Dry

If there was ever a book that inspired me to stock up on water, this is the book. This was so realistic and really resonated with me. Neil Shusterman is really good about adding just the right amount of gritty details to make the story line pop out of the page. Having co-wrote this with his son, Neil Shusterman explores a potentially fatal future that will effect everyone.This book actually starts off with the acknowledgements, but this is done with good reason. This first line is dedicated to people who are fighting the effects of global warming. The water drought (also called the Tap-Out) that takes place in the book is never mentioned in the main story to be a direct result of global warming; but including it in the acknowledgements at the very beginning is a strong insinuation to how the world could potentially run out of water. This book had a "not in the too distant future" feel to it which made everything in the book feel both relevant and urgent.This book is told from multiple perspectives in alternating chapters, with a few news articles and external points of view also inserted to give a broader picture of what is happening outside the group we are following. The external media added a much broader dimension to what we saw and makes you realize how widespread the issue actually is. The multiple perspective are told by Alyssa (the average girl who lives in a middle class neighborhood) , Garret (Alyssa's little brother), Kelton (next door neighbor to Alyssa and Garret and also has a father who has been planning for Armageddon for years), Jacqui (a homeless girl who is really rough around the edges and used to surviving on her own) and Henry (a rich boy trying to capitalized off of everyone's lack of water). I loved how the multiple view points really added to the dimensions to the story and allowed us a glimpse into every socioeconomic status and how each were handing the Tap-Out in their own way.This story wasn't nonstop anarchy but it did convey how different people become when they are desperate to survive. People you thought you knew and people who are docile suddenly become aggressive strangers who are willing to do anything to make sure they don't die. We also find that a person's character is measured in desperate times. It was an interesting dynamic as it also assisted with character development and pushed some characters to become better people and others to do things they never thought they were capable of.I loved this story. I was less in love with this than I was with Scythe (also by Neil Shusterman), but it was more of a content issue than a quality issue. Dry was more of an apocalyptic contemporary whereas Scythe was more of a science fiction dystopian. Both were very enjoyable and very well written and I do highly recommend Dry. Dry was an amazing and very well constructed look at what happens when a renewable resource, like water becomes scarce. This was hard hitting and felt so realistic.

I forgot this was a teen novel - it was a very good read and I liked it even as an adult. If your student has to read a dystopian novel for high school literature, I would consider this a somewhat safe choice. Nothing that’s completely disturbing and no extreme horror like some of the other choices, but still gets the point across if what it would be like to have no water. A sad tale that honestly could come true. Makes me want to start making lists of supplies for the basement!

Eye-opening and interesting! I gave 4 stars only because the middle was a little wacky for me. It's definitely worth a read, especially if you're in california.

Enjoyed ever moment of the story!!

💦💦💦

Climate change, bad politics, and greed have taken their toll on the water supply in California… and finally one day, it just stops running. Two teens in a Los Angeles suburb must band together to help themselves get out of the riots and mobs of water-zombies… The Tap Out is in effect.Alyssa and her brother see their household start to dissolve and with it their neighborhood. Some families are trusting the government and others feel they can only trust their own families. One neighbor has been ready for years; the McCrakens have been prepping: water, food, power, weapons, a bug out (a place in the hills to escape to). Their son has a tenuous relationship with Alyssa, but when her parents go missing on an excursion for water, Kelton turns out to be a key ally in the disaster. A trip to look for them turns quickly into a run for survival.I liked the premise of this one and felt it was realistic for most of the narrative, but there was some awkward phrasing in some places and a couple lines that just made me cringe. It may be a personal peeve, but I really dislike the naming of items like “Gatorade Cool Breeze flavor electrolyte drink.” Some readers or authors may see this as “details,” but it seemed like commercialism and branding to me. And there were some other moments we all have in reading, that feeling of “that would never happen or no one would ever say/ do that.” I know you have to suspend some disbelief in a book like this, but people are people, and you have a gut feeling about these things.Dry has a decent YA “run and chase” plot, but stilted dialogue and some of those cringe moments take away from my overall enjoyment. It’s a very fast read (I made it through in a couple days), and a good escape.

summer reading book for my freshman, good read

I’m not sure if Dry is the very first YA novel focused on the potential chaos caused by a massive drought (here called the “Tap-Out” and set in southern California), but it’s definitely a well-written and engaging contribution to this niche subgenre.The protagonist Alyssa, a high school student, narrates the majority of the novel, sharing storytelling duties with Kelton—a neighbor and classmate whose family are survivalists, Jacqui—a brassy and intelligent rogue, and Henry—a haughty weasel who serves as the villain. Henry’s villainy, however, pales in comparison to the devastating effects of the drought and the reprehensible behavior it elicits from otherwise mild-mannered people.Devoid of many of the tropes that characterize contemporary YA, Dry chugs along for the first 300 pages or so, after which the narrative loses steam during what should have been the most harrowing part of the story. Nevertheless, it’s a worthwhile read.

Ok

A great book. I could not put it down. As a non-native speaker, I had no problems understanding the words. I highly recommend it and I also recommend keeping a water bottle nearby because you will be thirsty as hell. This book also could be a great addition to the EFL classroom☺️

Good ...useful for students

Encuentro que la trama engancha desde el principio, no se hace pesada y al mismo tiempo te hace reflexionar. Que más se puede pedir?

How would we all behave and what would we be capable of doing facing a total water deficiency? An intriguing and scary story.