Dry (Paperback)
Staff Reviews
Today's fiction, tomorrow's reality. Normal California life turns into a war-zone when the taps are turned off and Alyssa's family is torn apart by thirst as the world dries up around her. A gripping read from start to finish that hits close to home. I read it all in one night. Recommended for strong readers ages 13+. A great book to discuss in a classroom or book club. I have never been more grateful for my water bottle next to me.
— From Staff Picks by Jessica
“The authors do not hold back.” —Booklist (starred review)
“The palpable desperation that pervades the plot…feels true, giving it a chilling air of inevitability.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“The Shustermans challenge readers.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
“No one does doom like Neal Shusterman.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
When the California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, one teen is forced to make life and death decisions for her family in this harrowing story of survival from New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman.
The drought—or the Tap-Out, as everyone calls it—has been going on for a while now. Everyone’s lives have become an endless list of don’ts: don’t water the lawn, don’t fill up your pool, don’t take long showers.
Until the taps run dry.
Suddenly, Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a warzone of desperation; neighbors and families turned against each other on the hunt for water. And when her parents don’t return and her life—and the life of her brother—is threatened, Alyssa has to make impossible choices if she’s going to survive.
“The palpable desperation that pervades the plot…feels true, giving it a chilling air of inevitability.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“The Shustermans challenge readers.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
“No one does doom like Neal Shusterman.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
When the California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, one teen is forced to make life and death decisions for her family in this harrowing story of survival from New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman.
The drought—or the Tap-Out, as everyone calls it—has been going on for a while now. Everyone’s lives have become an endless list of don’ts: don’t water the lawn, don’t fill up your pool, don’t take long showers.
Until the taps run dry.
Suddenly, Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a warzone of desperation; neighbors and families turned against each other on the hunt for water. And when her parents don’t return and her life—and the life of her brother—is threatened, Alyssa has to make impossible choices if she’s going to survive.
Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty award-winning books for children, teens, and adults, including the Unwind dystology, the Skinjacker trilogy, Downsiders, and Challenger Deep, which won the National Book Award. Scythe, the first book in his series Arc of a Scythe is a Michael L. Printz Honor Book. He also writes screenplays for motion pictures and television shows. Neal is the father of four, all of whom are talented writers and artists themselves. Visit Neal at StoryMan.com and Facebook.com/NealShusterman.
Jarrod Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling coauthor of the novel Dry, which he is adapting for a major Hollywood film studio with National Book Award winner Neal Shusterman. He is also the coauthor of the accoladed novel Roxy. His books have all received critical acclaim and multiple starred reviews. Jarrod wrote his most recent title, Retro, with Sofía Lapuente, and together, they teach a course on writing at UCLA. They are partners in every sense of the word, with love and multiculturalism as an ethos—living between Madrid, Spain, and Los Angeles. If they are not working, it means they’re eating. For behind-the-scenes author content and fun videos, follow them on Instagram and TikTok @SofiandJarrod.
Jarrod Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling coauthor of the novel Dry, which he is adapting for a major Hollywood film studio with National Book Award winner Neal Shusterman. He is also the coauthor of the accoladed novel Roxy. His books have all received critical acclaim and multiple starred reviews. Jarrod wrote his most recent title, Retro, with Sofía Lapuente, and together, they teach a course on writing at UCLA. They are partners in every sense of the word, with love and multiculturalism as an ethos—living between Madrid, Spain, and Los Angeles. If they are not working, it means they’re eating. For behind-the-scenes author content and fun videos, follow them on Instagram and TikTok @SofiandJarrod.
* "No one does doom like Neal Shusterman... He and his debut novelist son have crafted a world of dark thirst and fiery desperation, which, despite tendrils of hope that thread through the conclusion, feels alarmingly near to our future."
— Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
* "The authors do not hold back... Lovers of horror action fiction will feel right at home with this terrifyingly realistic story of our tenuous relationship with the environment and of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of desperate situations."
— Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
* "The palpable desperation that pervades the plot as it thunders toward the ending feels true, giving it a chilling air of inevitability... a study of how extreme circumstances can bring out people’s capacity for both panic and predation, ingenuity and altruism."
— Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
This superb mini-apocalyptic cautionary tale is sure to please all readers
— School Library Connection
Dry could play out tomorrow morning... With strong characterizations, a timely topic, and decisions to debate at every turn, this is a prime candidate for YA book clubs.
— BCCB
The Shustermans challenge readers... This survival tale is packed with themes and allegories that will attract fans of literary YA as well as readers seeking a good adventure.
— School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
— Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
* "The authors do not hold back... Lovers of horror action fiction will feel right at home with this terrifyingly realistic story of our tenuous relationship with the environment and of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of desperate situations."
— Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
* "The palpable desperation that pervades the plot as it thunders toward the ending feels true, giving it a chilling air of inevitability... a study of how extreme circumstances can bring out people’s capacity for both panic and predation, ingenuity and altruism."
— Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
This superb mini-apocalyptic cautionary tale is sure to please all readers
— School Library Connection
Dry could play out tomorrow morning... With strong characterizations, a timely topic, and decisions to debate at every turn, this is a prime candidate for YA book clubs.
— BCCB
The Shustermans challenge readers... This survival tale is packed with themes and allegories that will attract fans of literary YA as well as readers seeking a good adventure.
— School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
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