The Blog Awakens: Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

Hello, galaxy! I’m back. Is anybody out there?

If you’ve heard anything about Sleeping Giants, you  can probably guess where I’m going with this. Yeah, I couldn’t resist that cheesy segue. I’ve heard such great things about this debut novel that I had to check it out. Short version: I REALLY liked it. The publisher (Del Rey) sets it up as follows:

A page-turning debut in the tradition of Michael Crichton, World War Z, and The Martian, Sleeping Giants is a thriller fueled by an earthshaking mystery—and a fight to control a gargantuan power.

A girl named Rose is riding her new bike near her home in Deadwood, South Dakota, when she falls through the earth.

She wakes up at the bottom of a square hole, its walls glowing with intricate carvings. But the firemen who come to save her peer down upon something even stranger: a little girl in the palm of a giant metal hand.

Seventeen years later, the mystery of the bizarre artifact remains unsolved—its origins, architects, and purpose unknown.

But some can never stop searching for answers.

Rose Franklin is now a highly trained physicist leading a top secret team to crack the hand’s code. And along with her colleagues, she is being interviewed by a nameless interrogator whose power and purview are as enigmatic as the provenance of the relic. What’s clear is that Rose and her compatriots are on the edge of unraveling history’s most perplexing discovery—and figuring out what it portends for humanity. But once the pieces of the puzzle are in place, will the result prove to be an instrument of lasting peace or a weapon of mass destruction?

I was completely captivated by this smart, snarky, and unpredictable novel. I’m reading more and more science fiction these days, which is weird because I’ve never really liked science. But there is so much cool stuff happening in this genre! Take this debut. It’s gripping and very fast-paced, partly due to the all-interview format. At times, I loved this choice because the reactions of the characters are witty and full of grim humor. Still, there were other times when I wanted more details, to watch a play-by-play of the action. Yet, the sustained mysteriousness of everything is what makes this book so compelling. While we’re on the topic, WHO is the guy asking the questions? I have so many theories….

Without any spoilers, there’s not much I can say about the twists and turns, except “WHOA. I did not see that coming.” I was kind of peeved at the direction the story was taking for a while in the middle, but Neuvel absolutely nailed the finish. I’m hooked for the sequel. How will we wait until next YEAR?!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mystery, science fiction, or reading in general. The more I think about the book, the more I like it. It definitely keeps you thinking!

P.S. Any fellow Litsy users out there? I was inspired to start up the blog again because the app reminded me how much I love talking about what I read. Follow me at @ahenke.