Author: Mindy McGinnis
Series: Not a Drop to Drink #1
Series: Not a Drop to Drink #1
ISBN: 978-0062198518
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pub. Date: 2013
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult / Dystopia / Romance
Pages: 309Rating: 4 Kisses
Author's Website
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
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….
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.
My Reveries and Ramblings: First, I’d like to thank Epic Reads for introducing me to this book.
Secondly, wow….just wow. This book is gritty, realistic, tragic, horrible, bloody, depressing, heart-wrenching, and sad. I loved it!
Hooked from the first sentence.
The story follows the protagonist, 16-yr old Lynn. Who has only ever spoken to her mother. The only men she’s ever had contact with is her neighbor (very very very rarely and usually from afar) and the looters that she shoots. They are the ones who try and kill and steal from her and her mother. Lynn and her mother are constantly on guard against all outsiders and wolves. After Lynn loses her mother, she is left alone to defend their house and their pond - their means of survival. Sanitizing water, defending the property, and just basically surviving is a lot to handle for just one person, let alone a teenager. Finding an unlikely ally in her neighbor, Lynn is able to balance her workload and she begins to learn what it means to be human. Not a Drop to Drink is a fantastic example of character arc done right. Lynn changes so much. Every single thing that happens to her in this book affects her and her future self. She’s constantly changing and growing. By the end of the book, she’s very different to who she was in the beginning. Although, it didn’t come without a lot of pain and suffering. This book is heart-breaking. But so well done that I absolutely must recommend it!
Playlist:
