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YA Review: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

7/15/2013

22 Comments

 
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Not a Drop to Drink
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Publication Date: 9/24/13
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Paper ARC, from Epic Reads
[Goodreads | Amazon | B & N]

Blurb (GR):

Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water.

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….

Review:

In Not A Drop To Drink, Mindy McGinnis has envisioned a futuristic United States in which access to water is strictly controlled. The population has been decimated by diseases including (but not limited to) cholera due to overcrowding in cities, the aforementioned water situation, and the strain on resources. In terms of YA dystopian “explanations,” I found McGinnis’ world to be very real and very possible, especially the lack of antibiotics once people were forced to move into organized cities and the demand for medication relentlessly skyrocketed. Access to water and medications in this future is controlled and everything is expensive, so a majority of people cannot afford very much of either. I was actually reminded of the Japanese tsunami a few years back, when news outlets were speculating that radiation could affect people on the west coast of the US and they advised people to take potassium iodine tablets. After (no joke) a day, you couldn’t find them anywhere in the whole Seattle area and Amazon suppliers had shipping estimates of months. The plausibility of the water shortage was scarily real to me, and that is one aspect that lends to the overall success of this novel--it doesn't depend on the fantastical to wow the reader, and it doesn't need to.

From the very first few pages, I was completely interested in this story. Lynn, a teenage girl, and her mother live alone in a  house by a pond, from which they gather water to purify daily. Both Lynn and her mother are hard workers and absolutely capable of living in isolation, and when the occasional person shows up to steal water from their pond, they have no hesitation in shooting them down to protect their claim. They don't mess around, and neither does McGinnis with her sparse, frank text, which feels very intentional and totally works for the story. The scope of the setting is small but the containment made the narrative more exciting because it honestly feels like you are sitting on that roof with Lynn or hauling that water bucket up the hill with her. It was refreshing to read about a girl surviving instead of a girl who needs to bring down a widespread government conspiracy, a girl who must save the entire human race, or a girl with two (or more) different love interests. While reading, I tried to think of other experiences that give me the same feeling as reading this book, or ways to describe it to potential readers. Here are a few:


1. You might like this book if you like The Walking Dead and think you'd enjoy reading about living on Season Two's farm setting.

2. You read and enjoyed Susan Beth Pfeffer's Last Survivors series, but wished one or more of the characters were more useful and logical.

3. When you started reading Blood Red Road by Moira Young, you were excited about Saba and what might happen before she ever left home.

4. You love reading books that involve surviving in the wild and don't mind reading more about the day-to-day rather than tons of movement and epic action sequences.

About two-thirds of the way through the novel, I found myself wondering where the plot was going. It kind of meanders around, not that I minded, but I was worried the author would try to throw it all at the reader at once: a romance develops, a few additional (and intriguing) characters show up, and there is a lot of back-loaded action. Though the pacing was a bit off,  when all was said and done, I was satisfied with the ending point and the amount of resolution and I think most readers will feel the same way. There were a few surprises that I (perhaps embarrassingly) didn't see coming and a somewhat cheesy epilogue but overall there was very little about this novel that I didn't enjoy. If I could make one wish, it would be that the city in the novel would've been left as a current and real American city. "Entargo" makes the entire book less serious to me as it reminds me of all the dystopian YA with fictional names for everything, and I really did not understand the point of doing this since nearly everything else in the book is so recognizable. I wish Not a Drop to Drink could just own its realism and call Cincinnati or Cleveland or Pittsburgh or wherever by its name. Regardless, it is really exciting to me to read such a successful debut work. I hope McGinnis will come through with more adventures in years to come.

4/5 stars

Other opinions:
The Book Geek: "I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes survival stories, strong female characters, and realism."
Jenna Does Books: "At the end of the day, NOT A DROP TO DRINK is one of the most realistic and believable speculative future stories I have ever read. "
Chick Loves Lit: "This is a MUST. BUY. for dystopian fans, fans of true gritty worlds, fans of fast page turners."

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22 Comments
Tatiana (The Readventurer) link
7/14/2013 10:24:59 pm

So, did the book end up having a teen romance or not?

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
7/15/2013 03:06:47 am

I knew when I wrote what I did last night that you would write that exact comment. I will write you an email but my answer for this question is no. Because it's just been Lynn and her mother, Lynn doesn't know much of anything about men. (her mother never tells her) I don't want to give too much of anything away but I was worried about how much of the book would be devoted to Lynn's exploration of her relationship (of sorts) with the first teenage guy she's ever encountered. When he first shows up, I was anxious, but as the book went on, Lynn didn't change her personality. It isn't the main plotline of the book. There is just so much more important going on.

I also think you'd appreciate the fact that though she is basically totally naive to some things, she is NOT an idiot. She's very open and able to adapt when she learns something new or someone explains that something she believes might not be entirely accurate.

Reply
molly @ wrapped up in books link
7/15/2013 03:17:42 am

I always appreciate your thoughtful reviews! This sounds like it has real teen appeal and an interesting premise. I'm thrilled to know it doesn't have a strong romantic subplot. So many readers actually want less romance in YA!

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
7/18/2013 03:46:48 pm

I wish it had ZERO romance:) Close enough--I'll take it.

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Christina Bejjani link
7/15/2013 07:21:19 am

Exciting! I have this one on my computer but have yet to read it.

"The plausibility of the water shortage was scarily real to me, and that is one aspect that lends to the overall success of this novel--it doesn't depend on the fantastical to wow the reader, and it doesn't need to."

Yes. And I can definitely believe in the event of disaster, medication cost would skyrocket as would access to free water. The premise of the story and the grittiness it promised was what originally interested me.

"The scope of the setting is small but the containment made the narrative more exciting because it honestly feels like you are sitting on that roof with Lynn or hauling that water bucket up the hill with her. It was refreshing to read about a girl surviving instead of a girl who needs to bring down a widespread government conspiracy, a girl who must save the entire human race, or a girl with two (or more) different love interests."

Yes. I haven't read the three comparison titles you listed, but I do think that the day-to-day aspect would make for an interesting backdrop and divergence from the majority of YA novels and their emphasis on high-powered action and DESTINED heroes.

What you said in the comments above and in your review also satisfies me about the romance. I love the emphasis on the mother/daughter relationship and that whatever happens with this guy, it won't take over the whole story.

You've got me so excited to go read this one!

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
7/18/2013 03:53:52 pm

If you have the e-arc, READ IT! It moves ridiculously fast. Well, not necessarily the plot, but the interest level was high for me so I just flew through it. I'm confident many (if not a majority) of people will like this one.

Reply
reynje link
7/15/2013 03:21:16 pm

Okay, this sounds exactly like a Rey-Book and I must get my hands on it. I still have faith in post-apoc/dystopian novels, despite a few (or more than a few) absolute clunkers lately, so I think I'd be all over this.

I was one of those readers who really like Saba (Blood Red Road) as a character and world of that story. Sure, the giant worms were a stretch, but it was entertaining and I loved Saba's resilience and tenacity. And who doesn't like a book with giant worms in it, anyway? :)

I love the survival element too - have you read Ashfall? From your review, I'm thinking that Lynn might be a little like Darla of that book..

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
7/18/2013 03:55:42 pm

I think the giant worms were the only WTF moment for me in BRR, but I loved it either way. If you like Saba, you'll like Lynn as well. No, I haven't read Ashfall but my friend picked me up a signed copy at ALA that she's mailing me:) If it's anything like this and BRR, I bet I'll love it.

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Cassi link
7/15/2013 08:41:05 pm

Sounds very interesting. Might have to check it out.

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
7/18/2013 03:57:10 pm

When I comment on here, I still fill out all the information, like typing out our website address and when I was typing, I was thinking about how I was going to tell you to DO IT. Then I typed www.doit.com.

A day in the life of ridiculous me. But seriously, do it.

Reply
Stuti Rai link
7/16/2013 01:55:26 am

Yes, yes, YES!!!

I'm so glad you brought up the three points; I wasn't actually interested in the book before your review. Now I've been caught hook, line and sinker. :)

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
7/18/2013 03:58:12 pm

So many books just sound the same or don't live up to their hype. It's always exciting to find one that does. I hope you enjoy it!

Reply
Keertana @ Ivy Book Bindings link
7/16/2013 07:35:49 am

I hate to admit this, but the reason this didn't make my TBR shelf before now was because I didn't know there was a romance and I wasn't sure I could read what seemed like such a bleak novel without it. I'm really curious to pick this one up, though, since it seems to be a novel of hope and survival more than anything else, which I love. Fantastic review, dearest! :)

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
7/18/2013 03:59:48 pm

I wonder if the author/editor felt like there needed to be more romance added in. It was a weird balance but I can see how it would have just enough for people seeking it and not to much for the people avoiding it. Even typing that sentence sounds convoluted, but you know what I meant:)

Reply
Amanda @ Late Nights with Good Books link
7/16/2013 12:23:30 pm

This is the first review I've read of Not a Drop to Drink, and it definitely sounds like a book I should consider reading myself. As you mentioned, I can easily imagine how it's such a refreshing idea to have an author focus on the typical, everyday problems that go along with end-of-the-world scenarios. Not everything always needs to be about action or romance or government takedowns. I can't say I'm familiar with any of the similar examples you listed, but I still think that this sounds like it's worth a read. Lovely review, Flannery!

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
7/18/2013 04:01:00 pm

You haven't read Blood Red Road?! Get on that!

Reply
Sam (Realm of Fiction) link
7/17/2013 12:25:07 am

"It was refreshing to read about a girl surviving instead of a girl who needs to bring down a widespread government conspiracy, a girl who must save the entire human race, or a girl with two (or more) different love interests."

That makes me really happy. As much as I love an epic science fiction or dystopian tale, a basic survival story is usually the more plausible or realistic approach. I read Emily's review a while back and it got me pretty excited about this, and reading your thoughts now makes me want to get started on it straight away.

Glad you enjoyed it, Flannery!

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
7/18/2013 04:02:42 pm

I have to admit, one of my motivations for reading this one was that I hadn't seen too many reviews for it yet and Emily's review was the only one I'd read. She has great taste so I knew I was in for something good:) I hope you enjoy this one as much as we did, Sam! <3

Reply
Regina link
7/17/2013 11:32:34 pm

You had me with #2. I love your list of who would like this book.

Reply
Bonnie link
7/18/2013 05:21:27 am

Your number list of who would like this book? YES. To all. lol I'm so excited to read this now!!

Reply
Regina link
7/18/2013 05:26:49 am

Me too! I ran off and requested at E. Hopefully I get it. ;)

Reply
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