The novel, told in the alternating perspectives of Alyssa, Kelton, Jacqui, and Henry, is about four teenagers whose lives collide during the California “Tap Out,” in which the state’s supply of water that was being routed to them from the Colorado River, is shut off without notice. This was my first foray into the sub-genre of “cli-sci” or science fiction with a focus on climate issues and I found the novel eye-opening, riveting, and timely. Dry has Shusterman’s signature “contemporary futuristic” setting and his no-frills style as it paints a horrifying yet believable picture of the potential for widespread drought and the devastation and havoc it could wreak. Fortunately, I picked up Dry, a novel written by father-son duo Neal and Jarrod Shusterman, and haven’t been able to stop thinking about water since.Ī big fan of Shusterman, Sr.’s UnWind Dystology that tackles political and ethical issues in a not-so-distant-future-America, I was excited to dive into another world of his making. Listening to the news, I understand- in the abstract- that water scarcity is a real and increasingly urgent global issue but it is difficult to wrap my mind around the possibility of not having immediate access to water when I have been lucky enough that it is and has been available whenever I wanted or needed it. And sure, after a long run or a day in the sun, I’m happy to guzzle down a cold bottle or two.

I mean, I encounter it daily as I brush my teeth, scrub another round of dishes, or wash my daughters’ endlessly sticky hands.

I am embarrassed to admit that I hadn’t really given water much thought lately.

Dry by neal shusterman