Today the mighty Colorado is shared out among several states and in many years, no longer makes it to the sea at the Gulf of Mexico. As the story begins, not long into the future, Alyssa's family hear on the news that the 'Tap-Out' has begun. They live in civilised suburbia -- with brown yards instead of lawns. Frivolous use of water has been illegal for some months. Now Alyssa realises that her classmate Kelston and his prepper family were right all along -- if somewhat unwelcome for their over the top attitude. They've got water in a tank, a generator, food stores, and weapons. The weapons are needed to hoard the water.

Society quickly becomes chaotic, and parents might wish to use their judgement about whether to buy this book for young readers. With families scattered and laws disregarded, threats becomes real, shops are emptied, and roads are clogged with abandoned cars. FEMA will be on the way. But with a hurricane lashing the east coast and forest fires searing the west, can they provide supplies to the whole of California?

I fond the book scary and chilling at times, but at other times, I just admired the courage and resourcefulness of the teenagers and their friends. The authors Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman have followed the rule of giving us characters to support, ones who feel real and engage our emotions. Some characters make better choices than others, but all have limited information. The sheltered Alyssa will have to grow up fast while Kelston is going to have to ask himself if he really believes his family are shepherds of society, not wolves. As this is set in America, expect firearms to make an appearance.

DRY shows an all too possible and scary future. Let's conserve the water we have.

Book Summary