Not a Drop to Drink

August 5, 2013
In an understated but gripping debut, McGinnis offers up a tale of survival in a world where a scarcity of usable water has led to a brutal conflict for what remains. Lynn and her mother eke out a hardscrabble existence, protecting their farmhouse and small pond with lethal force against wildlife and trespassers alike. When Lynn’s mother is killed, the 16-year-old is left to make her own way. To her surprise, she soon forms a surrogate family consisting of her crippled neighbor, Stebbs, and some newly arrived refugees, including teenage Eli and five-year-old Lucy. When they’re drawn into a desperate struggle against raiders who’d steal everything they possess, Lynn discovers just how hard she can fight for those she loves. McGinnis paints a stark picture of a world not far removed from our own, concentrating on Lynn’s gradual emotional growth as contrasted against the physical harshness of her existence. Character-driven but with intense moments, this story works best because of its narrow scope and focused setting, with world-building details largely left to the imagination. Ages 14–up. Agent: Adriann Ranta, Wolf Literary Services.

August 1, 2013
While defending her resources in a lawless world where water is a rare commodity, Lynn learns about life and humanity. Ever since Lynn was a small child, she's known the hard truths of the world--chiefly that anyone who approaches her mother's pond leaves thirsty or dies, by Lynn's gun if necessary. Besides her mother and a single neighbor, visible only at a distance, Lynn has more experience with the coyotes than with other people. Two bands of strangers appear near their land; one group, armed, encroaches on Lynn's land, so she must be ready to protect her beloved home and water source from attacks that could come at any time, providing urgency and tension. After a tragedy forces her to team up with her neighbor, Lynn learns that the other group is just a trio of refugees who have no idea how to survive in the wilderness and will surely die without help. Despite her mother's hard-nosed teachings, Lynn finds herself with growing compassion for them. The third-person, past-tense narration gives the story a gritty tone, and the only break from the realism comes in the form of characters who can successfully dowse for water. The epilogue jumps to a future that fulfills Lynn's character growth. A high-quality survivalist story for readers who enjoy internal story arcs as well as external dangers. (Speculative fiction. 13 & up)

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August 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up-In the not-too-distant future, water has become scarce. Those who carve out their lives in the wilderness will fight to the death to protect the water on which they've staked their claim. Lynn and her mother are good shots, picking off stray travelers who are tempted by their pond. Cholera outbreaks throughout the world mean that even when water is available, it could be deadly, and the 16-year-old and her mother spend their days purifying the pond water, hunting for food, persuading meager crops to grow, and standing sentry on their roof to guard against strangers. After her mother is killed by coyotes, Lynn tries to be self-reliant, but she knows that in time the men from a nearby settlement will attempt to seize her land. When her taciturn neighbor Stebbs offers help, she slowly opens herself to his friendship, and her lifelong solitude is further fractured when she meets a family that is trying to survive on the banks of a nearby stream. Lynn grows attached to the little girl and takes her into her home when Lucy's mother, who is starving and in labor, is unable to care for her. Lynn finds herself drawn to Lucy's uncle, who is about her own age. Things come to a head when Lucy becomes deathly ill and the band of men from the nearby settlement attack Lynn's house. An overreliance on expository dialogue leads to clumsy and unnatural-sounding exchanges. The story might appeal to teens who can't get enough of dystopian survival stories, but in a crowded field, this one offers nothing new.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2013
Grades 9-12 When a cholera epidemic reduces quality of life to times not unlike the wild frontier daysfilled with isolation and self-relianceLynn and her mother work hard days purifying water from their pond. It's a life-giving resource that they protect day and night in shifts, shooting any bold strangers who might stumble across it, while tending to other chores like chopping wood and growing crops. When her mother is killed by coyotes, Lynn is truly alone. With the threat of dangerous men to the south and families to the east, Lynn is forced to reach out and find people she can rely on. McGinnis creates quite fine groundwork in the beginning, capturing the closeness of Lynn and her mother with deft exposition and intense character building. Where this debut runs aground a bit is with the passage of time as some elements of the plot tend to drag. But once the final stream of action ramps up, it's a sprint to the finish. Those in search of fierce female survivalist characters need look no further than this.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)