, I am okay with stocking my class library with books that I don't enjoy at all as long as they get the kids reading, as long as they are not too risqué. Even if the perceived value of the novel is lower than I would personally like, that may not matter to the student who needs the book most.