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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
Fantastic YA enviro-sci survival suspense story. It was horrifying to see the characters slowly suffer from dehydration and what it does to the body and mind. Also horrifying is the effect a lack of water has on a densely packed population. I was downing water while reading this one!
After reading Neal Shusterman’s Scythe (and loving it) many suggested I read Dry. They were not wrong. The journey for survival and a hunt for water after Southern California completely, literally runs dry is both a heart pounding adventure and an all too real sounding horror story… especially in light of all the world’s denial of climate change. Shusterman is a bit of a genius at tackling significant contemporary social issues and playing out creative yet realistic scenarios in his storytelling. I’m definitely a fan.
Alaska Battle of the Books high school title: 2022. Suitable for the uncertain times we live in. While the whole premise is what would happen if Southern California suddenly had no water. It looks at how a person’s humanity would become animal like if he/she had to compete for that all important commodity—Water. I liked the plot and the characters, and I hope the next generation will be able to solve the climate crisis because my generation has sure made a mess of things.
A late contender I didn't get to in time to read for potential inclusion in my Climate Fiction post on the MMD blog. I enjoyed it but it didn't stand out against the others I read and did include in that post.
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
the ending crushed me
The scariest and most realistic dystopian novel I’ve ever read! Excuse me while I go stock up on cases and cases of water.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall just a great book, Kelton was probably my favorite character, especially with his changing from an awkward nerd to a merciless survivor who'll do anything to survive, even kill another person.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing
I experienced the scorching heat and drought in California when I visited friends there last year. This book starts with a catastrophic escalation of that situation: the entire area runs out of drinking water and scale of the disaster is too big to to handle for the country. We follow a couple of teenagers on their harrowing journey trying to get to safety. The biggest danger is not just the lack of water, but what people are willing to do to each other in order to survive. I couldn't put the book down, the action is fast paced and I liked the perpective shifts from one character to another. The audiobook enhances this by using various different readers to tell the story. Really enjoyed it!