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Not A Drop To Drink + Signed Bookmark Giveaway

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notadropTITLE: Not a Drop To Drink

AUTHOR: Mindy McGinnis

GENRE: YA Science Fiction/Dystopian

PUBLISHED: September 2013, Katherine Tegen Books

FORMAT: Hardcover, 320 Pages

RELATED POST: Dark Days Tour Recap

In a world where fresh water is rare enough to kill for, Lynn and her mother spend their days on the roof of their house. The focus of every day is defending the pond on their property, which is their main source of water, and which is consequently a prime target for others who are desperate to survive. Life is a battle for Lynn, and it only intensifies when shots in the dark and smoke on the horizon signal both a beginning and an end.

Admittedly, this book would’ve flown under my radar if not for my good friend Charlotte at Gypsy Reviews, who told me I needed to pick it up while I was at the Dark Days Tour signing last month! So thanks for the recommendation, Charlotte!! I was lucky enough to meet author Mindy McGinnis during the event — she signed my book (and tore the title page, but she drew a smiley face next to it so all was well in the end! haha) and also signed a bookmark for me to give away! Details on how to win are at the end of this post :) And be sure to read my recap of the Dark Days Tour stop in Vegas for what Mindy had to say about her debut novel!

Not a Drop To Drink is pretty stark on the surface — Lynn and her mother are fighting for survival in a bleak, dystopian society. I know a lot of us have had enough of dystopia in YA these days, but I have to say that this one stands out from the crowd. Not only is the survival aspect very realistic and believable, it’s also infused with an undercurrent of hope and the possibility of change for the better.

I liked that it was such a no-frills narrative. The writing is readable but not so simplistic that it detracts from the emotional content. You really get a feel for the kind of life Lynn leads, which is not forgiving or easy at all. The environment is harsh, riddled with dangers that need to be guarded against at all times. From a very young age, she’s been forced to sink or swim. Sometimes when I read dystopia, it’s really hard to get into the atmosphere because too many frivolous things litter the story — love triangles, insta-love, extraneous drama — all the usual suspects that make it seem like they’re too busy being emo to actually get to the business of surviving. This isn’t the case with Not a Drop To Drink. Every minute of every day is precious, and every day in itself is hard won.

The protagonist, Lynn, has never known a world that didn’t demand this kind of struggle. She’s been raised by her mother, learning to grow a thick skin and move through life without hesitating to kill if that’s what it takes to survive another day. They defend their pond against man and beast — it doesn’t matter who. And because she’s been raised to trust no one but her mother, Lynn is a character that sometimes displays a really callous personality. It kind of bothered me at times just how unfeeling she could be, but it’s worthwhile to remember that this is all she’s ever been taught.

Until events cause massive change in her life, Lynn is resistant to any type of change at all and even more resistant when it comes to depending on other people. She’s wary of going beyond the small circle of her comfort zone, and the crazy thing here is that what’s “comfortable” for Lynn would probably be SUPER uncomfortable for a big baby like me, haha. The good thing is that she undergoes this massive amount of growth by the time the story ends. She’s still tough as nails, and she still has a very black and white, straight up survivalist outlook on life, but her heart becomes more open. She experiences love and friendship that temper her previous experiences of loss and hardship.

There is a romance in this book, but it’s pretty low key. The highlight of the story is Lynn’s relationship with a little girl named Lucy who teaches her both how to care for another person and how to be cared for in return. I really appreciated this aspect of the story, as well as Lynn’s growing acceptance and eventual friendship with her neighbor, Stebbs. Overall, what makes this novel is not the stark reality of a world without fresh water and what that means; instead, it’s about fighting for the people you love.

RATING: 4/5

This is a solid standalone novel and one that I recommend for anyone looking for a true survival story — the author knows her stuff! As she mentioned during the Dark Days event, her actual lifestyle is very similar to Lynn’s! (Not because she shoots people from her roof if they come near her pond… haha!)

Speaking of Mindy, she was kind enough to sign an extra bookmark for me to give away to one of you! So if you want to win that signed bookmark, leave me a comment answering the following question:

Do you think you could survive in a post-apocalyptic or dystopian world? What strategies would you use to make it through?

You can be as brief or verbose as you want. I’ll choose one comment as the winner. This is open to international readers as well; please do read our giveaway policy before entering! Thanks guys!


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