Review: Dust (Silo #3) by Hugh Howey

Dust

Author: Hugh Howey 

Series: Silo

Pages: 464

Publisher: Random House

Amazon

Release date: 24^th October 2013

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

In a time when secrets and lies were the foundations of life, someone has discovered the truth. And they are going to tell.

Jules knows what her predecessors created. She knows they are the reason life has to be lived in this way.

And she won't stand for it.

But Jules no longer has supporters. And there is far more to fear than the toxic world beyond her walls.

A poison is growing from within Silo 18.

One that cannot be stopped.

Unless Silo 1 step in.

Review: 3 ½ stars out of 5 stars

Contains possible spoilers from the previous books.

Dust by Hugh Howey is the final installment in the Silo series and one I have been eagerly anticipating.

I have really appreciated this series to date and have enjoyed learning the secrets and revelations as they unfolded about the Silos. The inhabitants have now discovered the truth about silo 1 and in Dust we finally see if they are able to go outside without being consumed by toxic air but there were many obstacles and complications along the way.

The bleak world Hugh Howey has written is fascinating and extremely creative and really makes you think, his writing grips you as we learn more about the toxic air, the silos, investigations and the politics within as well as the characters, some good but no one who really stood out amongst the others.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I still have a number of lingering questions that have risen over the course of the series that have been left unresolved; maybe I have just missed little tidbits along the way but I felt the ending was a little bittersweet and I wasn’t as hooked as I have been in the previous books. The MC’s Donald and Juliette I also found to be lacklustre, there was no one person I completely sympathised with or liked unfortunately which would have to be my biggest gripe, I haven’t felt this with Wool or Shift; everyone seemed overly manipulative, whiny and emotionless which didn’t leave me able to connect with them on any level.

Overall, The Silo series is an extraordinary story of survival and despite a few minor issues this series is still a unique, suspense filled and extremely well-written. It has been optioned for film by 20^th Century Fox and is one I’ll definitely be watching.

Thank-you kindly to Random House for the opportunity to read and review Dust.

 

About the author: I'm the author of WOOL, a top 5 science fiction book on Amazon. I also wrote the Molly Fyde saga, a tale of a teenager from the 25th century who is repeatedly told that girls can't do certain things -- and then does them anyway.

A theme in my books is the celebration of overcoming odds and of not allowing the cruelty of the universe to change who you are in the process. Most of them are classified as science fiction, since they often take place in the future, but if you love great stories and memorable characters, you'll dig what you find here. I promise.

ARC Review: Wool by Hugh Howey

Author: Hugh Howey

Series: Wool

Pages: 540

Publisher: Random House

Genre: Dystopian

Amazon: Wool

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

This Omnibus Edition collects the five Wool books into a single volume. It is for those who arrived late to the party and who wish to save a dollar or two while picking up the same stories in a single package.

The first Wool story was released as a standalone short in July of 2011. Due to reviewer demand, the rest of the story was released over the next six months. My thanks go out to those reviewers who clamored for more. Without you, none of this would exist. Your demand created this as much as I did.

This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside.

Review: 4 out 5 stars

Wool by Hugh Howey was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Random House Publishing Australia and is a book that certainly packs an emotional, powerful punch!

Wool began as a novella and was then expanded into 4 more editions but the plot remains convincing and compelling throughout each of the installments.

Wool 1

Wool 2: Proper Gauge

Wool 3: Casting Off

Wool 4: The Unraveling

Wool 5: The Stranded

Wool’s setting is an uninhabitable dystopian world where survivors live in a giant silo to avoid the destruction and devastation which lies on the surface. Toxic air is the supposed killer, but this aspect is still a mystery as no-one who goes out returns.

Told from multiple POV’s, we got a clearer understanding of the way of life and each of the characters thought processes. Survival was everything to each of them and some would do anything to guarantee it; life is regulated and criminals are sent outside to clean the cameras and sensors so everything can still be viewed from the inside. The rules are daunting, the bleak world created was fresh and unique and left me needing more at the conclusion of each installment; the story was confronting and fraught with danger and darkness and I enjoyed how every adventure tied back to a bigger picture.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find a real connection with a majority of the characters – each were appealing in their own way but I was more interested in the story as a whole and the mystery that I wasn’t completely worried about not connecting with the cast. Juliette and Lukas would have been my favourite characters, both from Casting Off.

Howey’s writing is mesmerizing, I read this in such a short space of time but I was hooked on every word. The ending was emotionally gripping. This book is completely different to what I usually read but I found myself glued to the pages and frantic to get to the next installment once one had finished.

Overall, Wool was a spellbinding, intense and thoroughly enjoyable read that explores hope and humanity; it’s a read I highly recommend.

Thank-you to Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read Wool.