The first 2 paragraphs don't have spoilers, but the rest DO. Before that, I just want to announce that everyone should read this book. It's utterly fantastic.
I'm not kidding when I say that this book was the best read of the year for me... Possibly one of the best books I've ever read. Here I was thinking Hugh was going to keep going with the type of story and feel that he wrote in Wool, but then we came out of left field with something so unexpected, lovely, intense, and heartbreaking.
(Oh, and Hugh, because I know you like to read these reviews, I just wanted you to know that I read chapter 99 with my Black Cat laying on my chest, making it feel like I got hit by a train. So thanks for that! But in all seriousness, chapter 99 was one of the best few pages I've ever read, hands down. Sometimes the thing you never knew you needed is the thing you needed most.)
Spoiler Alert
This book was incredibly well-written. First of all, I love that he stuck with the "book in parts" structure. Wool was accidentally written that way, so Shift felt like it belonged, even though it wasn't written in separate parts like Wool was. The 3 silo stories he told within 1 book, with Donald as the backbone, were brilliant and made the book flow so fast.
But the writing itself, down to each paragraph, was absolutely beautiful. Chapter 99 was one of the best-written few pages I've ever read. Not too far before that was a beautiful paragraph about saving birthday candles and what that symbolized. And there were countless other examples like this: short passages containing flashbacks or references that were so much more than just the reference, but a philosophical metaphor to leave you thinking. My wife kept asking over and over why I was randomly staring into space while reading, and I had to keep telling her that it was because Hugh kept making me think and reflect!
I'm not sure how anyone could rate this book anything but a 5. The only negative feedback I've seen is in regard to the character development. But what these people have wrong is that the story isn't about the characters, it's about humanity, the silos, the legacy, and the future. Donald himself realized that typical extinction-level events wipe out the people, not the culture, and that the silos were doing the opposite. Donald's realizations in part 3 showed him that this project was so much bigger than him or Thurman or anyone else. None of this is about them, it's about humanity, what they have the power to do or not to do, and whether they have the strength to do it when it counts the most. So anyone who says that there isn't enough depth to the character clearly hasn't broken the surface of the story that Hugh is trying to tell. The fact that the story isn't undermined by character development for everyone is the very reason this book is so good.
That being said, I'm going to play devil's advocate here and talk about how phenomenal the development of Mission and Jimmy was. We got Mission for all of part 2, and he was a somewhat standalone story that did inform the larger story. But his development, actions, and ending were beautiful and tragic. Jimmy, on the other hand, was the story I didn't know I needed. Honestly, I felt like I had enough of him after Wool. He was a mysterious character who satisfied me with enough of his backstory to assume we were done with him. He was only there to aid Jules' story, right? So when I was gifted an entire 3rd of the book to him, I was surprised but thrilled. We followed him for almost a lifetime, so much so that I felt like I WAS him. Hugh went above and beyond, even changing the way he wrote to be more ignorant, innocent, and immature, exactly how someone would be if they were forever a child. My favorite thing Hugh did was the way he brilliantly switched between "Jimmy" and "Solo." How Jimmy slowly became Solo, that realization sinking in over time, until he allowed the Solo persona to consume him. But then we got Jimmy back when he was no longer Solo: when he found his friend. And, as we all expected but hoped would never happen, Jimmy became Solo again, years later, when he lost Shadow. And, of course, we all know that once him and Jules got close enough, he became Jimmy again. Gosh, what a fantastic character.
I'm sorry, I feel like I'm just rambling, but this book was just so damn good. Everyone should read it. I'm so pumped to start Dust tonight, but terrified of the story ending. But at least I have the Apple + show to look forward to!
Shift: The Silo Saga, Book 2
4.5 | 24,930 ratings
Price: 15.66
Last update: 03-10-2025
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Top reviews from the United States
Connor
One of the best books I've ever read. Hugh Howey is a genius.
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2023
Ariadne MM
Fast paced with short chapters that leaves us wanting more in the end
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2015