Wool (Silo #1a) by Hugh Howey

Release Date: July 30, 2011
Publisher: Broad Reach
Series: Wool series

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
The world suffered a catastrophic event that left thousands of people living underground in a buried silo. Generations later, strict rules oversee the day-to-day life of those living in the silo. After several uprisings, those who simply utter a wish to see outside the silo are sent to the holding cell and prepared for their turn at "cleaning," a job that sends the person outside to clean the camera lenses and never return.

Holston was the sheriff, enforcing the rules of the silo for as long as he could remember. He was one of a handful of people who sent the condemned on their way to cleaning. Now, as the anniversary of the loss of his wife approaches, the walls of the silo are closing in around Holston. Will he weather the day without succumbing to his main wish? Or will he do the unthinkable?

Review:
I saw this book on a list from Onehundredfreebooks at a discounted price. The synopsis intrigued me and I snagged it without a second thought. A quick read, I would have been able to devour this story within a few hours if I had been able to simply sit down and read it straight through. Despite the low page-count there are many questions that the story left unanswered. It's worthy to note that each of the books in this series has an increased page-count. I'm excited to see what the next one will hold for the people within the silo.

With this story being so short, it was a little difficult to feel connected to the characters introduced. The only exception for me was the main character. The story centered around him and his decision, so I found it easy to connect with him as his history unfolded. Supporting characters were in and out of the story too quickly to connect, but there was definitely a lot left unsaid by them.

As mentioned above, this book was a quick read for me. Much of the book took place within the story's present day, but there were a few chapters that were flashbacks used to give some insight and history of the main character. The pace of the story was steady most of the way through the book. A few times I felt that it slowed a bit, particularly in flashback chapters, but it began to move again once set in the present day again.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and I look forward to the second installment in the series. Many unanswered questions about how they came to live in the silo, what the uprisings were about and what really happens to the cleaners are lingering in my mind. There are also questions about what was uncovered by one of the supporting characters during a flashback. Quick, intriguing and easy-to-read, this book was definitely a good buy. If you're looking for a something a little different and leaves you scratching your head, this is one series you need to read.

Wool (Silo #1a) by Hugh Howey is currently available at online retailers in Kindle format. The series can be purchased separately or in a single volume. Clicking the link below will bring up the book's Amazon page.
Wool (Silo #1a) by Hugh Howey