When Paolo Bacigalupi’s young adult novel “Ship Breaker” begins, Nailer, a boy in his late teens, is helping to disassemble wrecked ships for sale to salvage companies. Nailer’s existence is brutal. It is filled with hardships, including an alcoholic, drug-addicted father who dishes out regular beatings to Nailer. Nailer’s best friend and workmate, Pima, and her mother, Sadna, act as refuges for Nailer. Following a brutal storm, Nailer and Pima find a private clipper wrecked on the beach. All crew members are dead. However, a teenage girl named Nita still survives.

Nita is the daughter of one of the most powerful shipping magnates in the world, whose company has been torn apart by illegal doings. Nita, fleeing her father’s enemies, is now seeking to get back to him. Nailer and Tool, a friend of Pima’s mother, agree to take Nita to New Orleans to try to find one of her father’s loyal ships. Nailer’s father, who aligns himself with Nita’s enemies, leads a mission to Orleans that captures Nita. Nailer then goes to seek out a loyal Captain named Candless, and they rescue Nita. Nailer is given work on the ship, and he is able to leave his horrible past life behind.