Book Review: Not A Drop To Drink; Mindy McGinnis.

I haven't read a really good dystopian for ages, but now I'm getting out of my reading slump, I'm finding that reading genres I haven't read for a while is actually helping a lot! This has been on the TBR for goodness knows how long, and it's another to add to the list of 'books I should have read a long time ago'.

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Not A Drop To Drink
AUTHOR: Mindy McGinnis
SERIES: Not A Drop To Drink (#1)
PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books
PAGES: 312
GENRE: Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction

RATING: 4.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
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…

What I Liked:

• I really liked the narrative in this one. McGinnis has written a really gripping plot and I liked all of the twists and turns along the way that really did keep things interesting! I also liked the general plot because it focused on a much more 'natural' apocalypse. The main threats here are the weather and seasons. Disease and animals are more likely to kill you than humans, though of course that is also a distinct possibility.
• The characters were enjoyable to read. I really enjoyed Lynn's POV, particularly as she grew and developed so well over the course of the book. She was badass and tough, but prone to vulnerability and those are my favourite kinds of heroines, especially as she had a sense of humour! I also really liked the side characters, they were all given a lot of backstory and uniqueness!

What I Disliked:

• I have go say, I did end up deducting half a star because the ending felt a little rushed. In fact, pacing was probably the only real 'problem' with this story. It was a long, slow build-up followed by a lot of action that went very quickly. I barely had time to blink through it all!

Overall Conclusion:

I really liked this book and found myself dipping into it frequently because it really was gripping, from beginning to end! Good lot, lots of twists, well-crafted characters and an interesting setting/apocalyptic situation to read about. I wish the pacing had been a little better, the build-up was too slow for what it was leading up to! Still, I shall certainly be reading the next novel as soon as I can!