Half Way Home in Q&A with Hugh Howey

Nov 20, 2012 E.L. Hine rated it really liked it

Unlike some of the other reviews posted here, I thought that the novel was original and intriguing. Howey gets extra points for bizarre aliens - I have always enjoyed stories with bizarre aliens in them: never forget the Puppeteers from Larry Niven's Known Space universe, for example. Here, I think Howey took a few chances: first of all, the subtle but definite portrayal of Porter, who comes to realize, in fits and starts, that unlike the other surviving boys in the colony, he is not attracted t ...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Noneya rated it really liked it

So I read this whilst waiting or Wool 5 to come out, lol. It took me about two chapters to really become invested, but once that happened I could not put this down. I seriously found myself reading this on a family dinner date^^ I fell in love with Porter and I honestly didn't want Half Way Home to ever come to an end.

My only hold up: I wish we could have been exposed to more of this alien planet; with it's giant trees and Dune-like creatures I couldn't wait to get a glimpse of what was lurking ...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Evelyn rated it it was amazing

I think that Hugh Howey is one of the finest writers of this era. He is probably not as commercially successful as Stephen King or Barbara Kingsolver. Many adults may dismiss his books as not in their preferred genre because they are considered YA or distopian, or even science fiction. However, I'm telling you this man can really tell a story and in a way that just grabs you and does not let go until the very end. He is inside the head of the narrator and brilliantly so. His prose is to die for. ...more

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Sep 10, 2013 Cheryl Minekime rated it really liked it

While reading this book, I got the feeling it was geared more toward young adult readers although I didn't get the sense it was advertised that way. "Half Way Home" was written by Hugh Howey, the best-selling author of “WOOL” and the Silo Saga and it was my overwhelming love for those books that led me to read some of his earlier work.

In a scenario somewhat reminiscent of James Cameron's "Avatar", colony ships have been sent out from various countries on Earth in a sort of "Cold War" era space r While reading this book, I got the feeling it was geared more toward young adult readers although I didn't get the sense it was advertised that way. "Half Way Home" was written by Hugh Howey, the best-selling author of “WOOL” and the Silo Saga and it was my overwhelming love for those books that led me to read some of his earlier work.

In a scenario somewhat reminiscent of James Cameron's "Avatar", colony ships have been sent out from various countries on Earth in a sort of "Cold War" era space race intent on exploiting the resources of new worlds for their mineral wealth and any patents that might be gained from the exotic and alien flora and fauna they encounter along the way. In an unusual twist, these ships carry their human colonist cargo in embryonic form, in a sort of biological stasis until they reach their target world. If the potential colony is deemed "viable", the ships' Artificial Intelligence allows the embryos to grow and develop for 30 years in artificial wombs or vats while the automated machinery that made the crossing with the colonists goes about preparing the landing site for their eventual "birth" as full-grown adults. With assigned jobs and all the knowledge they need to do them well, delivered via specialized computer learning while they were "en faux utero", these new humans are expected to establish the colony, harvest its resources, and eventually build more ships to send out and establish other colonies. If the colony proves to be "unviable" however, the AI has the authority to abort the whole process at any time.

The novel opens with an unexpected and chaotic birth scene... more than 400 of the 500 intended colonists have perished in a fiery conflagration, halfway through their maturation process. The 50 or 60 survivors quickly discover that their AI has for unknown reasons first initiated and then halted the abort sequence, leaving several dozen teenagers woefully unprepared to survive on a world they know nothing about. The situation quickly disintegrates into a "Lord of the Flies" type scenario with some colonists wresting control and subjugating the others, forcing them into hard labor to build a rocket that the AI insists must be their primary goal, even over self-preservation and survival.

The rest of the novel unfolds in a sometimes slow narrative, following a handful of colonists who have escaped the primary compound, determined to get away from the crushing workload, limited food sources and dismal future. In the process they discover the reasons why their AI first deemed the colony unviable and then changed its mind.

In spite of the slow parts in the middle, the novel begins and ends well, the last couple of chapters proving to be the most exciting in the whole book. Hugh Howey paints an intriguing picture of an alien world and it is definitely worth reading for its unusual premise and satisfying finish. ...more

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May 27, 2012 Colby rated it it was amazing

What could be more profitable than mining rights to an entire planet? Not much, provided the mining colony works efficiently. If the colony can't work efficiently, it must be aborted. Or not? This was another wonderful story from the talented Hugh Howey, and it left me dying to find out what happens next. Hugh has a way of getting his readers deeply invested in the characters with just a few pages. If you see something by Hugh Howey, just go ahead and read it. It's not likely to disappoint!
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Nov 16, 2011 Jen_k02 rated it it was amazing

I read the sample on my Nook, and got sucked in. I sat down last night, and figured I'd read a few chapters. I had the book finished before bed that night. I really, really enjoyed it, and this is not a genre I typically get into easily. The writing just flows along, the characters were engaging, and the story was compelling.
For the record, it says I read it on paperback, I read it on my Nook. ...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Laurie Jameson rated it it was ok

Didn't really care much for this one. I normally love Hugh Howey; this one just didn't do it for me. I couldn't get to that place where I really cared one way or another about the characters. ...more

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