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cassmccaff's review against another edition
3.0
That was a wild ride! 3.5 stars. Mostly just because I sort of lost interest about 70% through. But at the same time I did want to know what was going to happen. I just wasn’t as invested with it being a group of teenagers. It was a YA book so that does make sense.
This book LITERALLY made me soooo thirsty though. And I was very grateful for running water. Funny enough, I have also been without running water before. For 4 days when we were living in Austin and we experienced the worst snow storm in nearly 100 years. No power, no water. It was frightening! But because it has snowed, we were able to use the snow water to boil and use for our water needs. But it sure did give me perspective. That was scary! I’m this fictional novel, it’s the middle of summer. And it was truly an apocalypse. One I hope to never experience (again!) haha
This book LITERALLY made me soooo thirsty though. And I was very grateful for running water. Funny enough, I have also been without running water before. For 4 days when we were living in Austin and we experienced the worst snow storm in nearly 100 years. No power, no water. It was frightening! But because it has snowed, we were able to use the snow water to boil and use for our water needs. But it sure did give me perspective. That was scary! I’m this fictional novel, it’s the middle of summer. And it was truly an apocalypse. One I hope to never experience (again!) haha
jenmangler's review against another edition
2.0
This book is terrifying because it feels so real. It really captures what people will resort to when desperate, and it is not pretty. The Shustermans did a terrific job creating a world where civilization breaks down quickly without something we all take for granted. Having said that, I had issues with the last 1/4 of the book, especially the ending. It just felt so jarring and out of place.
eponineeurydice's review against another edition
4.0
This was so poignant, especially for me after experiencing the pandemic, seeing people build communities and bond in spite of the distance, and yet also seeing the enormous affect it had on everyone. And obviously this is different but it's also just very striking to read about these dire circumstances, and how despicable and also how good humanity can be. This felt so good to finish. It felt a bit like slogging in the middle but then the action picked up and the ending was more than I could've imagined. It was stressful to read, and harrowing to read, but at the same time fascinating and touching in a way. This is my second time reading Shusterman and his style is so unique and so gripping in the most interesting way. I love how he examines human nature and character and what it means to be a teenager, how thirst can effect someone, just all the things... it was so powerful and definitely a bit heavy, scary even, to consider such a possibility as this kind of devestating draught, but it was still such a very enlightening and interesting read that I'm almost ashamed I considered dnf-ing it for a
second.
second.
mdevlin923's review against another edition
4.0
In California, the drought has affected lives everywhere. New laws have been put in place to discourage frivolous use...but one day the taps are turned off in all of the homes. Alyssa and her family try their best to make do, but they (like almost every person in California) quickly run out of water. In the following days, Alyssa and her brother try to survive and get water when they can't reach their parents and California falls into a state of chaos and martial law.
Told in multiple perspectives, the reader can see the different ways people respond to crises.
Told in multiple perspectives, the reader can see the different ways people respond to crises.
abarbour1027's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
cactuscloudsreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ecarohjackson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0