Author: Neal Shusterman

I’m not sure where to start with this one.

Perhaps I’ll start with the fact that this could be a real scenario. It’s a frightening scenario and one that we could be moving towards if we’re not careful.

So what is it?

The taps have run dry in California and there is no more water.

What’s neat about the way Shusterman handled this particular situation is he rooted it in something that could happen as a localized issue (as opposed to a world-wide dystopian setting). California, specifically Southern California, is already subjected to issues of water and brush-fires. But what happens when you take that to its end?

Well, this book gives you that nightmare scenario and how people would respond.

I just couldn’t put this one down. It just can’t be gripped from beginning to and, not only for its scenario, for its brilliant suspense. It just doesn’t let up.

What I appreciated most is how there was no clean solution to any of the issues the characters face. In fact, it just kept piling on the problems as if it was mimicking a Lester Dent formula. The trouble just keep piling on our protagonists… over and over again.

In terms of dystopian literature, most take the world to its extreme. In this particular book, it’s about as close to home as you could make it… especially if you live in California.

It just makes me even more frightened for the world.