A review by beansandrice
The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi

adventurous dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

Bacigalupi's greatest success is writing a thriller where water-scarcity is a compelling motive for every single action. But more often than not it feels like disaster porn. It's gratuitous, and seems to fall into tons of anti-Mexican tropes even though it's clear Bacigalupi didn't intend that.