The Drowned Cities (Ship Breaker #2) by Paolo Bacigalupi

Publishing Details

Release Date: May 1st, 2012

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: Science Fiction/Dystopia

Age Group: Young Adult

Rating: 5 Stars

Buy: Amazon|Barnes & Nobles

Synopsis

In a dark future America where violence, terror, and grief touch everyone, young refugees Mahlia and Mouse have managed to leave behind the war-torn lands of the Drowned Cities by escaping into the jungle outskirts. But when they discover a wounded half-man--a bioengineered war beast named Tool--who is being hunted by a vengeful band of soldiers, their fragile existence quickly collapses. One is taken prisoner by merciless soldier boys, and the other is faced with an impossible decision: Risk everything to save a friend, or flee to a place where freedom might finally be possible.

This thrilling companion to Paolo Bacigalupi's highly acclaimed Ship Breaker is a haunting and powerful story of loyalty, survival, and heart-pounding adventure. (GoodReads)

Review

Don't know if there are any words in the world to help me describe this book. Like Shipbreaker (which I can't remember any of) Bacigalupi creates a dark, grisly world that appalls and disgusts. It's so creatively enhanced by the dystopian/post-apocalyptic elements he writes in-bioengineered animals, like coywolv (coyote wolf hybrids) are a predominant part of the story. Though not as scientifically explicit as the part of the Wind Up Girl I managed to get through, his descriptions make the story immediately otherworldly. I was especially excited by the use of multi-cultural characters-Mahlia, the main character, is half Chinese. (Yay!) The moral and social implications in this book are huge-child soldiers, war, corrupted government, and survival vs. love all play a part in the story, which flies by fast. Warning: The ending may be closer (and more tragic) than it appears.