Review: Dry

Dry
by Neal Shusterman & Jarrod Shusterman

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 2nd, 2018

DRY, by father and son Neal and Jarrod Shusterman, portrays an apocalyptic society where in one day water becomes a scarcity and people will do anything to stay alive. When the Tap-Out leaves Alyssa’s family and all of California without a water source, her parents set out to receive water from organized stations along the west coast. When they don’t return, she and her brother end up banding together with her geeky next door neighbor to try and find her parents and survive. As events escalate and it becomes harder and harder to stay alive, people begin to lose sense of societal morality as their need for water becomes more and more desperate. While bleak and frustrating at times, the Shustermans paint a vivid picture of hope in a sea of disparity. 

I really enjoyed this novel although not in the way I had expected. Alyssa’s story is at times excruciating-- it’s rife with false hope, deceit, and of course torture in the form of dehydration. In times of crisis, the worst is brought out in much of society. However, Alyssa and her crew, while at times dysfunctional, stick together through thick and thin despite the extreme situations they must endure. While the characters are well fleshed-out and complex, DRY imagines a vivid nightmare, which more than the characters, takes on a life of its own. Considering the reality that much of California remains in a drought, this conflict hits close to home. In between chapters, different perspectives from victims of the Tap-Out described how the Tap-Out had reached and destroyed many lives. Each person dealt with their own desperation in different and often heartbreaking ways. The effect of these interludes was a sense of realism that in other books you don’t feel as much. Instead of Alyssa and her gang facing an isolated problem, the reader sees how, while they persevere, much of California loses hope. I found this story touching, terrifying, thrilling and ultimately hopeful. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys excitement and adrenaline-filled books.