Nice book

This is an incredibly powerful dystopian novel that will appeal to adults as well as teens. It is set in a future North America (maybe 100 years in the future?) where oil supplies have been exhausted and global warming has wreaked incredible damage, leaving in its wake many drowned coastal cities. The main character is a teenage boy (with an abusive father) who scrapes out a living in the now-tropical Gulf Coast region by stripping copper wiring and other materials from old ship wrecks. Then he comes across a new ship wreck with a rich girl on it, setting into motion many choices and events. A page-turner that makes you think and really sticks with you after reading the final pages.

I loved this book. And it's really awesome because it can be a guy or girl book. Definitely action packed

In the near future climate change results in the flooding of the eastern coast of the United States and the result is a disintegration of government and the United States is ruled by violent clans. Nailer, a young teenager, works with a clan who scavenge the abandoned ships for its cooper wire. After a storm he finds a damaged clipper ship and rescues a wealthy girl who was onboard. This decision has repercussions for his clan. A great read lots of action and strong character development. This dystopian novel was the 2011 YALSA Printz award winner.

wow! this was surprisingly a really good book.... i found it a bit slow, but it really picked up at the end...i hope there will be a sequel. As a big fan of dystopian novels this was actually one of the better ones. definitely recommended

Awesome.

Alot of changes on our planet could make every difference in our childrens future. It makes you realize how our planet is changing before our eyes.

We get off to a slow start in terms of character. Though Nailer's job and his broken world are vivd and sensory-rich, it's hard to sympathize with him because of the hard side he needs to show to make ti through the troubles Paolo Bacigulapi puts him through. However, we've adjusted to Nailer's scaly exterior by the time the real action starts, and his character arc really hits a high note at the end, where he and his father clash in a duel that can only end one way. And man, does the action go: from near-fatal parental issues and potential betrayal at every turn to rough experiences in the city and an epic battle on the seas. Ship Breaker literally traverses a country, and it's an exhilarating ride across the world so vividly imagined and portrayed for us by Bacigulapi. Nailer's accompanied by Pima, fellow crewmate (and all-around kick-butt awesome girl), Nita, the love interest who's everything and more that a love interest should be, and Tool, whose mysterious background really stole the show for me. Thank goodness he's getting his own companion novel, The Drowned Cities. (And OMG I love its cover.)

This dystopian thriller is set about 100 years in a future with eco-problems and almost no oil. Our teen hero is a small scavenger with a vicious speed freak father. His friends eventually include other teens, swanks, and a halfman. Once started the action slides along as rapidly as a carbon fiber clipper with a jet stream kite in a city killer storm. The meaning of family be it blood, friendship or work crew is examined and the moral issues of this desperate environment are explored. This may become as popular among teens as The Hunger Games (although this is a self-contained story). Adults could find this an interesting read too. There is considerable character delineation and development. I agree with panaura that the second half is not the equal of the first.

An absolutley amazing book! I could not put it down for an instant. If you are interested in something original, I highly recomend you read "Ship Breaker."