Scan barcode
melinichole's review
4.0
this book caused nothing but heartbreak for me.....the author is not afraid to kill off your favorite characters!!! ughhhh whyyyyyy!!!! but I loved it
ninjabunneh's review
4.0
This is a story of survival. Kill before you are killed, protect what's yours, don't ask questions. To say this is an angsty read is an understatement. Lynn (our mc) has been isolated with her mother and, in a sense, has lost touch with her humanity. She is soon thrust into a situation that she never expected. We see glimpses of unicorns that trot away leaving dust in their wake. Hints of rainbows through the clouds. When the end comes, you aren't prepared. Extremely well written. Although I hate angst, I'm still glad I read this one.
3.5 stars.
3.5 stars.
bart9211's review
4.0
I received a copy of Not A Drop To Drink through goodreads First-Reads program. The book is set in the not so distant future where water is scarce and people will do almost anything to obtain it. The similarities between our world today and the book were startling and has made me re-think about how I use my water resources and appreciate what I have.
I loved the action throught the whole book and I was constantly on the edge of my seat waiting for whatever challenge Lynn would face next.
I loved the action throught the whole book and I was constantly on the edge of my seat waiting for whatever challenge Lynn would face next.
squirrelsohno's review
3.0
It was pretty good, but will it sit with me for long? No.
But hip hip hooray for that romance. Creepy with side of satisfying.
But hip hip hooray for that romance. Creepy with side of satisfying.
carolinevaught's review
3.0
This was pretty meh. The stakes weren't as high as I expected and I didn't really have an attachment to the characters. Lynn was awkward and lackluster and I feel like everyone else was too emotional and overbearing for this setting. Not to mention the romance, if you could call it that, felt out of place, forced, and painful to read through, especially when the main character has no prior relationships and apparently didn't even have knowledge about what a romantic relationship would be like. Probably won't read the second one.
thebookhaze's review
2.0
This was an amazing story, poorly written and badly told. What I mean is that if I took this story at face value and believed everything the author told me, if this was like a campfire tale, and someone was telling it to me, making it all up off the top of their head, it's more than amazing. It's a pretty gripping story.
But judging it as a book, there were so many inconsistencies and things that just did not make sense at all. Mostly what bothered me is how the author *tells* us what we should be thinking about someone's character.
Twice, when Lynn had conversations, one with Neva, and then another time with Lucy, the whole interaction is written out there for you to read, but later, she talks to first Eli about her conversation with Neva, and then Stebbs about her conversation with Lucy, and I had to wonder, what parts of the conversations did I miss? Because the conversations that we read about did not go down the way Lynn said they did when she told Eli and Stebbs about them. At all.
Then, of course, there was the whole Lynn is so sheltered and innocent that she has absolutely no idea about sex at all. Seriously? She's sixteen, and no matter how sheltered she was, she must've gone through puberty and gotten her period and got curious about her body, and she would've asked her mother questions!
Sure, her mother might not have answered, but there were books in the house! There were books of poetry and encyclopedias. I am sure reading poetry would've raised questions in her mind about love between men and women, and I'm sure encyclopedias would have sections about vaginas and penises. She might not have been able to know everything, but she would've known something. Honestly, this part of the story was just ridiculous.
There were lots of other inconsistencies with the rest of the book, but I do want to say that there was one part which I thought was brilliantly done. When Lynn's mother died, her last words to Lynn were not about love but about how to defend herself against coyote attacks. It seemed like exactly the kind of thing her mother would say to her, it was the kind of person she was. Practical and unsentimental. But at the same time, the fact that her last words were advice to help Lynn survive better showed her love as well.
Ultimately, I did enjoy this story, but I was constantly annoyed with the telling of it. I thought it could've been done much better, but I really like the premise and the whole idea of it.
But judging it as a book, there were so many inconsistencies and things that just did not make sense at all. Mostly what bothered me is how the author *tells* us what we should be thinking about someone's character.
Twice, when Lynn had conversations, one with Neva, and then another time with Lucy, the whole interaction is written out there for you to read, but later, she talks to first Eli about her conversation with Neva, and then Stebbs about her conversation with Lucy, and I had to wonder, what parts of the conversations did I miss? Because the conversations that we read about did not go down the way Lynn said they did when she told Eli and Stebbs about them. At all.
Then, of course, there was the whole Lynn is so sheltered and innocent that she has absolutely no idea about sex at all. Seriously? She's sixteen, and no matter how sheltered she was, she must've gone through puberty and gotten her period and got curious about her body, and she would've asked her mother questions!
Sure, her mother might not have answered, but there were books in the house! There were books of poetry and encyclopedias. I am sure reading poetry would've raised questions in her mind about love between men and women, and I'm sure encyclopedias would have sections about vaginas and penises. She might not have been able to know everything, but she would've known something. Honestly, this part of the story was just ridiculous.
There were lots of other inconsistencies with the rest of the book, but I do want to say that there was one part which I thought was brilliantly done. When Lynn's mother died, her last words to Lynn were not about love but about how to defend herself against coyote attacks. It seemed like exactly the kind of thing her mother would say to her, it was the kind of person she was. Practical and unsentimental. But at the same time, the fact that her last words were advice to help Lynn survive better showed her love as well.
Ultimately, I did enjoy this story, but I was constantly annoyed with the telling of it. I thought it could've been done much better, but I really like the premise and the whole idea of it.
nicolemhewitt's review
4.0
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Not a Drop to Drink was a unique dystopian tale that portrays a world where only the strongest survive.
Lynn has lived her whole life on the edge of survival. Her mother has taught her that she must protect their water at all costs - killing anyone who comes too close. Their life is harsh and lonely. Lynn knows that she can trust no one but her mother. But when Lynn is suddenly left alone and confronted by strangers she has to decide whether to help them or leave them to their certain death.
The negatives:
Not enough emotional resonance to the ending.
Lynn was emotionally detached because she was raised that way - her mother always taught her to shoot first and ask questions later (literally). Life was hard and survival was paramount. But, as the book moved forward, Lynn started forming attachments and emotional connection to those around her. At the end of the book, something HUGE happens (actually a few big somethings) and I was a bit disappointed that those big moments lacked the emotional resonance they should have had. They were dealt with in a few lines when I just wanted more, especially considering Lynn's journey toward actually feeling something for those around her. I wanted to feel Lynn's pain for more than just a moment. But, I guess McGinnis wanted to show that, at heart, Lynn was still the practical survivalist girl she had always been.
What I LOVED:
The concept.
This story ended up feeling very much like a survivalist tale. Imagine living in a world where water was so scarce that people killed for it - regularly. A world where survival of the fittest rules, where you can never trust anyone, never feel safe, even in your own home. This is the world that Lynn lives in. It's gritty and it's hard and it's dangerous - which makes it incredibly interesting.
Lynn.
Lynn has spent her whole life seeing others as nothing more than competition - people who are after her precious water and who she has to kill in order to survive. Because of this, she's tough as nails and unfeeling in many ways. But when Lucy, Eli and Stebbs come into her life, she starts to see the world a bit differently. I loved seeing Lynn's transformation as she finds people that she actually cares about - people other than her mother. She never loses her hard edge - at her core, she is always the same old Lynn - but she grows throughout the book, which I loved.
Lucy, Eli and Stebbs.
I absolutely loved little Lucy - Lucy's sweet optimism and childish enthusiasm were just what Lynn needed to break through her tough exterior. And I also loved Stebbs' humanity - even in a time of violence and harshness, he never lost that humanity. He eventually turned into a father-figure to Lynn, and helped her move past some of her learned mistrust and selfishness. Then there was Eli. While he was originally helpless out in the wilderness, I loved the fact that he wasn't about to give up. He worked hard and learned what he needed to learn. He and Lynn were perfect for each other because she taught him to be tough in many ways and he taught her to feel. I was definitely rooting for them the whole way!
I highly recommend Not a Drop to Drink to dystopian fans. I give it 4/5 stars.
Not a Drop to Drink was a unique dystopian tale that portrays a world where only the strongest survive.
Lynn has lived her whole life on the edge of survival. Her mother has taught her that she must protect their water at all costs - killing anyone who comes too close. Their life is harsh and lonely. Lynn knows that she can trust no one but her mother. But when Lynn is suddenly left alone and confronted by strangers she has to decide whether to help them or leave them to their certain death.
The negatives:
Not enough emotional resonance to the ending.
Lynn was emotionally detached because she was raised that way - her mother always taught her to shoot first and ask questions later (literally). Life was hard and survival was paramount. But, as the book moved forward, Lynn started forming attachments and emotional connection to those around her. At the end of the book, something HUGE happens (actually a few big somethings) and I was a bit disappointed that those big moments lacked the emotional resonance they should have had. They were dealt with in a few lines when I just wanted more, especially considering Lynn's journey toward actually feeling something for those around her. I wanted to feel Lynn's pain for more than just a moment. But, I guess McGinnis wanted to show that, at heart, Lynn was still the practical survivalist girl she had always been.
What I LOVED:
The concept.
This story ended up feeling very much like a survivalist tale. Imagine living in a world where water was so scarce that people killed for it - regularly. A world where survival of the fittest rules, where you can never trust anyone, never feel safe, even in your own home. This is the world that Lynn lives in. It's gritty and it's hard and it's dangerous - which makes it incredibly interesting.
Lynn.
Lynn has spent her whole life seeing others as nothing more than competition - people who are after her precious water and who she has to kill in order to survive. Because of this, she's tough as nails and unfeeling in many ways. But when Lucy, Eli and Stebbs come into her life, she starts to see the world a bit differently. I loved seeing Lynn's transformation as she finds people that she actually cares about - people other than her mother. She never loses her hard edge - at her core, she is always the same old Lynn - but she grows throughout the book, which I loved.
Lucy, Eli and Stebbs.
I absolutely loved little Lucy - Lucy's sweet optimism and childish enthusiasm were just what Lynn needed to break through her tough exterior. And I also loved Stebbs' humanity - even in a time of violence and harshness, he never lost that humanity. He eventually turned into a father-figure to Lynn, and helped her move past some of her learned mistrust and selfishness. Then there was Eli. While he was originally helpless out in the wilderness, I loved the fact that he wasn't about to give up. He worked hard and learned what he needed to learn. He and Lynn were perfect for each other because she taught him to be tough in many ways and he taught her to feel. I was definitely rooting for them the whole way!
I highly recommend Not a Drop to Drink to dystopian fans. I give it 4/5 stars.
missbookiverse's review
4.0
Wenn man wie ich postapokalyptische Überlebensgeschichten mag, sich aber nicht gleich in einer ganzen Buchreihe verlieren möchte, sollte man sich NADTD näher anschauen. Die Geschichte ist kurzweilig und spannend, ohne in komplizierte Verstrickungen abzutauchen.
Den besonderen Charme stellen die Figuren zur Verfügung. Protagonistin Lynn ist zu Beginn noch sehr schroff und abgebrüht. Bis auf ihre Mutter hat sie fast nie einen anderen Menschen kennen gelernt und so weiß sie nur das vom Leben, was ihre Mutter sie gelehrt hat. Was Männer so alles mit jungen Frauen anstellen können (im guten wie im schlechten Sinne) hat sie da leider vergessen zu erwähnen, aber es macht Spaß zu beobachten wie Lynn das für sich selbst herausfindet. Überhaupt ist es schön Lynns Entwicklung mitzuverfolgen, wie sie Schritt für Schritt lernt, was Nächstenliebe ist und dass es in Ordnung ist auch mal entgegen ihrer Erziehung zu handeln.
Das steckt drin: Kojoten, ausgeraubte Häuser, Schrotflinten, Wasserdestillation, Verluste und Wünschelruten
Den besonderen Charme stellen die Figuren zur Verfügung. Protagonistin Lynn ist zu Beginn noch sehr schroff und abgebrüht. Bis auf ihre Mutter hat sie fast nie einen anderen Menschen kennen gelernt und so weiß sie nur das vom Leben, was ihre Mutter sie gelehrt hat. Was Männer so alles mit jungen Frauen anstellen können (im guten wie im schlechten Sinne) hat sie da leider vergessen zu erwähnen, aber es macht Spaß zu beobachten wie Lynn das für sich selbst herausfindet. Überhaupt ist es schön Lynns Entwicklung mitzuverfolgen, wie sie Schritt für Schritt lernt, was Nächstenliebe ist und dass es in Ordnung ist auch mal entgegen ihrer Erziehung zu handeln.
Das steckt drin: Kojoten, ausgeraubte Häuser, Schrotflinten, Wasserdestillation, Verluste und Wünschelruten
katieb_5's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Good book, well written with lots of character growth. So much death though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Rape, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Miscarriage, Animal death, and Abortion
naomiiixo's review
3.0
Book was good but quite slow an I expected more action when reading the synopsis! I enjoyed it though!