Wool

The Wool Omnibus is the first volume of the Silo series and encompasses a collection of the first five books in the Wool series by American author, Hugh Howey.
Wool is the first book in the Wool series by American author, Hugh Howey. It introduces the post-apocalyptic world Howey has created where the remaining population exists in underground Silos dug in a desolate and bleak world. Life is highly regulated: the right to bear children is determined by lottery and intending to leave, to go outside is a crime. Sheriff Holston intentionally commits that crime three years after his wife Allison did so. Punishment involves going outside to do some cleaning, with usually fatal results. Howey manages to set the scene and develop his characters very effectively despite the brevity of the text. This short taster for the excellent Wool series ends with a brilliant twist and will have readers looking forward to the second book, Proper Gauge.
Proper Gauge is the second book in the Wool series by American author, Hugh Howey. With the loss of Sheriff Holston, Mayor Jahns and Deputy Marnes set out to convince their preferred candidate for the role, Juliette Nichols, to take on the job, which means travelling down the silo to the down deep levels where Mechanical is situated. But not everyone agrees with their choice: Bernard Holland, head of IT, prefers another candidate who will be more sympathetic to the protection of IT’s all-important servers, and Jules herself is reluctant to leave her useful position. This instalment expands on the world Howey has created. Howey’s characters have depth, his plot is absorbing and climaxes with a shock death. Readers will be sufficiently intrigued by now to head straight for the third book, Casting Off.
Casting Off is the third book in the Wool series by American author, Hugh Howey. It opens with new Sheriff Juliette Nichols in the airlock, about to be sent outside the silo for cleaning, a situation that will immediately intrigue readers. The remainder of the books describes the events leading up to this. Howey continues to embellish the world he has created, dropping clues about the previous uprisings, the control IT has on this world and the existence of other silos. Howey’s characters are well developed, his plot is interesting and believable, and he ends this book with a cliff-hanger that will have readers eager for the fourth book, The Unravelling.
The Unravelling is the fourth book in the Wool series by American author, Hugh Howey. Having somehow survived her banishment to the outside, Juliette Nichols heads away from the Silo to make a startling discovery, uncovering yet more of the lies told to the remaining population after the last Uprising. Meanwhile, her refusal to clean the sensors that monitor the outside has set in motion a revolution led by Knox, the head of Mechanical and McLain, head of Supply. The head of IT and acting Mayor, Holland suddenly feels the need for a shadow. With each instalment, Howey enhances the world he has created. This book ends, once again, with a cliff-hanger that will have readers keen to read the final instalment, The Stranded.
The Stranded is the fifth and final book in the Wool series by American author, Hugh Howey. It is divided into three narrative strands: in Silo 18, the latest Uprising proceeds with mixed results, while behind the scenes, Walker and Shirly make some startling discoveries once they get the radio working; Lukas, as Bernard Holland’s shadow, learns, to his horror, much about the Silos and the World Order; in Silo 17, Juliette and Solo implement some grand plans and make some surprising discoveries of their own. Howey wraps up his post-apocalyptic tale with an exciting climax, while leaving enough loose ends to draw the reader towards the prequel, Shift, and the sequel, Dust. Truly a page-turner!