Shift

"Donald's legs went numb.  He sought the bed - but collapsed to the floor instead.  He kept saying he remembered even as more and more washed over him."

The year is 2049 and Donald Keene finds himself a newly elected congressman.  He's both surprised by his win and excited to be a place of authority.  That is until Senator Paul Thurman brings Donald in to work on a top secret project with him.  A project that also involves the senator's daughter, Anna, a former lover.  Together, along with Donald's college friend Mick, they spend two years developing the plans for the silos.  Donald is nervous and wary the entire time, but he puts his trust in Senator Thurman.  It isn't until Donald wakes up in Silo 1 more than a decade into the future that he begins to question the Thurman's motives and what really happened to the world outside.

The second book in the Silo Series by Hugh Howey, Shift is the prequel to the events that unraveled in Wool, Howey's first book.  It's in this story that we are find out how the silos came to be and what became of the world we know.  It's a story full of lies, deceit, and manipulation and will keep you turning page after page wondering what happens next.

The character of Donald is a wonderful addition to the Silo Series.  He's an extremely human character.  We see his hopes and his fears.  His doubts and mistakes.  He's not necessarily a hero, he's simply doing the best he can.  I absolutely Hugh Howey's ability to write characters that have real, human qualities about them. 

Along with the story of Donald, Shift also gives us the tragic back story of Solo from Wool.  I really enjoyed these parts.  Solo is such a unique character and I can't help but have my heart break for him and all of the years he spent afraid and in solitude.  His character really made me stop and think about how simple, day-to-day interactions with other humans shape who we are and how we think.  We often take them for granted.

All in all, this was a wonderful book.  I'm almost tempted to say I liked it better than the first, but you can't really have one without the other.  In the first book Hugh Howey shows us that he knows how to spin a good tale.  In Shift he shows us that he can write and he can write well.  The narrative is exceptionally good.  I never once found myself bored.  And it's well researched.  One of the things I love about really good science fiction is the technical aspects.  I want to know how and why things work.  I want them explained to me rather than simply stated.  Hugh Howey does a really nice job with that.  His books and writing style remind me a lot of Andy Weir and The Martian and Artemis, which, in my opinion, is a very high compliment.