“Ship Breaker” by
Paolo Bacigalupi
“Ship Breaker” by Paolo
Bacigalupi is set in the near future, where the world is ravaged by
unpredictable weather, including Category 6 hurricanes. There are those who are
extremely wealthy, and there are those who are extremely poor, like Nailer.
Nailer is part of a light crew that strips old ships of things such of copper
wire that they sell for money. Not much money, but enough to get him, and his
alcoholic father by. However, Nailer’s whole world changes after a storm causes
a clipper ship to wreck near his shore. Nailer saves a girl off this ship,
Nita. This is a girl he can ransom for more money than he’s ever known. But,
Nailer is not so sure that he can sell Nita, a girl who’s done no wrong, to a
man who will hurt her.
Paolo Bacigalupi’s writing style
is flows smoothly, and therefore, is very comfortable to read. The tone is fast
paced to reflect the fast paced speed of the plot, and it keeps the reader
hooked. Teens who enjoy adventurous books as well as novels set in the future
will find “Ship Breaker” a good read. Also, teens who have an interest in boats
may find this book interesting because Nailer is fond of ships and discusses
them in the novel. “Ship Breaker” is a very interesting novel, and could be a
good choice for anyone. Dwijayini
H., Teen Reviewer