Ship Breaker
 | |
| Author | Paolo Bacigalupi |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Neil Swaab |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult, Survival |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
Publication date | May 1, 2010 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 326 |
| ISBN | 978-0-316-05621-2 |
| OCLC | 449282270 |
| Followed by | Drowned Cities |
Ship Breaker is a 2010 young adult novel by Paolo Bacigalupi set in a dystopian future. It was a finalist for the 2010 National Book Award for Young People's Literature and won the 2011 Michael L. Printz Award[1][2] and the Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book.[3] It was also a nominee for the 2010 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy and was listed on American Library Association's Young Adult Library Services Association list: 2011 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults list.[4]
Plot
In a dystopian future, the polar ice caps have melted and New Orleans is buried underwater. On the Gulf Coast nearby, as humanity has reverted to survival mode, a small economy has grown from the scavenging of washed up oil tankers. Nailer is the fifteen year old son of violent father and one of these scavengers. He rescues Nita, the stranded daughter of a wealthy merchant, and decides to help her try to contact her father's people. Unfortunately, this infuriates several parties, including Nailer's father, the local power brokers, and Nita's father's enemies.
Characters
Major Characters
- Nailer: Main character. Teenage ship scavenger who works on the "light crew". His only living blood relative is his abusive father.
- Richard Lopez: Nailer's evil father and leader of a scavenge band.
- Pima: Nailer's best friend. She is also a scavenger.
- Sadna: Pima's mother. A veteran scavenger who works on the "heavy crew".
- Nita: The sole survivor of a shipwreck and the daughter of a global shipping family.
- Tool: A "half-man" and a member of Richard Lopez's crew who helps Nailer.
- Captain Candless: Captain of the Dauntless ship.
- Reynolds: Midshipman of the Dauntless and Captain Candless' first mate.
- Sis: A new girl who is added to the crew near the end of the book, she turns out to be Pima's sister.
Minor Characters
- Bapi: Supervisor of the ship breaking "light crew," Bapi is Nailer and Pima's boss, and is not known for his kindness or tolerance.
- Moby: A guard and cronie of Richard Lopez.
- Reni: A train jumping goon who was chopped to pieces by a wheel while he tried to jump a train drunk.
- Lucky Strike: Former salvage worker who struck oil and became rich. A sharp, benevolent wheeler-dealer with hands in everything from antibiotics to crystal slide.
- Mr. Marn: The captain of the Ray, an enemy ship.
- Trimble: A half-man who works for Captain Candless.
- Blue Eyes: Member of Richard Lopez's crew, a hard stringy woman devoted to the Life Cult.
- Patel: The family name of a wealthy business mogul who profits from ship breakers. Lucky Girl claims to be related to them.
- Nathaniel Pyce: Nita's treacherous "business-marriage uncle," whose people are pursuing her to gain control of the family business empire.
References
- ^ "National Book Awards - 2010". National Book Foundation. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
- ^ "The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature". Young Adult Library Services Association. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
- ^ "Locus YA Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ^ [1][dead link]