What happens when you discover a giant robot hand near your home? You try to understand it and maybe weaponize it if you can. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel is a novel about just that.
When 11-year-old Rose finds a giant robot hand by accident near her home, it changes her life. Fast-forward 17 years later and Rose is now researching the same giant robot hand that she discovered. Things take a turn when an army helicopter crashes into another piece of the giant robot.
After learning more about the robot hand, questions arise. Is it alien technology or forgotten knowledge?When the robot hand accidentally shoots laser from its hand and destroys the building they are researching in, doubts creep in. Should the army be researching this weapon and how dangerous is it in the wrong hands? It is up to Rose to figure out what the robot is capable of and where it came from before its too late.
Reading Sleeping Giants was a thrill because it plays up on your childhood imagination. We all dream of discovering something old and cool in our backyards as a kid. Rose happens to do just that and it takes over her life.
The writing is great and it is easy to get lost in the book. Neuvel does a great job keeping the suspense in this book. However, that cannot be said for the sequel and after the second book, I lost interest in the series.
Maybe you will have better luck finishing the series. It’s a great science fiction novel and plays with some great troupes. I definitely recommend this book because Neuvel has an active imagination and takes the book in a great direction.