Here is my review (I read it in the summer of 2015):
This started out really really good, but devolved somewhat into bog-standard thriller territory. Bacigalupi lives in Colorado (as do I) and used to write for a regional environmental magazine I subscribe to, and his vision of the future rings unhappily true to my darkest fears.
Unfortunately his sex scenes are typical male-gazey fare, with 'strong women' who seem like they are only strong for pandering purposes (hi, you were just tortured, why are you having sex now with the man who saved you?) and I found his prose style (Dark places. Couldn't stop staring. Mesmerized at the sight) irritating, and the McGuffin was a little hard to believe (water rights aren't like bearer bonds! You have to actually transfer them legally).
Still, I really like the concept! I just wanted more of the worldbuilding and the characters dealing with it, rather than the gunplay and sex. I wanted more wonky legal machinations! Smuggling across the border! High drama! But I can't fault Bacigalupi for writing the book he wanted to write, not the book I wanted to read.
Re: Thanks for the heads up
This started out really really good, but devolved somewhat into bog-standard thriller territory. Bacigalupi lives in Colorado (as do I) and used to write for a regional environmental magazine I subscribe to, and his vision of the future rings unhappily true to my darkest fears.
Unfortunately his sex scenes are typical male-gazey fare, with 'strong women' who seem like they are only strong for pandering purposes (hi, you were just tortured, why are you having sex now with the man who saved you?) and I found his prose style (Dark places. Couldn't stop staring. Mesmerized at the sight) irritating, and the McGuffin was a little hard to believe (water rights aren't like bearer bonds! You have to actually transfer them legally).
Still, I really like the concept! I just wanted more of the worldbuilding and the characters dealing with it, rather than the gunplay and sex. I wanted more wonky legal machinations! Smuggling across the border! High drama! But I can't fault Bacigalupi for writing the book he wanted to write, not the book I wanted to read.