--- product_id: 1751986 title: "Ship Breaker (National Book Award Finalist)" price: "€ 19.47" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.fi/products/1751986-ship-breaker-national-book-award-finalist store_origin: FI region: Finland --- # Ship Breaker (National Book Award Finalist) **Price:** € 19.47 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Ship Breaker (National Book Award Finalist) - **How much does it cost?** € 19.47 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.fi](https://www.desertcart.fi/products/1751986-ship-breaker-national-book-award-finalist) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Set in a dark future America devastated by the forces of climate change, this thrilling bestseller and National Book Finalist is a gritty, high-stakes adventure of a teenage boy faced with conflicting loyalties. In America's flooded Gulf Coast region, oil is scarce, but loyalty is scarcer. Grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts by crews of young people. Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota--and hopefully live to see another day. But when, by luck or by chance, he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life.... In this powerful novel, Hugo and Nebula Award winning author Paolo Bacigalupi delivers a fast-paced adventure set in the vivid and raw, uncertain future of his companion novels The Drowned Cities and Tool of War . "Suzanne Collins may have put dystopian literature on the YA map with The Hunger Games ...but Bacigalupi is one of the genre's masters, employing inventively terrifying details in equally imaginative story lines." — Los Angeles Times A New York Times Bestseller A Michael L. Printz Award Winner A National Book Award Finalist A VOYA 2010 Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers Book A Rolling Stone 40 Best YA Novels Book Don’t miss the other books in the series: The Drowned Cities Tool of War Review: Ship Breaker Nails It - I don't remember why I came across this book. It's been sitting on my bedroom floor for about two weeks and last night I opened it up for the first time. After reading it, I am now wondering why I left it on the floor for so long. Was I crazy? Well most likely, lazy and it was hidden under my pile of clothes. I'm not going to bore you with a summary. That's what a product description is for. I really liked this book and now it's sitting on my bookshelf along with the other keepers in my collection. I really enjoyed Bacigalupi's writing style. The story was laced with descriptions and it was consistant. They weren't abstract descriptions or lazy descriptions either. They were short and to the point. "Bright tropic sunlight and ocean salt breezes bathed him." As a reader, you get an idea of where Nailer was at. The place he lived just based on this description. There was no need to mention a sandy beach lined with tropical plants. The details were short and they still maintianed an imagery that set both tone and setting. I didn't know what I was getting into when I started reading this book, but I knew pretty soon once I began reading. A futuristic post-industrial almost dystopic setting was here. Yes, there is a slight hint to be enviormentally friendly but that wasn't the point of the story. It annoys me when people says that's what the book represents (based on a small factor of a book). Ship Breaker is about Nailer, the protaganist of the story. It's about his life, his way of life, his beliefs, and how something and someone from outside of his world alters and changes his perception. Ship Breaker is about being human (in regards to Nailer). It's reinforced by the character Tool in the book. It's not a romance. It's not an adventure. Though there are elements of those in this book that's not what this book is about. To some it seems like Bacigalupi has no idea what he wants from his story but I think they are just confused as they are basing this book with other books, (P.S. I absolutely hate that. Don't do that. Read a book and based it on its own merits, not along side another.) or missed the reoccuring hints and themes from the situations in the story. It's not surprising for two people to start liking one another when they have to completely trust the other, especailly with their lives, and just because there are moments like this does not mean the author wanted to make it a romance novel and then didn't know how to expand from there. It happens. Could happen. And it did in Ship Breaker. Plus it was not the focus of the story and it didn't happen within seeing each other, in unbelievable circumstances. The pacing of the story was done well also. The first few pages set the tone of the story, introducing us to the lives of Nailer and those around him. You get to know these people's hard lives, the mentaility to live in such a place, and what they do to survive. The pace picks up soon after and really doesn't stop from there. Again and again, the book questions decisions and what it means for the person making those decision. Do they reflect who that person is or do they create that person to who he is now? I have seen one review where is states that this book is unoriginal. Where else is there a book about a shipbreaker in a dystopian world? Where is this unorginality you speak of? You strip a story to its core and it reeks of unoriginality. If you are to inspect every story and poke and prod it to be an original story, every story would cower and hide in shame. It's how an author approaches the story with its characters. I have not seem many Nailers around. Or Nitas. Or Primas. Yes, Nailer is fighting for survival like many other people in a dystopian world, but unlike those other books, we get to see why and how Nailer acts the way he does. It's not just a race or run for survival. We come to understand him and those characters around him, understanding why they act they way they do and belive in the things they do. ( I hate reviews who say `there's nothing original about this book' without any backed reasons... you are entitled to your opinions but back them up. Saying something like that and leaving it as it stands shows you have no back bone and is merely stating something to be obnoxious and heard.) Verdict: Great story and great characters. Definately one to own. Review: An intense adventure novel to recommend for mature young adults. - In Ship Breaker, by Paolo Bacigalupi, a young boy named Nailer struggles to survive the dangerous life of a scavenger, breaking apart defunct ships for their valuable scrap. When he discovers a type of luxury boat, crashed during a storm, he sees a chance to deliver himself and his friends from their lives of starvation and abuse. What I loved about Ship Breaker is the sense of tension that Bacigalupi creates. The story begins with Nailer working as a routine scavenger, but his dangerous working conditions make all of his actions important. Even his basic decisions threaten to impact his health and survival. When Nailer discovers the luxury ship, he needs to break that ship quickly, which builds the feeling of urgency. Then he's forced to make some very interesting moral decisions which add to the seriousness of the story. Ship Breaker has a very solid drive, and it doesn't let up until about halfway through the book (where it takes a quick breather before plunging you back into more action). The pace of the book is generally pretty quick, and it's a tense ride. I would place Ship Breaker into the adventure genre, and that's both good and bad. As an adventure story, Ship Breaker's action and pacing are very strong. The plot quickly moves. If I had to critique anything, the character development (for characters other than Nailer) is toned down, because the focus is the plot. Nailer's abusive father, Nailer's friends, even Nailer's love interest - they're all kind of there just to serve their purpose. The bad guy is kind of there to be a bad guy. Nailer's best friend is kind of there to help Nailer out. Then there's some random characters that are kind of there for Nailer to talk to... The characters could be deeper, but honestly, it's an adventure book. This book accomplishes everything that it needs to. We read adventure books for the action, right? You want action? This book has action, and it's gripping! I'd be slightly wary of recommending this to very young readers. While the reading level of the book is young-adult, Ship Breaker has some fairly violent sections (and Bacigalupi has excellent descriptions). Nailer fights several people in the novel, and there is some serious murder here! Elementary school children will be able to read the book, but parents might be wary of having their children read something that's this graphic. Just to clarify: a handful of people get stabbed, some guy gets shot, Nailer finds a bunch of dead bodies, and a handful of guys get killed by machinery. I'd willingly recommend this book to middle-schoolers(and anyone older). The book has some violence, but (in all seriousness) that's part of why they will love it. The violence is never over-the-top, never gratuitous, and fits perfectly with the overall themes of the book. Looking for something action-packed, fast-paced, moderately-violent, dystopian-themed, sometimes-darkly-toned, sci-fi-sprinkled, and overall really fun? Then check out Ship Breaker. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #76,764 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #96 in Teen & Young Adult Survival Stories #148 in Teen & Young Adult Dystopian #777 in Teen & Young Adult Fantasy | | Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,815 Reviews | ## Images ![Ship Breaker (National Book Award Finalist) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91L-p4Su6GL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Language, Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ship Breaker Nails It *by C***. on January 12, 2011* I don't remember why I came across this book. It's been sitting on my bedroom floor for about two weeks and last night I opened it up for the first time. After reading it, I am now wondering why I left it on the floor for so long. Was I crazy? Well most likely, lazy and it was hidden under my pile of clothes. I'm not going to bore you with a summary. That's what a product description is for. I really liked this book and now it's sitting on my bookshelf along with the other keepers in my collection. I really enjoyed Bacigalupi's writing style. The story was laced with descriptions and it was consistant. They weren't abstract descriptions or lazy descriptions either. They were short and to the point. "Bright tropic sunlight and ocean salt breezes bathed him." As a reader, you get an idea of where Nailer was at. The place he lived just based on this description. There was no need to mention a sandy beach lined with tropical plants. The details were short and they still maintianed an imagery that set both tone and setting. I didn't know what I was getting into when I started reading this book, but I knew pretty soon once I began reading. A futuristic post-industrial almost dystopic setting was here. Yes, there is a slight hint to be enviormentally friendly but that wasn't the point of the story. It annoys me when people says that's what the book represents (based on a small factor of a book). Ship Breaker is about Nailer, the protaganist of the story. It's about his life, his way of life, his beliefs, and how something and someone from outside of his world alters and changes his perception. Ship Breaker is about being human (in regards to Nailer). It's reinforced by the character Tool in the book. It's not a romance. It's not an adventure. Though there are elements of those in this book that's not what this book is about. To some it seems like Bacigalupi has no idea what he wants from his story but I think they are just confused as they are basing this book with other books, (P.S. I absolutely hate that. Don't do that. Read a book and based it on its own merits, not along side another.) or missed the reoccuring hints and themes from the situations in the story. It's not surprising for two people to start liking one another when they have to completely trust the other, especailly with their lives, and just because there are moments like this does not mean the author wanted to make it a romance novel and then didn't know how to expand from there. It happens. Could happen. And it did in Ship Breaker. Plus it was not the focus of the story and it didn't happen within seeing each other, in unbelievable circumstances. The pacing of the story was done well also. The first few pages set the tone of the story, introducing us to the lives of Nailer and those around him. You get to know these people's hard lives, the mentaility to live in such a place, and what they do to survive. The pace picks up soon after and really doesn't stop from there. Again and again, the book questions decisions and what it means for the person making those decision. Do they reflect who that person is or do they create that person to who he is now? I have seen one review where is states that this book is unoriginal. Where else is there a book about a shipbreaker in a dystopian world? Where is this unorginality you speak of? You strip a story to its core and it reeks of unoriginality. If you are to inspect every story and poke and prod it to be an original story, every story would cower and hide in shame. It's how an author approaches the story with its characters. I have not seem many Nailers around. Or Nitas. Or Primas. Yes, Nailer is fighting for survival like many other people in a dystopian world, but unlike those other books, we get to see why and how Nailer acts the way he does. It's not just a race or run for survival. We come to understand him and those characters around him, understanding why they act they way they do and belive in the things they do. ( I hate reviews who say `there's nothing original about this book' without any backed reasons... you are entitled to your opinions but back them up. Saying something like that and leaving it as it stands shows you have no back bone and is merely stating something to be obnoxious and heard.) Verdict: Great story and great characters. Definately one to own. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ An intense adventure novel to recommend for mature young adults. *by J***J on February 11, 2012* In Ship Breaker, by Paolo Bacigalupi, a young boy named Nailer struggles to survive the dangerous life of a scavenger, breaking apart defunct ships for their valuable scrap. When he discovers a type of luxury boat, crashed during a storm, he sees a chance to deliver himself and his friends from their lives of starvation and abuse. What I loved about Ship Breaker is the sense of tension that Bacigalupi creates. The story begins with Nailer working as a routine scavenger, but his dangerous working conditions make all of his actions important. Even his basic decisions threaten to impact his health and survival. When Nailer discovers the luxury ship, he needs to break that ship quickly, which builds the feeling of urgency. Then he's forced to make some very interesting moral decisions which add to the seriousness of the story. Ship Breaker has a very solid drive, and it doesn't let up until about halfway through the book (where it takes a quick breather before plunging you back into more action). The pace of the book is generally pretty quick, and it's a tense ride. I would place Ship Breaker into the adventure genre, and that's both good and bad. As an adventure story, Ship Breaker's action and pacing are very strong. The plot quickly moves. If I had to critique anything, the character development (for characters other than Nailer) is toned down, because the focus is the plot. Nailer's abusive father, Nailer's friends, even Nailer's love interest - they're all kind of there just to serve their purpose. The bad guy is kind of there to be a bad guy. Nailer's best friend is kind of there to help Nailer out. Then there's some random characters that are kind of there for Nailer to talk to... The characters could be deeper, but honestly, it's an adventure book. This book accomplishes everything that it needs to. We read adventure books for the action, right? You want action? This book has action, and it's gripping! I'd be slightly wary of recommending this to very young readers. While the reading level of the book is young-adult, Ship Breaker has some fairly violent sections (and Bacigalupi has excellent descriptions). Nailer fights several people in the novel, and there is some serious murder here! Elementary school children will be able to read the book, but parents might be wary of having their children read something that's this graphic. Just to clarify: a handful of people get stabbed, some guy gets shot, Nailer finds a bunch of dead bodies, and a handful of guys get killed by machinery. I'd willingly recommend this book to middle-schoolers(and anyone older). The book has some violence, but (in all seriousness) that's part of why they will love it. The violence is never over-the-top, never gratuitous, and fits perfectly with the overall themes of the book. Looking for something action-packed, fast-paced, moderately-violent, dystopian-themed, sometimes-darkly-toned, sci-fi-sprinkled, and overall really fun? Then check out Ship Breaker. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Adventure in Dark Future *by M***M on October 10, 2010* I just blazed through Paolo Bacigalupi's Ship Breaker and I really regret having to leave that world. I want to go back along Bright Sands Beach and revisit all those wonderful people I met that are struggling through such hard lives. The author vividly paints the small microcosm that is the life of the ship breakers and successfully creates a culture based on past histories of coastal towns and cities. In this world, a ship breaker is a person employed by one of the few surviving corporate entities to salvage wrecked ships savaged by storms known as "city killers." The world Bacigalupi reveals in the novel is heartbreaking, but anyone who has read history will quickly grasp the giant backward step he makes in this dark future. The book is aimed at the older YA audience, probably eighth grade and up in my opinion, but adults (like me) will enjoy the headlong adventure as well. Nailer, the main character who was really named that, is fourteen or fifteen years old. He works with a "light crew," a group responsible for slithering down through the ducts of old ships in search of copper wiring and other salvageable items. The opening chapter establishes his job as well as the danger that he faces every day, and makes him a sympathetic character in the course of a few pages. I loved the "backward" science of the book. The phosphorescent paint Nailer puts on his forehead to navigate the darkness so he can leave both hands free to salvage and save himself was incredibly neat, and something that I wouldn't have thought of. The author provides a lot of touches like this. The book concentrates on the low-tech coastal life for the most part, and I missed getting a better view of the inland world. Of course, Nailer didn't know much about that world either, so it was fair. However, I can't help wishing that Bacigalupi returns to Nailer's world soon and presents us with another intriguing look at this proposed future. I also enjoyed the details about Tool, the half-man, and how his species were constructed in some laboratory to serve as nearly undefeatable and forever loyal bodyguards. I would love to get Tool's story at some point as well. There is a progressive science that gets revealed in the novel, and most of that comes while aboard the fabulous, solar-powered clipper ships that ply the seas of the worlds. The main plot surrounds the mysterious identity of a "swank," one of those incredibly wealthy corporate people, girl that turns up in a busted ship after one of the colossal storms. Nailer and his friend, Pima, are torn over whether to save her or hack off her fingers to get at the gold rings she wears. This agonizing decision and the cold-blooded way they talk about it is amazing and complex, and shows just how desperate these people are. Nailer's dad, Richard Lopez, is one of the meanest characters I've seen in fiction in a long time. The history that the author gives the man is completely realistic and made his presence on the pages even more chilling. The book shifts from a view of this dystopian future world to a frantic chase that brings Nailer into conflict with new enemies and old ones. The shipboard battle at the end of the book holds classic sea battle overtones, but it done in new ways that make it fresh and original. Highly enjoyable. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.fi/products/1751986-ship-breaker-national-book-award-finalist](https://www.desertcart.fi/products/1751986-ship-breaker-national-book-award-finalist) --- *Product available on Desertcart Finland* *Store origin: FI* *Last updated: 2026-10-03*