A review by bazeleor
Dry by Jarrod Shusterman, Neal Shusterman

tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

I’m not entirely sure how to articulate my thoughts on this book, mostly because I’m not entirely sure I *have* thoughts, just a vague cloud of "meh" floating around my brain. But let’s roll with it and see where we land.

To begin: this book? It’s fine. The plot? Sure, that’s a premise. The writing? Readable. The characters? They sure are there, yes. That’s about as enthusiastic as I can get without lying to you. Feels like my shoulders are going to cramp from all the shrugging I’m doing 🤷 .

I think the core issue of why I’m so unmoved by it is that the book is… *too* straightforward. There’s a drought. People go feral. Society collapses a lil bit. And somehow, despite all that, I felt no excitement(? is that the right word(? There was no zing, no thrill just a slow, dry (hehe) burn of predictability. And yes, I get it’s probably supposed to feel this real on purpose BUT, here’s the thing: when I pick up a dystopian survival novel, I want my heart rate to spike at least a little, not stay flatlined like a dehydrated zombie (hehe another dry joke). 

There *were* a few solid tension spikes, and those were definitely my favorite. Like the scene where the neighbors invade Kelton’s house, and Jacqui’s firewalk moment. Those were great! but they were very few. 

My main problem was probably the characters. First of all, they were all annoying as fuck, I’m blaming it on the first-person narration, but there’s so many “I’m different from the rest” I can take before I feel like strangling you with my bare hands. Funnily enough, my favorite character ended up being the one who doesn’t have their own POV, which probably is a direct consequence.

Also I would love to not have to mention this but it was one of the main things that ruined the reading experience for me… can someone explain the bizarre dynamic between Kelton and Alyssa? Because I’m not here for drone-stalking turned cheek-kissing. No thanks, I’m judging you right now, I’m judging you hard… 

All that said, I didn’t *hate* it. Despite how much this review sounds like I did. I gave it three stars (maybe 2.5 I’m still deciding), not one, because at its core, the concept is solid. The emergency is plausible, the human response realistic. But the execution? Drier than the throats of these poor kids by day 2 (hehe another joke)

Also, shoutout to Spain’s actual blackout for giving me the *real* immersive experience. Five stars to that dystopian ambiance, love it here.

So, if you’ve ever wondered, “What would a person who forgets to drink water everyday think about a book where dehydration is the entire plot?” Well, you’re in luck, because I am that person 🤩. And my verdict is: it’s not terrible. It’s just... nice. Not good, not bad… just nice.