The father-son writing duo of Neal Shusterman (Scythe, Everlost) and Jarrod Shusterman (Roxy, Retro) creates an exciting action/adventure story set in a dystopian situation that sometimes seems too real.
The protagonist of our tale, Alyssa Morrow, is a high school student with idealistic beliefs that are put to the test when Southern California faces a critical but well-foreseen water crisis—not just a shortage, but a complete "tap-out." The water supply is cut off for all residents in the region, catching her family off guard in dealing with this environmental emergency. Fortunately, their neighbors next door are survival enthusiasts with a strong focus on preparedness. Kelton, who is in Alyssa's grade and harbors a secret crush on her, steps in to help her but soon realizes he also needs assistance. A central theme of the story categorizes people into three groups: sheep, wolves, and herders. As the characters engage with Alyssa and Kelton, the reader becomes engaged in identifying which characters are sheep, wolves, or herders—and at times, characters may switch between these roles. As California becomes more and more dry, people are driven to extreme measures and take dangerous chances. Alyssa, her younger brother, and Kelton interact with a society quickly falling to pieces. They come face to face with saints and predators while government authorities fail to maintain order. Every character in the book is challenged by their worst demons and their own mortality.
This is a story that reminds us of the importance of water, something we take for granted every day. Themes you will read about include "Is violence ever acceptable," "Family over community," "The usefulness of government in a crisis," and "The loss of humanity." There is a theory that suggests a crisis, such as the loss of water by the masses, or even the devastation of a hurricane, can stress people so severely that in only three days, people will devolve from human to animal as all semblance of society collapses. Dry thoroughly explores this scenario as the teens try to navigate through a dangerous society desperate for water while facing death from thirst.
This is a fairly long novel for middle schoolers and should take about six weeks to complete if kids are reading about ten or eleven pages a day. It is just under 400 pages. The book is told in the first person through the perspective of several characters whose name appears as chapter titles. So, perspectives change with each chapter. Therefore, the book can be confusing for readers unsure about narrator perspectives. There is gun violence in several scenes. There are several references to marijuana, but no one in the story consumes any illicit drugs. Also, rape is an implied threat to a main character but the implied threat is not carried out. Therefore, Dry is appropriate for strong and mature independent readers. I would recommend the book for 8th graders and above.
For teachers looking for a way to spice up their reading selections this year, take a strong look at sharing Dry with your students. The story is engaging, full of action and adventure. My students enjoyed it, and I'm sure yours will too. Find my accompanying resources for Dry at my TPT Store BabsLovesBooks. You will find activities on perspective and point-of-view, character development (sheeps, herders, and wolves), vocabulary activities, and more. Also, you can purchase six quizzes to accompany the six weeks of independent readingyour
students should complete. Consider Dry for your more advance readers.
For independent readers looking for an exciting and engaging environmental emergency page-turner, grab a copy of Dry.
For homeschoolers, this book has an accompanying Independent Reading assignment including reading logs, after reading novel suggestions, and quizzes with answer keys. Take a look at my TPT store BabsLovesBooks.
For anyone who enjoys YA books, make sure to give Dry a read. You won't regret it and you will enjoy it.
If you have read Dry, please leave your commits and reviews here.
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