The Shell Collector by Hugh Howey

The Shell Collector by Hugh Howey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars




Jacket Blurb:  The ocean is dying. The sea is growing warmer and is gradually rising. Seashells have become so rare that collecting them is now a national obsession. Flawless specimens sell like priceless works of art. Families hunt the tideline in the dark of night with flashlights. Crowds gather on beaches at the lowest of tides, hoping to get lucky.

Supreme among these collectors is Ness Wilde, CEO of Ocean Oil. Ness owns many of the best beaches, and he keeps them to himself. It's his fault the world turned out this way. And I aim to destroy him.

My name is Maya Walsh. You might be familiar with my shelling column in the Times. I was working on a series of pieces about Mr. Wilde, when out of the blue, he called. He says he wants to talk. But I don't think he's going to like what I have to say.

Read for book group.

This began with an interesting, if not somewhat popular, premise of the effects of climate change. The oceans have risen, life in New York City and else where is inexplicably altered, sea life has disappeared. Shells are prized by collectors, even shards, and the price of a perfect shell can run into the millions. When three perfect specimens cross Maya's desk, she knows she now has the means and the method to take down the richest family for having destroyed the world in their pursuit of oil.

This is a story about assumptions and appearances. It's about being the judge, jury and executioner. And it's a story about getting things wrong.

This started out with a strong plot based on the effects of climate changed and how one family brought about the worlds demise by drilling relentlessly for oil. A bit contrived perhaps, as climate is a rather complicated aspect. But, since this is hot topic in the news and at work, I found the relevance of interest.

Then somewhere along the way, it turned into a romance.

What the heck.

What happened to my climate change exploration?

It got boinked in a submarine is what happened.

Okay, shifting gears a bit. It was a decent romance, with the usual hints and allegations and angsty moments. I never really did warm up to Maya, she just kinda grated on my nerves and I can't exactly say why. I liked Ness and his daughter Holly, both straddling the line between being a adolescent and an adult. Money will do that to a person.

And I liked the resolution at the end, it was fitting for where the book started and what it ended up being. Ultimately, an enjoyable enough read, not what I thought it would be, but good enough that I would read more of this author (and yes, Wool Trilogy is on my list).



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