The Stranded (Wool, #5) (2024)

Well, that was...anticlimatic.

And sloppy.

And rushed.

And pretty much a waste of my time and my Kindle's storage space.

I rarely give books one stars. If the author manages to obey most of the rules of English grammar and spelling, I give him/her an extra star.

But this? While the English language wasn't mangled -- well, the sentence, "And he only distantly felt, but for a tremble of time, the end of him that came next" excepted -- this is such an obviously spit out and published before its time piece of work that sorry, no extra stars for you.

Pages upon pages of the usual Howey exposition of Juliette Sue fixing the underground pump for...what, exactly? She doesn't seem to know. Solo doesn't know. The only possible answer is that Howey had to fill the blank screen on his computer with some combination of words in order to fleece readers out of their dollars.

So Juliette Sue finds the kids...for what plot purpose? Does she set up a new society? Is it a chance for Juliette to remake - or reenact - the mistakes of her previous silo community? Is humanity doomed to repeat the same patterns, or can we change?

Don't be silly. That would be, like, expecting themes and subtext and literary conceits. No, Juliette Sue finds the children because, again, Howey's computer screen had to be filled with words.

And meanwhile, back at the

Words cannot express how much I truly despised Lukas. Actually, despised is a strong word that denotes I felt some sort of emotional connection to the material. How hard I rolled my eyes, perhaps, is a better description.

And raise your hand if you were surprised at the big world-building reveal: the silos were built to house the people who pushed the big red nuclear button. Yeah, I couldn't put my hand up, either. Hoariest cliche in the dystopian canon. I refer back to my Wool #1 review: Soylent Green is people, y'all. Shocker.

And I STILL don't get the purpose of cleaning. Not to mention, setting your society up so you are reliant on the need for capital punishment to ensure your sensors are maintained. Srsly, that's like asking death row inmates to staff Apple Genius Bars. What makes condemned to death criminals qualified to maintain sensors in the first place?

And what if something happens to the sensors that a mere wipe of a wool pad can't fix?!?! Are we really to believe that in hundreds of years of nuclear winter, all the maintenance the sensors need is an occasional squirt of Mr. Clean and a polish?

But let's get to the "twist" with which Mr. Howey has to end his books. And I admit, I did not see this one coming. Why?

Because it came out of left field, blindside, and with absolutely no set up whatsoever.

Plus, it made Lukas look like even more of a numbnu*ts because all it took was a snippet of conservation to convince the Sheriff Peter to act, while Lukas did his mushroom impersonation for the entire book. And Lukas is supposed to be the hero and Juliette Sue's reward? Yay.

Ugh. Thankfully, I read very fast so this book wasted little of my time. But even an hour spent with this omnibus is an hour too much.

Lately, I've come to the conclusion that there are too many writers whose friends and fan clubs don't have the cajones to tell them when their works have major problems. I very much enjoyed the novella that started this post-apocalyptic series, and I think I could have enjoyed the entire 5-book Omnibus much better if someone had bothered to tell the author some things:

1. It shouldn't take 2 days to go down 100 floors of stairs. You shouldn't need to load up canteens and stop halfway down for the night (after having taken a breather halfway to the halfway point). There are people who can race up 100 floors in under 30 minutes. I work on the 14th floor, and my elderly ex-boss with bad knees could get down 14 floors in less than 10 minutes. So don't tell me that it takes an entire day for 2 elderly law officers to get 50 floors down. Just no.
2. People who have been dead for 30 years would no longer look like "bodies" and would not be smelly anymore.
3. Emergency lights aren't going to last for 30 years, especially if they're submerged under water.
4. A random body is not going to float past you in the water after 30 years dead.
5. You cannot hide a whole passel of babies and/or children in silence for 15 years.

I found the original idea of this series to be interesting. However, when you base so much of your series on impossibilities, I just can't recommend it as serious reading material. At least all the books were short.

Sinopsis: Quinto fragmento de los 5 que conforman la obra completa.
La última limpieza no ha salido bien. En el silo, los acontecimientos se han precipitado. La sociedad está dividida entre los que ejercen el control y aquellos que tienen una fe ciega en un mundo mejor.
El mundo que todos creían conocer se desmorona y esta situación límite sacará lo mejor y lo peor de los habitantes del silo. Es la hora de los valientes. Ya no hay vuelta atrás.
Pues ha sido un buen final adecuado, por momentos pensé que seria dramático pero luego el buenísmo se instaló y se quedó en un final adecuado.
La verdad es que me ha gustado todo el libro en general, este último en concreto me ha gustado, ha habido partes angustiosas pensando si iba a sobrevivir la protagonista y la lucha seguía encarnizada dentro del silo.
Se termina por descubrir que sucedió en su momento y el porqué del silo.
Valoración: 7.5/10

This review is for the first five of the WOOL series.

WOOL is AWESOME on 142 levels. They are so good, one must say as little as one can about them so that you don't ruin it for the new reader. With that, here's my review.

The WOOL series of short stories began as a stand alone tale that soon grew to five, well-received short stories that weave a dyspotian tale of human perseverance. Set in the distant future, the world outside is toxic. People live and die beneath the earth in silos. Except for a few whom are tasked with cleaning the exterior monitors, no one goes outside. For to do so is a sure death sentence as nothing can resist the toxic winds that whip a scorched earth.

Everyone is not sure why, but when put out to clean, most folks do. Though they have no reason to, they all seem to take the time to clean the monitors, allowing those inside a glimpse of a world they once knew. After cleaning, they inevitably walk a small distance away to die. Their decaying bodies remind all inside what awaits them out there.

That is, of course, until one of the cleaners walks away.

Set in the near future, the WOOL series is an exploration of humanity and hope as we follow the rise and fall of the inevitable. The story revolves around a mechanical engineer with more sense than luck as she tries to do what is right, the IT head with more on his shoulders than we can imagine, and a whole host of characters than remind us of who we all are. To say more than that would give too much away. I can’t recommend this series enough. The writing is tight, the plot intriguing, and the story of these characters trapped in the underground silos will move you to tears.

And hope.

Highly recommended series for everyone who enjoyed the claustrophobia of Metro 2033, just with much less humour. Howey builds his atmosphere well, although in fifth instalment of series you already know it's going to be slow-slow-slow-then-boom-bang-surprise!, and you really care for characters. Especially Juliette.

Anyway, it's really good, if you look for some good-old post-apocalyptic - try Wool.

P.S. Really not sure if I will read The Shift. But I'm rather curious... so who knows.

Well, I finally got to the end of this story. It was a good experience overall. An enjoyable read, great characters, well-executed premise, crisp writing, excellent pacing.

Howey is good at creating well-rounded, multifaceted, and well-developed characters. Juliette in particular is definitely one of my favorite female characters. She is level-headed, bright, practical, strong, and resourceful. Despite not being fleshed out until the 3rd installment, she is the ideal protagonist for this series. I liked that we learn quite a bit about Bernard's motivations - makes him a grayer character, and more believable and relatable as well. Good job, Mr. Howey.

My few gripes with this story are (a) Juliette's romance with Lukas and (b) the execution of the ending.
(a) Juliette's love story with Lukas seemed somewhat contrived. I understand that the opposites attract, but there was not enough development of it in the story to convince me of the reality of this attraction.
(b) Now, my problem with the ending is that it is a bit abrupt. I wish we could have seen it, instead of just being told about it. It is one of the few times when Howey does not stick to 'show, don't tell' rule. I do like the resolution of the conflict, I just think that maybe a dozen more pages could have wrapped it up neatly.

I am sure there will be more sequels, especially given the unresolved story of silo 17. I will definitely read them when they are written! Now it's time for me to check out some of the other books Hugh Howey has written - I hope they are just as good as this series.

Damn this is good. I'm actually glad to end my January with this book. Does a really good/intriguing book at the end of it - makes it a good month? (Well... not really, there are other things at hand,) but still 100% worth the time. Especially for all of those who enjoy sci-fi stories, apocalyptic world setting, drama, plot twits, both likable and easy to detest characters, and a bit of romance.

And I have to admit, Juliette was certainly one of the characters that you can't help but root for. Other mechanics (her friends who are at the same time like a family to her, as well. That's how different point of views worked for the better in this one.)

All in all, a recommendable read.

Fantastic ending to this series of WOOL installments. I had a few quibbles with the ending, which explains the four stars, but really, I enjoyed this book so much for the themes it explored (of alliance, truth, and connection) and the amazing characterization. Howey makes us care deeply about multiple characters, so the action scenes are much heightened in impact.

I would have liked to linger on the ending longer -- see a few more loose ends played out rather than summarily wrapped up. After being so intimate with these characters, the closing felt a little abrupt. And the startling resolution turns on the decision of a character that we know almost nothing about . . . so I felt distanced from it in a way that was unusual for this story.

I have to say, my favourite scenes were when Howey sunk deep into detailed description -- of the staircase, the mayor's knitting, bubbles like solder -- filtered through a character's thoughts and feelings.

I look forward to reading more from Howey's body of work!

The culmination of the Wool series novellas allows us to learn the silo's final fate. There is a lot of action and high stakes in this one, especially after the actions of the mechanical team in the last book.
I'm not gonna say everybody dies, but let’s just say if they're having another lottery soon there will be a lot of lucky couples.
I didn’t like this one as much as the other instalments. There were parts of this that just seemed unnecessary and didn't seem to go anywhere. And quite a few that didn't actually make sense. Lukas didn't live up to his nice guy persona (not that he's bad, he just doesn't tend to do anything) and spent most of the book in a single room.
There are some stolen sweet moments, and the facts of the world are finally unveiled and reasons behind life in the silo and why things are the way they are. Some people finally got what was coming for them, and others lost what things they shouldn't have had to.

Silo eighteen is at war. The mechanics have retreated to the lower depths of the silo and the mayor is willing to use lethal force to spare the few. He has entrusted Lukas with all of the secrets of the silo and expects him to execute the silo’s protocol regardless of the consequence.

Juliette, our fearless heroine, has found that she is not alone in neighboring silo seventeen. The lower levels are flooded and there is danger in her midst. Against impossible odds, she must save silo seventeen, stop the war in silo eighteen, and stay alive in the process. Meanwhile, her love interest, Lukas, must ultimately decide where his loyalties lie.

The Stranded was the perfect conclusion to the series. There were many unexpected twists and the action was packed onto every page. We learn so much in this volume — how deep the silos go, how many there are, and why they were designed in the first place. Howey has constructed an interesting world that was not at all like I suspected — one that leaves continual mysteries, even after the series is completed. More answers will likely be told in the prequel trilogy (Wool 6-8), but enough information has been shared to paint a complete picture.

I particularly like the way Howey is able to build the action up and resolve minor conflicts without it being a diversion to the overall story arc. Juliette has many tasks that all contribute to her welfare — draining silo seventeen’s flood, investigating an attack, and resolving the conflict in silo 18. She is abused by what befalls her, but she is tough and each time methodically pieces through her dilemmas. She needs no punk rock hairdo or martial arts expertise to be a cool heroine and is able to fulfill her role by her character alone. This is refreshing for genre fiction, where female protagonists are often devolved into mannish behavior and a gritty disposition.

Wool has been a delight to read and I will most definitely be continuing the series with the next installments. The first volume is free and I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a great adventure.

Wool #5 The Stranded Drinking Game!!..
Take a drink every time a character tilts their head or dips their chin as a reaction. I guarantee you by the end of this book you will be heavily intoxicated. Seems ‘tilting’ is the only non-verbal response that the people of the silo know. lol

Book five of the series continues the three interlocking perspective plot that was effectively introduced in book four. I think perhaps too many people complained that the first four books were not descriptive enough, because Wool 5 overdoes it. I had to check to see if Stephen King wrote this one. At time it was way too descriptive. I think there was what felt like an entire chapter devoted **SPOILER ALERT** to describing Jules’ biological reaction to running out of air when she dives down deep underwater in Mechanical. **ALERT OVER**. She’s dizzy, her throats burns, she’s desperate for air, we get it. :)

To be honest, I felt that the fourth book was the best of this series. I did like this book, but I do no think it deserves the countless 5 star ratings I see. It needed an editor. It needs some restructuring. But, to take into account that it was self-published (all of the Wool stories) on the Kindle e-store deserves extremely high praise. It’s mostly the reason why I stayed with reading the omnibus collection.

However.. I do very much enjoy the world that Hugh Howey created and it was a great imagining of a dystopian world underground. Best of luck with editing before the national distribution agreement I see that has occurred recently. It is worth the reads.

I was too sick to read for very long periods and ended up reading this relatively short novel very slowly (besides, it had so much nail-biting action in it that my emotions couldn’t take more than a little bit at a time!). It was a great read. Howey didn’t disappoint his readers with a flop ending to the story of the silo(s). This final novel took the characters from Wool 4 and threw them into the most impossible circ*mstances and it seemed up until the end that a happy ending was out of the question. But things came together, our heroes survived, they made a difference, they discovered truths and lies, they took down the despot.

What I loved about the characters in this one was that you could see them growing as persons throughout. There’s nothing worse than a Mary Sue or a character that never messes up, feels confused, struggles with doubt, etc. and there was none of that nonsense in this series.

I love the Wool series so freakin’ much it’s bordering on ridiculousness. As soon as he publishes something new I’m spending my tiny hoard of money on it.

-Revisión de temas conocidos pero con éxito, especialmente en lo formal.-

Género. Ciencia-Ficción.

Lo que nos cuenta. El Sheriff Holston, máximo responsable de la seguridad en el refugio subterráneo en el que viven un par de miles de personas que le respetan y le quieren, decide solicitar la salida al exterior, un acto que es a la vez delito, pena y ejecución, ya que está prohibido hacerlo y fuera del refugio no se puede vivir. Antes de su salida, vamos conociendo lo que pasó un tiempo antes con su esposa, que recorrió ese mismo camino previamente. Primer libro de la serie Espejismo, publicado en un principio por entregas a través de un conocido portal de libros electrónicos con un gran éxito para ser un trabajo autopublicado.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

This is a truly great series. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would want to see a couple of movies made out of these stories. I really want to see what he writes later!

Update: On the second read, I find myself wanting the real continuation of this storyline, and not the prequels that come after. Sigh. I feel like a petulant child sometimes. :) Good books, and quite fun.

What an ending. I was still gasping at the events until the final 5 pages, although some reveals were a bit anticlimactic, but I guess the big reveal wasn't really the point of this story. All in all still a great bookseries.
Will definitely continue with the other books in this universe.

Actual rating - 4.5/5

Isn't that the nicest summary for a novel you've ever read? Hugh Howey is basically awesome.

Wool 5? Also awesome. What an emotional ending to a great story. It is quite a bit longer than any of the others, but I still managed to read it in just two sittings. It's impossible to put down.

Once again we're following multiple narrators, and I enjoyed every story line, but especially everything in Silo 17. I went through the entire range of emotions here. I laughed, I cried, I literally stopped breathing for a while and took one great big gulp of air when I realized what I was doing. I've always been pretty leery of deep water (Ok...terrified) and here it is very dark, deep, and lonely water and oh MAN was that a rough chapter for me to read. When was the last time a story made me stop breathing from anxiety? I don't know, but this one was pretty awesome.

It opens up with a gut wrenching action scene and it doesn't let up from there. We get more trickles of information about the silos, and their history, and Lukas asks some pretty ballsy questions. I liked Lukas a lot more in this volume actually. The love story became a lot more plausible for me. It was so obviously infatuation in the beginning and then once he is able to continue talking to Juliette he's like "Wait...she's not perfect." But of course I rooted for the guy the whole time.

Honestly the only thing I didn't like much was the ending. It just kind of...happened. I was fine with that for the other installations, but this time, I knew there wasn't a sequel just waiting for me to click over to it. Mr. Howey states very clearly however that he is writing more stories for us and I can't wait to get my hands on them! Overall, I would give the Wool omnibus a solid 4/5. It's not perfect but it's damn good.

I ran across this series of stories/books when I picked up the first one for free on my Kindle. Sounded like something I would enjoy so I read it and immediately became hooked. I proceeded to purchase the next one as soon as I finished the current one, right up until Wool 5. I waited a couple days before buying it....... simply because I did not want it to end. I knew that when I finished reading it that there would be no more stories about Silo 18 and I did NOT want it to end. I have to say that I was not disappointed. Wool 5 was probably the best so far and I am thrilled to hear that Mr. Howey has plans for more.

He has created a scary, yet intriguing world and I want to immerse myself in it. I can not wait to read about what becomes of Juliette and all of the other inhabitants of Silo 18. I want to know how Solo is managing over in Silo 17 and I really want to find out about life in some of the other Silos.

I know that I will have to wait a while but in the meantime I fully intend to go check out the author's other books. If he managed to create this wonderful world I can only imagine what other fabulous stories he has waiting for me to discover.

Wool 5 completes a well-developed story arc with ample room for more stories (prequels, sequels, and side stories) to satisfy the longing fans have shown and come to expect from this unique and intriguing post-apocalyptic series of novellas. While the "Wool Omnibus" provides readers with a complete reading experience, it is not a traditionally structured novel. It started out as a single short story and developed into a serial experience. Keep that in mind if you decide to read all five stories in a short amount of time (it will help explain why the main protagonist doesn't appear until well into the story arc).

That being said, the series comes highly recommended from this particular reader for both it's strong characters, tight-knit (pun intended) plot, and reflective (but well-paced and action-filled) writing. A few years ago I read Howey's debut novel, Molly Fyde, and enjoyed it - I was impressed with how solid a writer he was then. With Wool, Howey has shown that serious writers can develop their craft and that it's worth revisiting them (or sticking with them) as they release new material. I'll be keeping up with Wool, that's for sure.

Hugh tells readers of his blog that this fifth and final novella in the Wool saga is some 5x longer than the original Wool. But by this point you've long since quit caring about the length, shrugged aside any doubts about paying the (ridiculously low) cost, and your attention is now fully consumed by his action-packed conclusion.

Felt Bernard was a bit of a stock bad-guy earlier - Bernard is developed and realized to the same formidable extent that Howey realizes all of his characters. With yet another twist ending, Wool succeeds in wrapping up its story while leaving a parting gift for the reader: a fascinating setting worthy of further exploration.

I've told him previously that I feel he should pull these together into a one-volume Director's cut. After finishing Wool 5, I wonder if he might see a shared-universe collection of short-stories in the cards.

Solid, solid ending to a fascinating post-apocalypse. Bravo, Mr. Howey!

When I saw this book was released I couldn't wait to purchase it. Like the other four volumes the writing was exceptional and the story top notch. I thought this would be the last installment of the series but boy was I wrong. Every question you had leading up to 5 will be answered, and by the time you finish reading dozens more will arise. Mr. Howey is currently working on volume nine (according to his web site) so I must conclude by saying, hurry up and get these stories finished and released I don't know how much longer I can wait to read them!

Nearly did not go to sleep last nigth. Started the book yesterday morning and could not put it down. Went to bed still thinking about how it is going to end, and hoping the next one is being released soon....

I really got so sucked into this book, at some points (and those of you that have read the book already whould know what I mean) I literally struggled to breath. I tried to breath on behalf of Juliette at some point. It was so hectic so real.

This was my favorite one of the series. It just gets better and better.

4 Stars

4.5 Stars for the whole series.

Even though this is the longest book in the series, I felt that it made less of an impact of the previous 4 novels.

The ending becomes clear fairly early on in this book but there is still a cool twist or two.

I loved the way the whole story came together. This is a well thought out and provoking post apocalyptic novel that I can easily give my Highest Recommendations. Hugh Howey is a great author and I will now eagerly seek out more from him.

AMAZING! What an awesome way to end the series. I literally found Wool less then a week ago and could not stop reading! (I was ecstatic when I found I was just in time for the release of the final book- and that publishing was bumped up 2 weeks). I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a short, innovative and creative dystopia read.

Wow! Hugh Howey does it again! I only found the Wool novels last week and they've really been a good read. This latest work really peaks my interest into the silo universe. I highly recommend this series. Well done.

I thoroughly enjoyed the series, and think it would make a great movie. I will definately be reading more from this author. My only problem is that I really struggled to believe that Juliette could be in love with Lukas. I know opposites attract, but thought he was spineless

Fantastic conclusion to this series.

A fantastic ending to this story. I really enjoyed it.

2.75 stars

This last book could have easily been many many pages shorter - way too many descriptive and unnecessary details, which made it a struggle to get through. The whole series is great, but book 5 does not come close to the first four in my opinion.

Dobra završnica.

Good sci-fi ideas, but lacks character development. Not enough showing. It drags.

OPINION ON THE ENTIRE SERIES:
There are five titles in the series. They are not complete stories. They are sections of one long story. The author published as he wrote. I suggest you buy the Omnibus Edition instead of the individual titles, which will save you $1, as of the date of this review. The Omnibus includes all five titles.

At the end of some of the titles I was angry or frustrated at the cliffhanger endings. For example, not knowing if the main character is dead or alive. But the ending of title 5 is very good. It’s a happy ending for the group and one main character.

The overall plot concept is good. Neat ideas and events in a dystopian world. People live in an underground silo. The air outside causes immediate death.

But, I was not entertained. I wanted to read fast to get through it. The author doesn’t do characters well. He names a bunch of people, has things happen to them, but I don’t get to know them. At one point a guy does a complete turn around in the story, but I never see it. I don’t see what led to it, why he changed, how he changed, or what he did after. Another guy is killed at the end. I assume I know who the guy was but the author didn’t say. And the author didn’t show conversations and actions leading to that killing. The author needs some John Grisham influence. I get to know John’s characters. I’m pulled in emotionally. That is missing here.

Too many parts of the book are told and not shown. Like reading a newspaper it can be interesting, but you are not living it. For example, there are two battle/fight scenes. In one, we hear there is gunfire and two are dead - but no details prior to or during. Where are the emotions of a guy during battle? Of seeing, fearing, reacting? In the second battle, some guys are on the run, and I hear attackers are after them. But no details at all.

THIS SERIES:
Wool (Wool #1)
Proper Gauge (Wool #2)
Casting Off (Wool #3)
The Unraveling (Wool #4)
The Stranded (Wool #5)

SUBSEQUENT TITLES:
Wool #6, 7, and 8 are a prequel trilogy telling what happened a hundred (or more) years earlier to create the silo and toxic environment. I started to read it, but I lost interest.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Swearing language: strong but rarely used. Sexual content: none. Setting: in the future, Georgia, U.S. Copyright: 2011 and 2012. Genre: dystopian sci fi.