Book Review: Wool
Learning halfway through that Wool was self-published made a lot of sense.
Choosing Wool
Halfway through reading The Three Musketeers, I realized I just was not that into it. This had been a pattern I had found myself in with the past few books I tried. To be fair, I hadn't been reading much and would probably spend 10 minutes a day reading on the days I actually did. It was still bugging me, though. I used to read a lot! So I did what any software engineer in 2026 would do... I consulted AI. I explained my situation, gave some examples of past books I DNF'd, and also gave some examples of books I did finish. The insight it gave me was pretty interesting.
It said that I probably enjoy books that are problem → solution, with fast pacing and a continually advancing plot. A pattern in my recent book choices had been literary classics, praised for their characters and world-building, but without much of a hook. I thought about that for a second and was impressed that a chatbot could generate that insight about my reading habits. It was genuinely true!
Given that it diagnosed me so accurately, I asked for some recommendations. Andy Weir was at the top of the list with The Martian and Project Hail Mary. Not too far down was Leviathan Wakes. As further validation for this theory, I couldn't have made a better list myself. I had actually read many of the books it listed and loved them. At this point, I knew I was onto something. The highest book on the list that I hadn't read was Wool by Hugh Howey. A physical copy was already on the bookshelf, to boot. My next book had been decided.
Reading Wool
I had watched season one of Silo previously, not recently enough that it was front of mind, but recently enough that I remembered the broad strokes. With that in mind, I was surprised by how superficial, rushed, and underdeveloped the characters (and, to some extent, the plot) felt near the beginning. I already knew these people and STILL felt like it rushed. Also, this book is huge! Is there not time to allocate some more pages to them?
I was certainly influenced in this thinking by the show. I remembered the old sheriff, Holston (and his wife), as people I actually cared about. In the book, it almost felt like Howey assumed my buy-in instead of earning it. The subplot surely gave meaning to the rest of the story and needed to exist. There are a few early-story deaths that are necessary to get the characters' motivations and the plot mechanics moving forward, Holston's and his wife's included. But they fall a bit flat when the characters are introduced on one line, exist insignificantly for another, and then die on the third.
Which brings me to my second point on the theme of rushed, underdeveloped plotlines. Juliette is sheriff of the silo for what feels like three days of book time and what I'd guess to be 40 pages. We had barely heard of her before she was sent to clean. Considering the reader essentially views cleaning as death (plot armor aside), this moment is once again rather insignificant to the reader.
Reviewing Wool
My experience of Wool was heavily colored by having watched Silo. Whether that was for better or worse, I have no idea. What I do know is that I really enjoyed the book. There were moments when I sat down and read longer than I have in ages. The concept is one that I find really cool. The execution, despite what my short review might otherwise make you think, was very good, and I never got lost in the overcomplicated subplots that many other books this size try to weave together.