"Everyone's going to remember where they were when the taps went DRY."
Today I managed to read a novel in about five hours. 5 Hours!! It was sooo good. It wasn't just any novel...but this amazing new novel by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman.
Dry is set in an alternate present or possible near future in which California's drought escalates to catastrophic levels. All water in California is turned off in what Alyssa likes to call the "Tap-Out." Her quiet suburban neighborhood and the surrounding areas suddenly turn into a war-zone. Her parents go off in search of water, leaving her and her brother alone. They don't return and suddenly, Alyssa must learn how to make impossible choices in order to survive.
One of the reasons that I absolutely loved this novel was how quick paced it was. There was constantly something happening, action that pushed the plot along. And none of it was boring...with desperation comes people who will do whatever it takes to get the water necessary to survive. And in this novel...anything that could happen, does happen. And it really keeps you on your toes!
The story is told from the perspective of all of the young adult characters. Each section is labeled so it is pretty easy to keep track of! I really like hearing from all of the characters and better understanding the reasons behind their actions...some are opportunistic, some generous, others simply trying to survive and it is an interesting look into the minds of those dealing with impossible choices.
Alyssa and her quick thinking friends all have great narrating personalities and they make you want to know what happens next in the story! The ending, as well, was really satisfying. It didn't leave you with unanswered questions...It's possible that some people could feel like there is some deus ex machina at play but I didn't feel like it was an unbelievable ending!
It was a really great read. Definitely a lot of suspense and scary situations...so I probably wouldn't recommend it for kids younger than 14 unless they are mature readers. But adults would definitely love this book!
One of the reasons that I absolutely loved this novel was how quick paced it was. There was constantly something happening, action that pushed the plot along. And none of it was boring...with desperation comes people who will do whatever it takes to get the water necessary to survive. And in this novel...anything that could happen, does happen. And it really keeps you on your toes!
The story is told from the perspective of all of the young adult characters. Each section is labeled so it is pretty easy to keep track of! I really like hearing from all of the characters and better understanding the reasons behind their actions...some are opportunistic, some generous, others simply trying to survive and it is an interesting look into the minds of those dealing with impossible choices.
Alyssa and her quick thinking friends all have great narrating personalities and they make you want to know what happens next in the story! The ending, as well, was really satisfying. It didn't leave you with unanswered questions...It's possible that some people could feel like there is some deus ex machina at play but I didn't feel like it was an unbelievable ending!
It was a really great read. Definitely a lot of suspense and scary situations...so I probably wouldn't recommend it for kids younger than 14 unless they are mature readers. But adults would definitely love this book!
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