Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand

Sand Sand
by Hugh Howey
Century

Supplied for review by Random HouseNew Zealand

Reviewed By: Jan Butterworth

Palmer’s family has been falling apart since his father walked out on them one night. His youngest brother Rob wasn’t born, their middle brother Conner wants to be him, his older sister Vic is running from her past, their mother Rose is struggling to survive. Palmer is a sand diver, someone that dives beneath the sands to scavenge anything useful or a relic from the world before the sands buried it. He and his best friend sign on to join a secretive team looking for something and he comes across something that will change his life, and the future of his people, forever.

Told from the different perspectives of the family members, the plot weaves its way together by the first third of the book. I found it hard to get into the story at first but once I figured out the whole diving thing, it became clearer and the separate plots meshed seamlessly together. The story is not related to the Wool trilogy yet I saw similarities in the worlds that made me wonder.

I don’t like this genre - I find it depressing and boring, yet Hugh Howey compels me to read every word he’s written while enjoying the story. I can’t explain it, he’s either into the dark arts or is an extraordinarily gifted writer.

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