Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water.

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.

I wanted to like this book a lot more than I actually did. Part of this was because I'm a little tired of dystopian worlds in general (while the scarcity of clean water as a resource is certainly a valid concern for the future, the scarcity of resources in general is not a new idea at all), but even more than that, I found it difficult to connect with protagonist Lynn's voice. I felt that her character was not quite as developed as it could have been, and unfortunately, as a result, I found it difficult to get into her story. Sure, the story was an entertaining read, but it didn't have nearly as much emotional impact as it could have.

Rating: 3.25

Review copy from Amazon Vine