To kick off my first Thumbs Up Thursday, I present to you my flash review of Wool, by Hugh Howey.
Genre: Adult speculative fiction/dystopia. This is a novelette of around 12,000 words.
What I love about the characters: They are so vivid, even though this is a short work of fiction. Though the story is told from Holston's point of view, I felt like I really got to know Allison through Holston's eyes. Their love story was moving without being treacly or overdone. There was deep, binding emotion between the two of them.
What I love about the setting: This is a great example of dystopian done well. Though Howey doesn't spend a lot of time world-building, I still got a really good sense of what the world was about and why it was structured the way it was. There is a reason for this dystopia, as becomes abundantly clear through the narrative, which is the way it ought to be. Howey does a fantastic job of showing rather than telling.
What I love about the plot: Pretty much everything. I loved that Holston's feelings for his wife drove his actions, that Allison's digging into the history of their society raised questions, that Howey provided a perfectly awesome rationale for why those condemned to cleaning actually go out and clean.
What I'm jealous of: That ending! I really hope and wish that I might someday create such a shattering, fantastic ending. Not only is the ending great, I really didn't see it coming.
Who I'd recommend it to: Anyone who, like me, is a fan of dystopian fiction.
