Wool (Silo Book 1)
Like many I have been a bit obsessed with Silo, and this latest third season had me testing my patience to figure out what was going to happen next. I don't think I have ever read a book after I have seen the show or movie. Something about preconceived perceptions of characters has always had me hesitant to feel like I could actually engross myself in the book. I'm also a big fan of not knowing what is going to happen. That being said, I was really curious if I would enjoy Hugh Howey's writing or if it was simply the TV show that had me captivated. I know he has another two-book series, Sand, and decided I needed to know.
After finishing Wool (Book 1) I feel like I could say confidently that I wish I read all the books before the show started. Not that there is anything wrong with the show (love the show), but I miss the ability to form my own opinions of what the character looks like in my mind, and to have those going in ahead of time from the show is something I wish I could get back.
Fairly certain that Wool is seasons 1 and 2 from the show, so I wasn't expecting to have anything dramatically different, but was happy to see some relationships were different as well as some of the outcomes. This really helped me overcome my initial fear of getting engrossed in the book after the first 100 pages or so. Despite me having an idea of what was coming, the first two seasons were far enough away in my mind to still feel like I was discovering some things.
My first impressions from reading Hugh Howey make me more curious about his other books now. A good sign for any new author I read is if I am immediately checking what other books they wrote. There are few things better than finding an author you love and being able to get a huge backlog of books to read. I found the pacing of the book to be great, with chapters that allowed me to feel like I was making progress, which really helped the 550-page book move a bit quicker. I often find I can get bogged down in a book with exceptionally long chapters. They let me feel like I have a bit of momentum while reading, you know?
This is a clear Take My Money rating from me, and honestly I was kicking myself for not ordering all three books when I ordered the first. That's what I get for being responsible. I read Wool in hardcover because I saw the collector's edition was 50% off. What I didn't realize is that the third book from this hardcover collector's edition would not come out until November of 2026, which is too far out for me to discover what happens. There's a high chance I end up ordering the paperback versions of book 2 and 3 very soon.
This review will be ongoing as I work my way through Books 2 and 3 to eventually include the trilogy as one single review.