Dry, by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman, is a thrilling science-fiction novel published by Simon and Schuster, Inc. This novel is an apocalyptic-style, suspenseful novel set in the near future in California, detailing the story of teenager Alyssa Morrow. The story starts amid the California drought, with the region counting down the days until water in the area completely runs out. In the novel, this is called the “Tap Out”. Suddenly, the day hits, and the water is shut off. Immediately, riots break out, and a free-for-all unleashes. People rampantly hunt for any water resources there are, breaking into stores, attacking water trucks, and mobbing people’s homes, which leads to Alyssa and her brother Garrett being separated from their parents in a mob. Soon, with no water in their vicinity and their parents lost, Alyssa, her brother, their neighbor Kelton, and a friend they met tried to flee. They must battle mobs, fires, fights, betrayal, and dehydration to access the most important part of life: water.
This book changed my view on the science fiction genre and I enjoyed the entire novel. This book always kept me on the edge of my seat, and there was never a point in the plot where I felt like it got boring. I think that the author presented this in a way that is a bit dramaticized, but still relates to our lives and current events. I agree with the fact that if water is taken away, conflict and chaos will arise, but the scale in Dry was slightly blown out of proportion. At a point in the plot, the amount of conflict became slightly disorderly and overwhelming, which made it slightly difficult to read. The book leaves out any form of order or peace that can arise in people, which while the conflict made the story very exciting, did detract a little bit from the overall plot. A science fiction novel that does this well is The Hunger Games, which balances chaos and conflict with peace and suspense. This book gave me a sense that if the simplest of things are taken away, humanity can fall into chaos, and divides can form in an instant. Our entire civilization relies on the basis of a few simple things, and this book made me realize how fragile humanity is. Overall, Dry is a suspenseful novel that can give you a new perspective on the way we live. It always keeps you interested with plenty of conflict, and despite some disorganization, has made it way onto my list of some of the most impactful reads. I recommend this book and suggest it to people looking for a thrill and a truly groundbreaking story.
