Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

I have to admit I made my husband read this book before I did because it was out if my typical comfort zone. He actually really enjoys learning about large ships and he also has a lot knowledge about steel. Upon finishing the book he suggested that I would learn a lot from reading this book. When I finally come to pick up this book I found myself lacking in a little background knowledge about actual ship breaking. So I put the book down and watched some presentations on youtube. Wow, it was really enlightening to see how morose and unimaginable ship breaking can be. This book is an important work of fiction in that it brings to light an important environmental issue that occurs today. As far as the plot goes this was a very fast paced plot with several intense characters. Nailer the main character works on a light crew in which he recovers valuable steel from ships that have been left for scavenge. Nailer is a very dynamic character and as a reader, you will have a definite appreciation for his survival skills. Not only does Nailer have to deal with basically living in uninhabitable conditions, his father turns out to be the worst type of person imaginable. Paolo Bacigalupi story is both enlightening and entertaining at the same time. The characters are very strong and the story line will keep you going. In addition there is something to be learned about the world of ship breaking and its effect on the environment.