Big Reads: Sleeping Giants

I literally just finished this book about 5 minutes ago. I rushed to take these pictures and write this post because, you guys... THIS BOOK...

I may have gone a little overboard with the pics, but I don't even care because this thing is beautiful. Anywho, Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel is the first in a series called the Themis Files. 

I first heard about this book a while ago when it was one of Amazon's best scifi books of the month. Then it was selected for me in this months Book of the Month Club box. It felt like fate. 

But then it arrived... 

And after gawking over how beautiful it was, I started reading it... 

And I was NOT feeling it. 

I didn't like the writing style (interviews, journals, and the occasional news story). I didn't like the characters. I made the mistake of reading the authors bio on Amazon, which really turned me off. I just don't think we would be friends. 

There were a couple of points that felt very YA to me, which is fine in a YA book, which this is not. 

But I kept with it and boy am I glad that I did. The plot definitely makes up for my hesitations about the narrative style and unlikable characters (just one character, really.) 

The gist is this, a young girl is riding her bike through the woods when all of a sudden the ground gives way and she falls into an enormous metal hand. Fast forward 20 years, and other body parts are found all over the world, enough to make a giant metal robot from space. 

It sounds a little silly when I spell it out like that, unless you're really into scifi, then I'm sure you're into it already. 

But I can assure it is anything but silly. There's political intrigue, backstabbing, sociopaths, physicists, pilots, and a huge flipping cliffhanger. 

The best character by far is a very mysterious almost narrator who does all the interviewing. (I can't help but picturing James Spader as this no-named character, especially Red from The Blacklist - that quiet violence, where you know he could mess you up, but he remains professional and composed at all times. Fingers crossed he gets cast in the movie.) 

I'm not a huge scifi reader. I'm not opposed to it at all, it's just not something I reach for first. But this novel is great for readers of any genre. 

It's fast-paced, mysterious, and just tense enough to keep you from being able to put it down. There's not a ton of action; most of the action takes place politically or inter-personally, but there were some definite shocking points. 

All I'm saying it, pick it up. It's a fun, fast read. Plus it will look amazing on your bookshelf.

Btw, I'm not an Amazon or Book of the Month affiliate. I just love them both so much.

Have you read Sleeping Giants? What did you think? Can you bear the wait until Waking Gods?