Bright Sands Beach. Ocean front views, hot tropical sun, and oil tankers creaking and leaking and rusting as far as the eye can see. Nailer is one of many ship breakers, and a member of light crew--so long as he is small enough to fit in the tight ducts of decaying ships to rip out copper wires. But his time is running out, and his options are bleak. He could try and be a fighter like his father, but Richard Lopez is a man no one wants to cross, his fire cracker rage the cause of many deaths. The only hope is to make what breakers call a "lucky strike" gained by either stealing from the big bosses or finding a cache of oil in a tanker. Nailer's "lucky strike" lies in the hulk of a beautiful wrecked clipper. The cargo holds wealth beyond any ship breaker's dream, but the sole survivor could keep that dream from becoming reality, especially if Richard Lopez has anything to say about it.
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| Ship Breaker: Bacigalupi. PHOTO. Megan Bryant. |
Ship Breaker is a fictional post apocalyptic novel focused on the growth of Nailer, a youth living with his father and working among the worst conditions possible. But Nailer's growth from beach wreckage to hero throughout the novel is touching and exhilarating. Our protagonist is not a hero born into greatness, nor is he one raised to glory. Rather he is an average boy, lucky to be alive and survive the trauma's he has undergone. This tale focuses on the hero as a character who endures, an individual who follows his gut, sticks to his morals, and gives everything to do what must--and needs!--to be accomplished. Bacigalupi hones Nailer into a hero we all can relate to--the hero who rises from conflict not for his greatness, but for his ability to overcome the odds.
RATING: (4 out of 5)
Ship Breaker is an exciting and riveting story. Bacigalupi crafts his characters so that they breathe and bleed like any living person. Their actions and words reflect their thoughts and attitudes, causing the reader to truly connect with them. I would recommend this novel to many students, but precaution regarding language. Although the F-word does not appear, many other curse words regularly appear throughout the novel. However, if this is not an issue for you or your young reader, I believe Ship Breaker will have them flipping through the pages in eagerness to discover how the story ends.
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