Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1)
Author: Sylvain Neuvel
Publisher: Random House Del Ray
Format: ARC
Expected Publication Date: 4/26/16
ISBN: 978-1-101-88669-4
Summary
17 years ago: A girl in South Dakota falls through the earth, then wakes up dozens of feet below ground on the palm of what seems to be a giant metal hand. Today: She is a top-level physicist leading a team of people to understand exactly what that hand is, where it came from, and what it portends for humanity. A swift and spellbinding tale told almost exclusively through transcriptions of interviews conducted by a mysterious and unnamed character, this is a unique debut that describes a hunt for truth, power, and giant body parts.
Review
Wow! What a ride! I was a bit worried that I would hate the book right when I started because of its unusual format: the story is told through “files” which are interviews, mission reports, logs, and the like. I was worried I would not be able to connect with the characters or understand the story, but I was completely wrong.
Right from the first chapter I was enchanted. Rather than making the story harder to understand, the interview format allowed me to connect with the characters faster than in a typical book. It allowed the character’s strong personalities to come to the surface right away: Dr. Rose Franklin the brilliant but likable physicist, Kara Resnik the prickly and fiercely independent pilot, and Vincent Couture the young linguist with a special purpose. Even the interviewer developed a personality over the course of the story, and one that I found kept me guessing as to his real motivations. One of the best parts of the book, for me, was discovering the complexity of the characters, and I would say that every single one of the characters was very well developed by the end, even the more minor ones.
The story picks up when Rose Franklin fell into a hold as a child and was caught by a giant metal hand. Years later, the interviewer assembles a team and with US military funding, has his team locate and assemble the parts of the metal giant. I don’t want to go any more into the plot than that, because most of the story relies on discovering the plot, but needless to say I was drawn in instantly and was unable to put the book down once I started. The frequent disputes over morality and the political drama made this book even more thrilling and enticing.
The format of the book worked really well for introducing the science and characters, but it was definitely a weakness for the action heavy scenes. The interviews work really well when the characters had time to sit down and discuss, but when there was a so called “interview” in the middle of an action scene, it was disjoint and confusing. However, there was only a little action and it was at the end, so I did not find myself having to go back and reread much.
And the epilogue! I won’t give anything away, but I eagerly await the sequel now!
Cover: 4/5
Writing style: 4/5
Characters/character development: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Overall: 4.6/5
Oh my goodness! I couldn't agree more with what you have said, Maria. I absolutely loved everything about this book. The story was nothing short of amazing and the format was daunting at first but quickly became one of my favorite things about the book itself. I can't wait for book two (what a long wait that will be). Lovely review c:
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