Shannon's Library

LET’S GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOOK!

The drought in California has been going on for a while now. Everyone’s life has become an endless list of don’ts; don’t water the lawn, don’t fill up your pool, don’t take long showers. Until the taps run dry. Suddenly Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a war zone of desperation; neighbors and families turning on one another in the hunt for water. When her parents don’t return, Alyssa has to make impossible choices if she and her little brother are going to survive.

Shannon’s Rating — PG-13

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LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK!

Last summer, my husband and I took an anniversary trip to Oregon. Visiting the Oregon coast had been on my bucket list for a very long time and finally seeing it in person did not disappoint! It was breathtakingly beautiful!! At the time, Utah was experiencing a very severe drought. Our lakes and rivers were at an all-time low. Our catch basins were practically empty. Our lawns and gardens were dry and dying. Additionally, we are a boating family – so the lack of water and the conditions of our lakes and reservoirs were hitting us hard.

Contrast that with what was awaiting us when we got to Oregon that year. We were there about four days and it rarely stopped raining. Suddenly I was surrounded by water. Everywhere. Rivers, lakes, streams, waterfalls, oceans – and the rain. So. Much. Rain. As a Utahn, born and bred, I was shocked by this sudden onslaught of water – especially that summer with our ongoing drought conditions.

Among all this wetness – this lush, green, water-soaked landscape – what book did I bring to read on our trip? You guessed it. I brought, “Dry,” by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman. The thought didn’t even cross my mind that this might be a rather ironic choice of a book to bring to the Oregon coast. To be fair, I didn’t know it was going to rain. THE WHOLE TIME! Nor did I really stop to think about the plot of “Dry.” I just knew I loved Neal Shusterman, and I was in the mood for a plot-driven, young-adult type of a novel. So, it wasn’t until I was in the midst of the story, sitting in my hotel room listening to the pounding rain and staring out at the oceanside, that I finally grasped the irony of my book choice.

“Dry” takes place over a six-day period. It addresses what would happen in California if the taps ran dry. What would happen if access to water was suddenly removed? How fast would society break down? How many people would die? Who would survive? And at what cost? Being a young-adult novel, the story follows a group of teenagers trying to survive this sudden water crisis – without any adults to guide or help them.

Was this the most amazing book I’ve ever read? No. But here’s the deal. A year later, and I still think about this book. More often than not, I read a book, ponder it for a few days, and then it swiftly removes itself from my brain. Not so with, “Dry.” Because I live in a desert climate, water is often discussed all around me- in the news, in our community and in our families. Now, whenever the topic is brought up – I immediately start picturing the situations that occurred in “Dry.” Who made the smart decisions? Who made the stupid, irresponsible decisions? Who survived and who didn’t? When my husband puts windshield wiper fluid into my car, now I think…”Should we be putting plain water in there instead so we could drink it if an emergency occurs?” Never would have thought that thought before reading “Dry.” Thanks a lot, Shustermans!

I finished reading this novel right before we left Oregon and its amazing abundance of water. I immediately started planning how I was going to stockpile more water when I got back home to dry-old Utah! You better believe I headed right to Costco when my plane landed!!

I love that Neal Shusterman and his son, Jarrod Shusterman, wrote this book together. “Scythe,” by the older Shusterman, is one of my most favorite young-adult series. “Dry,” while very different, is equally gripping and thought-provoking. I highly recommend this one for any of the teens in your life…or for anyone currently living in California! (This will definitely inspire you to bulk up your water storage!!)