Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi is a futuristic middle-grade YA that takes place in a dystopian America. Dystopia is pretty conducive to social narrative, and this book is no exception; classism and trust are two of the major themes. In terms of classism, Nailer, the main character, is a ship breakers, meaning that it’s his job to scavenge the remains of beached oil tankers from days when people relied on oil for energy, since they now rely on other sources. Nita is a rich girl who crashed into the scavenging shore during a city-flattening storm. Affluence is put in constant juxtaposition with poverty in this book, giving the theme of classism.

The rather more philosophical theme is found within the relationships between the characters; trust. There is no official law on the beaches, and ship breaker society relies on small circles of loose trust called a ‘crew.’ But it’s shaky trust, as established early on. For example, one of Nailer’s crew mates leaves him to die in a pit of oil so she can get higher pay. He survives of course, and the girl is cast out, her crew tattoos slashed so that no one else will ever employ her. The interesting thing about this situation is that even though what Nailer’s treacherous teammate did was terrible, it’s easy to understand why she did it: because of the desperate situation on the beach.

But strong characters and plot can only hold up if they are supported by equally strong writing. When Nailer is crawling in the ducts of ancient ships, the writing feels claustrophobic and tight, and when action moves fast, the sentences fly by and pull you in. When Nailer bursts out of a shipwreck after nearly drowning in oil, it’s like taking free breaths of your own again. Basically, the writing carried the book very well.

Overall, I would give this book 5 stars out of 5. It was nominated for a National Book Award, and it really shows. The characters are realistic. The writing is strong and immersive, and the story is exciting and edgy. Dystopia is a popular genre right now, and this book is a part of that wave. Many of the newer dystopias are mock-ups of the Hunger Games hoping for a lucky strike, but this one is true itself and the genre. If I have any advice for anyone who picks it up, read it from the perspective of modern times. I would recommend his book to people who like a quick, easy read that keeps you interested and guessing, but are also interested in thinking deeply about contemporary social issues.

Photo courtesy: Little Brown