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.
Their punishment is simple and deadly. They are allowed outside.
Jules is one of these people. She may well be the last.
Wool
Hugh Howey's first installment of the literal underground bestelling Silo trilogy �Wool� takes us to a setting within the bowels of the Earth; enveloping us in a world of steel,concrete and most importantly deception. The stark presentation of life after global destruction depicts humanity's bitter grip on survival whilst buried deep within a self-sustainable mega structure formed on rigid social compliance and an almost infallible system. Yet in the shadow of the last uprising, the air within the silo is rife with tension, broiling in the down deep of girders and perpetual mechanical whirs. We meet Juliette or Jules as she prefers, our begrudgingly chosen hero whose knack for fixing things and head strong demeanour is the nuts and bolts of the entire Mechanical division which in turn holds together the entirety of the silo. Jules is a non conformist and knows that things in the silo need drastic change yet the unseen ears and subtle whispers through the walls work to conspire against her to keep the system alive; to keep the citizens in line. With the oil-thick resistance and heavy earth pressing in all around her it becomes apparent that despite her reluctance Jules just might be the the only person in the deep warren of her world who can lift the wool from their eyes.
All in all, Wool is a captivating universe filled with rich characters whom Howey has brought to us through the lens of a broken world. A story of human struggle but also of human triumph, the weight of each step will pull the reader through the rust and dust alongside it and leave a ravenous hunger for another chance to explore the wells beneath a toxic Earth. After reading Wool I'll admit that my 'to read' stack was shelved for a short while, just so I can devour the rest of this fantastic series! � Michael
Plenty Valley, 11/03/2016
