Dry by Shustermans

Title: Dry

Author: Neal and Jarod Shusterman

Published: 2018

Genre: Dystopia

Grade Level: Young Adult

-Trigger Warning: There are several haunting images in this book of human suffrage

-Movie Rating: PG-13 for vulgar language, violence, and disturbing images

Blurb (from goodreads):

When the California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, one teen is forced to make life and death decisions for her family in this harrowing story of survival.

The drought—or the Tap-Out, as everyone calls it—has been going on for a while now. Everyone’s lives have become an endless list of don’ts: don’t water the lawn, don’t fill up your pool, don’t take long showers.

Until the taps run dry.

Suddenly, Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a warzone of desperation; neighbors and families turned against each other on the hunt for water. And when her parents don’t return and her life—and the life of her brother—is threatened, Alyssa has to make impossible choices if she’s going to survive.

My Scores:

Writing Style: Top Notch

There are so many good quotes from this book, guys, it's unreal! From those alone, I would have scored it a solid. However, the way the syntax changed with each character is truly impressive to me.

Characters: Absolutely Amazing

This book has a very diverse cast of characters, but they are each given a full personality and each were able to pull out an emotional response from me.

We have our MC, Alyssa, who is clever, brave, and morally reliable. I loved getting to know this character, and it was truly stressful for me to see her suffer.

We have our geeky sidekick, Kelton, who is quirky, socially inept, and sensitive. He goes through the most character development in my opinion. It truly broke my heart when he was meet with tragedy, but it broke all the more to see him change because of it.

Then we have our rebel, Jacqui, who is defiant, foul mouthed, and reckless. She is the wild card of the group, because you never knew when or if her loyalties are going to change.

Lastly we have our pretentious rick kid, Henry, who is calculating, manipulative, and cowardly. He is the catalyst used to shake things up with the characters dynamics. I grew the hate Henry with every passing chapter.

Plot: So Many Plot Twists

I envy the pacing of the book because it is so incredibly perfect. There is not a dull moment to be had in this book. Right when you’ve caught your bearings on a situation, your hit with the next. And the ending is truly epic, maybe a bit over the top, but epic nonetheless.  

Overall: Totally Obsessed

Overall, I loved reading this book! It has such a great message and a wonderfully engaging plot. The characters were believable and pulled hard on your heart strings the entire time. I will caution you though, this book has some very disturbing images. So, with discretion, consider this book for your next read.

Messaging:

"Wasn’t it Jacqui who told us the human body was sixty percent water? Well, I know what the rest is. The rest is dust, the rest is ash, it’s sorrow and it’s grief… But above all that, in spite of all that, binding us together… is hope. And joy. And a wellspring of all the things that still might be."

Extra Notes:

Going into this I thought it would be a series, but no, it’s a stand alone.

Goodreads Rating: 5 out of 5 stars