The Drowned Cities by Paul Bacigalupi (review by Karen T. '16)

The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Built in the same world as Paolo Bacigalupi's first book, Ship Breaker, The Drowned Cities follows the danger-ridden journeys of two children, Mahlia and Mouse, as the traverse the post-apocalyptic world of a multi-factioned civil war. As Mahlia and Mouse's precarious existence in the small village of Banyan town is torn apart by the arrival of violent bands of soldier boys, they must find their own means of survival. Bacigalupi's writing portrays the meaningless violence of war without trivializing it. Through the development of Mahlia's conscience and the shifting of each character's loyalties, Bacigalupi renders a cruel world that demonstrates the futility of war. A strong sequel to his first book, The Drowned Cities is definitely a worthy read for anyone who enjoys action and dystopian fiction. - Karen T. '16

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