1.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker: A Novel. New York:
Little Brown and, 2010.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Nailer
scavenges copper from the narrow, twisting ducts of abandoned ships…ships that
are sometimes on the verge of sinking and ships that are always rife with
danger. There is danger of getting lost in the twisting maze of ducts. There is
danger of being sabotaged. There is danger of not meeting the daily quota. And
there is danger of growing too big, losing your job, and starving to death.
There are worse things than being a copper scavenger, though. One is facing
your father when he is drunk, or high, or beating you, or trying to kill you.
Another is losing your humanity in a society where the poor are treated like
refuse and only the rich have much to live for. In this society, Nailer gets
his lucky chance. He stumbles across Nita, unmistakably one of the elite, as
she lies near death at the site of a shipwreck. Nailer has to decide if she is
worth more dead or alive, and if the risk of leaving her alive is worth the
prices he will have to pay for saving her.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Ship Breaker is an edgy,
rough story with a razor-ed edge of slashing truth. Nailer faces things
children shouldn’t face, and the setting of Ship
Breaker is very harsh…too harsh for the reality that most of us live. But
it is that edge of truth that draws the reader into the book and makes Nailer’s
story real. It is the reality of parents who are less than perfect. It is the
reality of life that means you don’t always get what you want on a silver
platter. It is the reality of hope for something better than what there is. Bacigalupi plays on all these realities to create a
novel that, although putting kids into relentless surroundings, draws readers
into the “what ifs”, and “maybes”, and “I hopes”.
Despite
the unsettled feeling the reader sometimes experiences, Bacigalupi’s writing
has beautiful moments. His word choice provides strong imagery of everything
from staples pinging against metal floors, to the feel of the moving water
underneath a well-built boat, to the love of a surrogate mother for a mostly
unloved boy. Even Bacigalupi’s descriptions of rusty ships, assassins for hire,
and men ravaged by years of drug abuse are vivid, and even poignant at times.
These elements of the story provide welcome relief from the otherwise desperate
situations that Nailer encounters with Nita.
Ship Breaker isn’t for
everyone. It has some strong language at times. The lives of the people in the
story are harsh and the book reflects that. Near the end, Nailer, out of
necessity, kills his own father. Although Nailer’s life is improved at the end
of the story, for most of the characters, there is only a hope of something
better. Perhaps it is that hope in all of us that makes this book so personal.
4.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Starred Review, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “A fast-paced postapocalyptic adventure set on the American Gulf Coast…Exciting and sometimes violent, this book will appeal to older fans of Scott Westerfeld's "Uglies" series (S & S) and similar action-oriented science fiction.”
Starred Review, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “A fast-paced postapocalyptic adventure set on the American Gulf Coast…Exciting and sometimes violent, this book will appeal to older fans of Scott Westerfeld's "Uglies" series (S & S) and similar action-oriented science fiction.”
Starred
Review, BOOKLIST: "Bacigalupi's future earth is brilliantly
imagined and its genesis anchored in contemporary issues...The characters are
layered and complex, and their almost unthinkable actions and choices seem
totally credible. Vivid, brutal, and thematically rich, this captivating title
is sure to win teen fans for the award-winning Bacigalupi."
Starred Review, PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: "Bacigalupi (The Windup Girl) makes a stellar YA debut
with this futuristic tale of class imbalance on the Gulf Coast...Bacigalupi's
cast is ethnically and morally diverse, and the book's message never
overshadows the storytelling, action-packed pacing, or intricate
world-building.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*
One of the recent trends in young adult literature is teenagers fighting against
unjust and harsh societies. Ship Breaker
is one such novel and could provide an introduction to this genre.
*Other
young adult novels with teenage heroes and heroines trying to free themselves
from imperfect and oppressive societies:
Collins,
Suzanne. THE HUNGER GAMES. ISBN: 0439023521
Condie,
Ally. MATCHED. ISBN: 0525423648.
Westerfeld,
Scott. THE UGLIES. ISBN: 1442419814
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