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The Water Knife

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( 27,772 ratings, 3,599 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi, the story unfolds in a near-future America ravaged by climate change and severe water shortages. It follows Angel Velasquez, a ruthless "water knife" who cuts off water to those who can't pay, as he navigates the tense landscape of the parched Southwest. As Angel becomes entangled with a journalist and a desperate migrant, their intertwined destinies reveal the harsh realities of survival in a dystopian world where water is the most valuable resource.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by a gritty, near-future world where water scarcity has created intense conflict and survival is paramount. With its vivid characters and tense atmosphere, it offers a thrilling exploration of environmental collapse and human resilience, making it perfect for fans of thought-provoking and action-packed sci-fi.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

From the international bestselling author of the Hugo and Nebula award-winning The Windup Girl, comes an electrifying thriller set in a world on the edge of collapse

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Water is power.

The American Southwest has been decimated by drought. Nevada and Arizona skirmish over dwindling shares of the Colorado River, while California watches.

When rumours of a game-changing water source surface in Phoenix, Las Vegas water knife Angel Velasquez is sent to investigate.

With a wallet full of identities and a tricked-out Tesla, Angel arrows south, hunting for answers that seem to evaporate as the heat index soars and the landscape becomes more and more oppressive. There, Angel encounters Lucy Monroe, a hardened journalist who knows far more about Phoenix's water secrets than she admits, and Maria Villarosa, a young Texas migrant who dreams of escaping north to those places where water still falls from the sky.

As bodies begin to pile up and bullets start flying, the three find themselves pawns in a game far bigger, more corrupt, and dirtier than any of them could have imagined. With Phoenix teetering on the verge of collapse and time running out, their only hope for survival rests in one another's hands.

But when water is more valuable than gold, alliances shift like sand, and the only truth in the desert is that someone will have to bleed if anyone hopes to drink.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Paolo Bacigalupi's The Water Knife delivers an intense and thrilling exploration of a possible near-future shaped by escalating water crises. Readers praise it for its insightful take on contemporary issues, with a narrative that blends elements of a noir-tinged apocalypse. Acclaimed for its gripping pace and evocative writing, the novel has been noted as both beautiful and terrifying, encouraging reflection on current environmental trajectories and securing Bacigalupi’s status as a notable voice in speculative fiction.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780356500546

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 March 2016

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Orbit

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 32.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 195.0mm

Weight: 348g

Pages: 496

About the Author

Paolo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl was one of the most celebrated SF debuts of all time, winning both the Hugo and Nebula awards. Following a number of award-winning novels for younger readers, The Water Knife marks his return to adult fiction. He is a New York Times bestseller and National Book Award finalist, and lives in Colorado with his wife and son.

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