81 pages • 2 hours read
Paolo BacigalupiShip Breaker
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2010A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi, 15-year-old Nailer scavenges on postapocalyptic Gulf Coast beaches for salvageable materials from shipwrecks. Dreaming of a better life, he stumbles upon a beached luxury clipper ship after a hurricane, encountering a wealthy survivor named Nita. Together with his friend Pima, Nailer faces threats from his abusive, addicted father and others while seeking a way to help Nita and find a brighter future. This book contains references to violence, addiction, and abuse.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Paolo Bacigalupi’s Ship Breaker is lauded for its captivating world-building and compelling characters, providing a thrilling and thought-provoking exploration of a dystopian future. Reviewers highlight its strong environmental themes and fast-paced narrative. Some criticism focuses on its occasionally predictable plot and underdeveloped subplots, but overall, it’s praised as a gripping YA novel.
Who Should Read Ship Breaker?
Readers who enjoy Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi are typically young adults and fans of dystopian, post-apocalyptic fiction. They would also likely appreciate fast-paced adventure stories with strong, resilient characters, similar to those in Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games and Scott Westerfeld's Uglies.
RecommendedReading Age
12-18yearsLexile Level
HL690L