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A review by kayelina
H2O by Virginia Bergin
1.0
a spoiler free review
As the first book in the duology, Bergin paints the picture of an apocalypse where deadly rain destroys every human it touches with just one drop. Within three hours, people are bleeding, clawing, and dying with little to nothing left of the person they used to be. 0.27% is all that appears to be left of the UK’s population, with fifteen year old Ruby left to fend for herself. She seeks out her father, doing anything she can to find him.
I really don’t have much energy for this book. I am highly disappointed because I think this posed such great potential. I think killer rain is extremely original. I think lots of apocalypses could start with the rain but I have yet to see a book take on this turn except Bergin. I have been eyeing this book for years. I was extremely captivated by the cover and its concept. But that’s where the good things end.
When you say killer rain, and it is positioned as a threat that with one DROP it will have your skin instantaneously start bleeding, you collapse within yourself, clawing and reaching for any of it to stop the constant pain, this makes me assume that after it rains: the grass, animals, car exteriors, doors and its handles, and the protective gear you wear outside from the rain is exposed and possibly dangerous… “and just one drop will kill you.” That’s the book’s tagline so I presumed correctly. Yet Ruby touches and interacts with each of these things without protection or caution. After an unfortunate tragedy, she hops on a bike and heads for her friend’s house, mentioning that she didn’t even bother with protective gear because she “just had to get out of the house.” Looking at the sky and the clouds is the best way to identify whether it's going to rain and if you need to seek shelter, which Ruby also rarely does. I think she only wears protection three times and two out of those occasions, someone has forced her to wear something and most times she CHOSE to wear a sequin dress and heels. That’s right. Heels and a dress in the apocalypse.
Because here’s the thing, Ruby really cares what people think of her, what she wears, and how she looks. She is extremely selfish, ignorant, materialistic, and well, rude for a fifteen year old, which you don’t find out until the end of the book. The way Bergin paints this girl with this first person POV “journal/diary” style book, is horrible. Ruby acts like she’s 11 years old, constantly begging for her phone, boyfriend, internet, and daddy. She does not act rationally or intelligently and this is supposed to be because she’s a teenager. There’s dead bodies EVERYWHERE and her strongest reaction is “I try to not look at it as I step around the body.” She has no emotional or gut wrenching reaction that makes me paint or imagine this world in turmoil as I read. She glosses over it, like a lot, amongst other things as the novel goes on. My fifteen year old sister acts NOTHING like this and I know she would smarter and more mature in an apocalyptic situation like this. I saw a review that said, “this IS how teenagers talked because she’s 17 so she would know.” I don’t have much to say to that except I HOPE that is not how you act during an apocalypse at 17 or anywhere at 17 for that matter.
Ruby’s insufferability doesn’t just end there. Because Ruby’s a teenager, so that means she has to constantly drone on and on about other things in the middle of scenes that are very serious. I think it’s supposed to make us feel more for what is happening but it does the exact opposite. There’s paragraphs and paragraphs where Ruby talks about how “you know in movies where the handsome prince charming picks you up after you faint elegantly but not like ugly like but pretty like and you’re wearing a gorgeous dress and tiara and you’d kiss and run off into the sunset? Well that’s not how this faint session was like,” this happens a LOT using this EXACT diction that I just showed you. IT IS EXASPERATING TO SAY THE LEAST. This is Ruby’s way of describing a person or a scene or an event and it lacks immensely. Bergin rarely describes scenes or new characters and just let’s Ruby ramble instead so most times I was terribly distracted and confused as to what was occurring because the protagonist got so sidetracked in order to keep up the teenager’s “diary” facade. Ms. Bergin... you still need to write a book!
*I talk about the ending FYI but no spoilers*
I think I would like the book if it wasn’t for Ruby’s insufferable personality, writing style, and attitude towards everything. I can’t believe there’s a sequel because the ending left no cliffhanger. Everyone we met throughout the book served no purpose in the end and occasionally showed no purpose in entering the novel. There’s one scene where a gentleman wants to just speak to her and Ruby is so spooked she throws something at him and runs away, which is fun but they spend a good couple of pages doing this. The “I just wanna talk” with Ruby protesting the scene. Then we never hear from him again… unless he’s in the sequel, which I doubt. I feel like most characters don’t help the scene or plot because Ruby gets everything she wants. If someone wants to go this way, then they don’t if Ruby doesn’t want to.
I think this book would’ve been DECENT if Ruby was just a different person or wasn’t in the book entirely. I didn’t care for her one bit and I’m so surprised that I finished the book and didn’t just give in halfway. I would not recommend this book, period. I usually say, sure, why not, if you want an easy read--no. Don’t read this book. It’s a waste of your time. Point blank.
Thanks for making it this far! Follow me on Instagram for more @Kayelina. My next review will be on Non Platt's Trouble Stay home and stay safe <3
As the first book in the duology, Bergin paints the picture of an apocalypse where deadly rain destroys every human it touches with just one drop. Within three hours, people are bleeding, clawing, and dying with little to nothing left of the person they used to be. 0.27% is all that appears to be left of the UK’s population, with fifteen year old Ruby left to fend for herself. She seeks out her father, doing anything she can to find him.
I really don’t have much energy for this book. I am highly disappointed because I think this posed such great potential. I think killer rain is extremely original. I think lots of apocalypses could start with the rain but I have yet to see a book take on this turn except Bergin. I have been eyeing this book for years. I was extremely captivated by the cover and its concept. But that’s where the good things end.
When you say killer rain, and it is positioned as a threat that with one DROP it will have your skin instantaneously start bleeding, you collapse within yourself, clawing and reaching for any of it to stop the constant pain, this makes me assume that after it rains: the grass, animals, car exteriors, doors and its handles, and the protective gear you wear outside from the rain is exposed and possibly dangerous… “and just one drop will kill you.” That’s the book’s tagline so I presumed correctly. Yet Ruby touches and interacts with each of these things without protection or caution. After an unfortunate tragedy, she hops on a bike and heads for her friend’s house, mentioning that she didn’t even bother with protective gear because she “just had to get out of the house.” Looking at the sky and the clouds is the best way to identify whether it's going to rain and if you need to seek shelter, which Ruby also rarely does. I think she only wears protection three times and two out of those occasions, someone has forced her to wear something and most times she CHOSE to wear a sequin dress and heels. That’s right. Heels and a dress in the apocalypse.
Because here’s the thing, Ruby really cares what people think of her, what she wears, and how she looks. She is extremely selfish, ignorant, materialistic, and well, rude for a fifteen year old, which you don’t find out until the end of the book. The way Bergin paints this girl with this first person POV “journal/diary” style book, is horrible. Ruby acts like she’s 11 years old, constantly begging for her phone, boyfriend, internet, and daddy. She does not act rationally or intelligently and this is supposed to be because she’s a teenager. There’s dead bodies EVERYWHERE and her strongest reaction is “I try to not look at it as I step around the body.” She has no emotional or gut wrenching reaction that makes me paint or imagine this world in turmoil as I read. She glosses over it, like a lot, amongst other things as the novel goes on. My fifteen year old sister acts NOTHING like this and I know she would smarter and more mature in an apocalyptic situation like this. I saw a review that said, “this IS how teenagers talked because she’s 17 so she would know.” I don’t have much to say to that except I HOPE that is not how you act during an apocalypse at 17 or anywhere at 17 for that matter.
Ruby’s insufferability doesn’t just end there. Because Ruby’s a teenager, so that means she has to constantly drone on and on about other things in the middle of scenes that are very serious. I think it’s supposed to make us feel more for what is happening but it does the exact opposite. There’s paragraphs and paragraphs where Ruby talks about how “you know in movies where the handsome prince charming picks you up after you faint elegantly but not like ugly like but pretty like and you’re wearing a gorgeous dress and tiara and you’d kiss and run off into the sunset? Well that’s not how this faint session was like,” this happens a LOT using this EXACT diction that I just showed you. IT IS EXASPERATING TO SAY THE LEAST. This is Ruby’s way of describing a person or a scene or an event and it lacks immensely. Bergin rarely describes scenes or new characters and just let’s Ruby ramble instead so most times I was terribly distracted and confused as to what was occurring because the protagonist got so sidetracked in order to keep up the teenager’s “diary” facade. Ms. Bergin... you still need to write a book!
*I talk about the ending FYI but no spoilers*
I think I would like the book if it wasn’t for Ruby’s insufferable personality, writing style, and attitude towards everything. I can’t believe there’s a sequel because the ending left no cliffhanger. Everyone we met throughout the book served no purpose in the end and occasionally showed no purpose in entering the novel. There’s one scene where a gentleman wants to just speak to her and Ruby is so spooked she throws something at him and runs away, which is fun but they spend a good couple of pages doing this. The “I just wanna talk” with Ruby protesting the scene. Then we never hear from him again… unless he’s in the sequel, which I doubt. I feel like most characters don’t help the scene or plot because Ruby gets everything she wants. If someone wants to go this way, then they don’t if Ruby doesn’t want to.
I think this book would’ve been DECENT if Ruby was just a different person or wasn’t in the book entirely. I didn’t care for her one bit and I’m so surprised that I finished the book and didn’t just give in halfway. I would not recommend this book, period. I usually say, sure, why not, if you want an easy read--no. Don’t read this book. It’s a waste of your time. Point blank.
Thanks for making it this far! Follow me on Instagram for more @Kayelina. My next review will be on Non Platt's Trouble Stay home and stay safe <3