Dry: Neal and Jarrod Shusterman

We meet again!

What is it about us as human beings that we love to read about the worst-case scenario? Is it a form of therapy or a way to kind of begin to prepare our brains that something catastrophically bad could actually happen to us? My latest read definitely did that for me, so let’s dive in. Here we go

Brief synopsis: Dry follows a neighborhood in California after the Tap-Out commences. The tap out dries all of the taps in the area as a world-ending drought worsens. People understandably begin to panic and forage for water. Alyssa and Kelton are the same age and across the street neighbors, watching the adults on their block unravel quicker than they had anticipated.

Alyssa’s family, including herself, her parents are her younger brother, are nowhere near prepared for something like this. On the other hand, Kelton’s family are major survivalists and they’ve been preparing for a situation like this quite literally his entire life.

What Kelton’s overbearing father doesn’t seem to realize, though, is that Kelton has had more than neighborly feelings for Alyssa for some time now, and he can’t help himself when it comes to helping her and her family.

On a journey for water, Alyssa and Garrett (her little brother) get worried as their parents don’t come home.

On the journey they find another girl, Jacqui, who none of them are sure about, but are sure that they can’t go anywhere without her while she’s the one wielding a weapon. Through a series of escalating and scarring situations, the four of them attempt to traverse this apocalyptic situation, for the most part, on their own.

They end up at another’s home, Henry, who they probably trust even less than Jacqui. However, they’re all stuck together at the same time.

It’s surreal, but at the same time, too realistic, to watch these four young adults/teens/kids watch how quickly our idea of humanity isn’t humanity at all anymore. Things get disgusting in a matter of hours and it makes me really consider how something like the world in “The Walking Dead” is nothing close to the fallacy that people want to think that it is.

This book ends in an ultimate climax with things happening – and almost happening – that broke my heart. I didn’t actually cry but I came very, very close.

I was surprised by how much this book got to me emotionally, I expected it to just be more a fun ride than make me sit and really think about things.

My rating:

A really solid 8.5/10. It was such a good read but I definitely started to get too hooked (read: panicked) about something like that really happening. So if you tend to stress, maybe take a relaxer before reading this one.

Favorite Quote(s):

“It’s a powerful feeling – daring the universe to end you.”

“But inside I’m smiling – because for the first time in my life, I’ve made fear a tailwind rather than a headwind.”

“And yet, I think right now the best place for me to be is the chasm between the tattered edges of life as we knew it.”

A book I read with similar vibes:

This one is hard to say. I have read plenty of end-of-the-world, Armageddon-type books. But there was something about this one that made it really unique to me, I don’t know if I can compare it to much more than The Dark Side of Nowhere. Anyone else read that one?

Check out my Goodreads (Traci Bishop) to see what I’m currently reading and to see a good chunk of the books I have already read. My Instagram can be found on the home page and I will share whenever a new post is up as well!

Until next time <3