Title: Shift
Author: Hugh Howey
Genre: Sci-fi
Published: 2013
Pages: 571 (Kindle Edition)
Goodreads Rating: 4.13
Rating: 8/10
“… was this world worth saving to begin with? Were we worth saving?”
What destroyed the earth? Why did it happen? And what will happen to those lucky few who survived? In Shift, discover the truth in the epically intense prequel of the Silo trilogy. As age old lies are unearthed and revealed, prepare to be shocked and horrified by what remains.
Pros:
First Shift
Shift is split into three parts and the first one, called First Shift, is by far the best. It covers the events leading up to and right after the catastrophic moment when the earth is destroyed. From start to finish, the first section is filled with epic, intense moments that lead to a growing realization and anticipation for what’s to come.
Epic ending
The remaining two parts of the book were not quite as strong as First Shift. But the last scene makes up for the weaker portions. What an epic final line… “Oh, we’ll be careful where we dig,” this Juliette finally answered. “I’d hate for you to hear us coming.”
Some answers, still more questions
I tend to agree with Adam Savage when he said, “For as many questions as it answers … it creates twice as many questions and that’s the mark of any good science fiction. You feel like you’re encountering a fully realized world because there’s so much you don’t understand.”
And that statement is 100% true for the Silo series. Shift is full of answers to some of your questions from Wool including… What is Silo 1 like? Who are the leaders over Operation Fifty of the World Order? What happened on earth that led to this new world of underground silos? But additional questions start piling up as you learn alongside our new main character, Donald.
Realistic
Howey does such an amazing job holding true to the human psyche. Shift is so tragically realistic that it can be an extremely infuriating part of the book as characters succumb to emotions, motivations, and subjective truths. Donald’s character arc is especially telling as he fully realizes his role in Silo 1.
Cons:
Plot armor
Speaking of Donald… There were a couple of moments when he was treated in a different way than I would have expected. I didn’t think he was initially valuable enough to the silo to be treated as he was and there was no real explanation given to justify his preferential treatment.
Some repetitiveness
When Howey was sharing the story of Silo 17 and Solo, it got a bit repetitive. In a way, it helped to emphasize the mundane, anxious loneliness that Solo experienced for years. But I also felt it was a portion of the book that could have been shrunk.
Confusing at times
After finishing the book, I ended up Googling a summary to better understand a small portion of what happened. There were two main topics that I needed help understanding included what happened with a portion of the silos and what the plan was once the earth was deemed suitable for survival. While some parts of the book were repetitive, I wish Howey had given a handful of topics a few more pages.
Overall…
I can’t believe I’m saying this but Shift was better than Wool. With a 10 out of 10 start and a powerful finish, I am incredibly excited to finish the trilogy with Dust.
Caroline’s Library 