Hey Friends!
I have a mini review for you today! A mini review is my short and sweet analysis of a book. You'll know in 350 words or less if this is a book I recommend.
I have a mini review for you today! A mini review is my short and sweet analysis of a book. You'll know in 350 words or less if this is a book I recommend.
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Format: ebook
Pages: 320 (Hardcover)
Source: Amazon Purchase
Genre: YA Dystopian
Review Date: May 12, 2014
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Synopsis: Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.
Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.
But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….
With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own
Pros: The first couple pages had me wondering if I would like it, then BAM, out of nowhere I found myself really enjoying it and caring about what was going to happen to these characters.
The character development was on point. How Lynn starts off in the beginning is night and day from what she’s like at the end. The secondary characters really added a lot of depth to the relationships as well. Lucy, Eli, Lucy's mother and the neighbor Stebbs are characters that influence Lynn on some level.
The story is YA Dystopian, yet it's so different from the other mega popular trilogies, Divergent and The Hunger Games. McGinnis has her own voice and it stands out. What really caught my attention is that the story is more character driven rather than action driven. Yes, there are action scenes, but the real focus is on the characters. Who they are, how they became what they are and what they will become.
I recently found out that this book will be on the big screen, which I’m excited about. This book could be amazing with the right casting and screen writers.
I enjoyed the realistic ending. Yes, it's a bit sad, but there's nothing I appreciate more than a real end of things. I can't stand the happy go lucky, we're all great, and no consequence ending. Not only was it realistic, but it finished strong and set up the next book nicely.
Cons: While Not a Drop to Drink is a coming of age story, I wish that Lynn’s mom did her motherly duty and gave the poor girl a clue! How naive Lynn was about boys and girls was pretty dreadful!
Final Thoughts: I'm looking forward to the second installment of this trilogy and reading about Lucy. Getting her take on the state of things as she gets older should be interesting. I'm also excited to see how the other characters continue to evolve from Lucy’s POV. If you enjoy the YA Dystopian genre and characters with a lot of depth, make space on your reading list for this!
Happy Reading,
~Tamara
The character development was on point. How Lynn starts off in the beginning is night and day from what she’s like at the end. The secondary characters really added a lot of depth to the relationships as well. Lucy, Eli, Lucy's mother and the neighbor Stebbs are characters that influence Lynn on some level.
The story is YA Dystopian, yet it's so different from the other mega popular trilogies, Divergent and The Hunger Games. McGinnis has her own voice and it stands out. What really caught my attention is that the story is more character driven rather than action driven. Yes, there are action scenes, but the real focus is on the characters. Who they are, how they became what they are and what they will become.
I recently found out that this book will be on the big screen, which I’m excited about. This book could be amazing with the right casting and screen writers.
I enjoyed the realistic ending. Yes, it's a bit sad, but there's nothing I appreciate more than a real end of things. I can't stand the happy go lucky, we're all great, and no consequence ending. Not only was it realistic, but it finished strong and set up the next book nicely.
Cons: While Not a Drop to Drink is a coming of age story, I wish that Lynn’s mom did her motherly duty and gave the poor girl a clue! How naive Lynn was about boys and girls was pretty dreadful!
Final Thoughts: I'm looking forward to the second installment of this trilogy and reading about Lucy. Getting her take on the state of things as she gets older should be interesting. I'm also excited to see how the other characters continue to evolve from Lucy’s POV. If you enjoy the YA Dystopian genre and characters with a lot of depth, make space on your reading list for this!
Happy Reading,
~Tamara
