Wool - Book Review

Wool Omnibus (Silo, #1) (Wool #1-5)
by Hugh Howey


What is it about:
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.

Jules is one of these people. She may well be the last.

What did I think of it:
I thought this was a Dystopian Young Adult book when I picked this up. So while I was hoping for a dark and gritty story, I was expecting it to be just entertaining, like so many Dystopian YA.

Imagine my surprise when within the first chapter I discovered this isn't YA, and that there was lots of grit to this particular Dystopian tale.

Soon I was caught up in the politics and intrigues of the silo, and was cheering on some characters, while hoping others would get what they deserved. The story is grim, intense and shocking at times. Howey paints human nature both at its worst and its best. He doesn't pull any punches and isn't afraid to sacrifice characters for the good of the story.

There were of course some flaws in the world building. If I had been in charge of the silo I would certainly have done things differently and with better results. But the flaws were needed for some crucial plot points, so I will just grumble instead of crying foul.

All in all I really enjoyed this story. It was suspenseful and with lots of intrigue. I will most certainly try to get hold of the next book in this series.

Why should you read it:
It's a gritty Dystopian read.