Teenage girl Lynn has only known the life of a survivor. Ever since she can remember, her and her mother have struggled throughout the years to guard their pond, their precious source of water, from the people who would try to take the scarce substance. When Lynn's mother dies, she is lost and hurt, but she has to do the best she can to survive. When she discovers a nearby family desperately needing her help, they will have to work together to live, even if working together is the one thing Lynn can't do.

NOT A DROP TO DRINK is a fascinating dystopian read. Set in a time when water is hard to come by and murderous people lurk about, survival is the only thing that matters. Death is almost constantly in the air, as is the suspense. Lynn is a girl who has only known that world, a cold world that no longer has her mother in it. The sympathy you feel for Lynn is intense, but the admiration of her is even stronger. She is a kick butt protagonist who fights for what she wants. She is often hurting and lonely, but she never lets that stop her from doing what she needs to.

While romance is often a large part of dystopian novels, NOT A DROP TO DRINK has one, but it is far from the center of this story. Instead, a major focus is on the meaning of family and what it means to rely on someone other than yourself and have others rely on you. The way the author, Mindy McGinnis, portrays this is refreshing and lovely. It draws the reader into something so real and relatable in a world that turns the struggle and stress of that up several notches. It is engrossing and original.

While this young-adult novel is an enjoyable read, I don't love it. Some of the pacing is slow, and the ending is not my favorite. Even so, NOT A DROP TO DRINK is well-worth the read, especially for dystopian novel fans.

Book Summary

Fans of classic frontier survival stories as well as readers of dystopian literature will enjoy this futuristic story where water is worth more than gold.

Teenage Lynn has been taught to defend her pond against every threat: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most important, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. But when strangers appear, the mysterious footprints by the pond, the nighttime threats, and the gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won't stop until they get it. . . .

New York Times bestselling author Michael Grant says Not a Drop to Drink is a debut "not to be missed." With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl's journey in a frontierlike world not so different from our own.