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Book Review: Not A Drop To Drink – Mindy McGinnis


notadroptodrinkNot A Drop To Drink
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Series: None
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction, Dystopia
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Goodreads | Amazon | TBD

Summary:

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.

 
First Sentence: Lynn was nine the first time she’d killed to defend the pond, the sweet smell of water luring the man to be picked off like the barn swallows that dared to swoop in for a drink.

My Review:

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Not A Drop To Drink ever since it was released back then in late September. Most people that I talk to (ahem stalk) in the blogosphere loved it and some even consider the book to be one of the best books they’ve ever read in 2013. While I personally don’t think that Not A Drop To Drink is one of the best books written in 2013 now that I’ve read it, I do agree with other people that Not A Drop To Drink is indeed a great book. If anything, Not A Drop To Drink is a truly unique dystopian, which is much more than I can say towards other dystopians these days.

There is no doubt that the world-building is an important element to dystopian books. Without any world-building, a dystopian might as well not be a dystopian since what makes a book a dystopian the first place is the kind of society the book is set in. When I began reading Not A Drop To Drink, I was worried about it because it didn’t explain anything about the world except for the disease part of it. Not A Drop To Drink never explained how the world came to be when I started it: why the people were living like this, what had happened to all the governments, etc. To my relief, the world-building was explained towards the second half of the book. The world-building was simple, but at the same time, it explained everything that you need to know about the world the characters live in.

“But things are still the same,” Stebbs said, an edge on his voice that usually wasn’t there. “And all everyone is trying to do is survive.” (158)

The main character of Not A Drop To Drink, Lynn, goes through so much character development that I nearly didn’t recognize her at the end of the book. When we first meet Lynn, she was a tough girl who shoots first and asks questions later (not that it’ll do the dead person any good). All Lynn cared about was herself and her mother and for them both to survive while guiding their precious pond. However, as I read on, Lynn slowly grew a heart and started considering other people’s feelings. She started not only fighting for herself, but fought for other people as well.

Mindy McGinnis manage to constantly shock me with unpredictable plot twists that I did not see coming. In fact, those plot twists shocked me so much that I was still reeling from the effects of the plot twist two or three pages after the actual plot twist had happened. It took me awhile to register the actual plot twist in my mind because I absolutely refuse to accept that a particular event had really happened. In fact, I had to read some parts of the page again because I was pretty sure I read it wrong the first time. Not A Drop To Drink had me in the constant state of denial – no, that person did not really die and no, I absolutely refuse to believe that things can end up this way.

“I’m sorry to be doing this one alone,” she said. “I’m sorry it’s yours.” (305)

Mindy McGinnis is also not afraid to scare you into running off and avoid reading her book or pull any punches. There was this one particular scene that was so creepy and so raw that I just wanted to slam the book shut and hide from it for hours. Okay, not hours, but you get what I mean. I just shudder when I think of reading that scene again and the worst part is, it’s not a scene that’s supposed to scare me really bad. (Hint: it’s a foot scene. Wait until you read it guys; if you don’t think your feet is scary as of now, you will once you get to read Not A Drop To Drink.) Mindy McGinnis is not afraid of using gross imagery and creeping you out. So many characters also gets killed left and right that I just wanted to scream “noooo, stop it!”, hop into the book (which I will probably regret doing since who wants to live in a world without water?), and hug all the main characters.

“Cha-Cha.” Her tiny voice barely escaped her mouth before evaporating in the cold afternoon air. “You killed Cha-Cha.” (72)

The scariest thing about Not A Drop To Drink is that all the events that had happened in the book can really happen one day. We can suddenly run out of water and BOOM! real life dystopian novel. Unlike Lynn, I’m not lucky enough to own any rifles or know how purified water looks like so I’ll probably be one of the first ones to get killed. Sad, but true.

Overall, I highly recommend Not A Drop To Drink. Not A Drop To Drink is not a book to be taken lightly – it is raw, will tug on all your heartstrings, and will leave you a bit sad and wistful, knowing how cruel the world can really be sometimes.

four

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-Kelly

Posted by Kelly on 1-19-14 · 46 Comments
Categories: 2013 book, book review Tagged: 4 star

« Stacking the Shelves [67]
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Speak Your Mind

  1. Christy says

    1-19-14 at 10:18 AM

    I’m glad you enjoyed this one! I have it on my Kindle just waiting for me to read it. You’ve got me curious about the ‘foot scene’, I already don’t like feet, I wonder how I’ll feel about them after reading this? Great review!
    Christy recently posted…Cover Adoration | Josephine Angelini SpotlightMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-23-14 at 10:43 AM

      You’ll feel more disgusted with feet after reading this one Christy, I guarantee it. That particular scene…-shudders-
      Thanks! (:
      Kelly recently posted…Life Of A Blogger: Celebrity CrushesMy Profile

      Reply
  2. Ashley @The Quiet Concert says

    1-19-14 at 10:23 AM

    I am glad you enjoyed! Both Nicole and I really liked it. I am with ya though, the plots twists/deaths had me in a state of denial. Especially the last one… I was like WHAT, was the really necessary. While in some ways I wish it didn’t happen I do have to give McGinnis create for keeping the book unpredictable. Great Review :)
    Ashley @The Quiet Concert recently posted…REVIEW: Champion (Legend #3) by Marie LuMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-25-14 at 11:00 AM

      I agree – that last twist wasn’t necessary, but it does show you that hey, the world is cruel most of the time.
      Thanks Ashley! (:
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [68]My Profile

      Reply
  3. Emily @ Books, Kittens & Coffee says

    1-19-14 at 10:36 AM

    Great review! I loved this book and read it in a matter of hours, but I was feeling the same way when reading the ending. I had to reread the ending multiple times and when I shut the book I was in denial, too. It was so different that all the other dystopians in YA out there!
    Emily @ Books, Kittens & Coffee recently posted…Stacking the Shelves (#6)My Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-25-14 at 11:03 AM

      Thanks Emily! (:
      Ugh, the ending just ruined me. Like why why why did that have to happen? And then I hoped for Lynn to find someone new, and just meh. :l
      Definitely!
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [68]My Profile

      Reply
  4. Sarah says

    1-19-14 at 11:20 AM

    I love a book that had a ton of plot twists and where the author isn’t afraid to take risks and kill off characters. I love dystopians, and those 2 things combined makes me think I really need to read this book. Also, almost every time I read a dystopian I realize I’d likely be one of the first people to die. It’s a rather humbling realization.
    Sarah recently posted…Week in review Jan 19My Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-25-14 at 11:06 AM

      Me too! I hate it when authors are too afraid to kill off any of their characters, but Mindy McGinnis is totally not afraid of killing off people left and right.
      Ha ha, I think I’ll survive in most dystopian novels, but in this one, not so much sadly. :P
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [68]My Profile

      Reply
  5. Kelly says

    1-19-14 at 12:19 PM

    This might be the first review I’ve read for this, so I’m pretty happy that it’s a good one! I love when plot twists completely blindside me, and I love an author who isn’t scared to put their characters through the ringer. I’ll have to keep my eye out for this one!

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-25-14 at 11:11 AM

      I’m not the only one who really enjoyed this one Kelly – tons of other people also loved it! :D
      Ha ha, a quick warning though: be prepared for tons of deaths!
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [68]My Profile

      Reply
  6. Aparajita says

    1-19-14 at 12:39 PM

    So great you enjoyed it. I have it but haven’t yet got the chance to read it yet, totally hoping it is soon since I love a unique Dystopia

    Aparajita @Le’ Grande Codex

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-25-14 at 11:14 AM

      If you love unique dystopians, you’ll definitely love this one then Aparajita! I hope you’ll enjoy it. ;D
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [68]My Profile

      Reply
  7. Leigh @ Little Book Star says

    1-19-14 at 1:19 PM

    I totally agree with you. I think it was a great book, but it wasn’t the best. I like how it’s a very unique dystopian book though. I think the reason why I did not love it is because it wasn’t as action packed as I thought it would be. Also, the world building kind of lacked. The story only stayed in 1 or 2 settings, and I wish we got to see more of the places besides where Lynn stayed. I also liked the plot twists that the author put!
    Leigh @ Little Book Star recently posted…Who Run the World? BLOGS! {Discuss #10}My Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-25-14 at 11:33 AM

      Ha ha, by “it wasn’t as action packed as I thought it would be,” do you mean you thought there would be more gunshots and more people dying? ;D
      The world-building was simple, but I wouldn’t mind if the book went in depth about it.
      Ha ha, I think there was 4 settings in Not A Drop To Drink? But yeah, most of the scenes felt like they were set in 1 or 2 places.
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [68]My Profile

      Reply
  8. Cali W. says

    1-19-14 at 3:36 PM

    Great review! I like scary dystiopian books like this. I need to read it! <3

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-25-14 at 11:37 AM

      Thanks Cali! (:
      If you like scary dystopians, Not A Drop To Drink is definitely the book for you then!
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [68]My Profile

      Reply
  9. Eileen @ Singing and Reading in the Rain says

    1-19-14 at 6:04 PM

    I’m glad that you liked this one. World-building is definitely a major part of a dystopian novel, so yay for this one having a good amount of that. Also, I love when a book has its fair share of plot twists. I always enjoy being kept on my toes and feeling shocked once in a while. I haven’t read many books where the character undergoes such a transformation that it’s almost impossible to recognize them from who they were in the beginning, which really intrigues me so much. Fantastic review, Kelly, I’m going to need to check this out now :) <3
    Eileen @ Singing and Reading in the Rain recently posted…Stacking the Shelves (59)My Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-25-14 at 11:39 AM

      This book will shock you to your core Eileen. I’m still suffering from the plot twists aftermath. -shudders-
      Ha ha, Lynn goes through this dramatic change that I was like, wait, is this the same person? at the end of the book. You’ll love her character development.
      Thanks & you should definitely check this one out! (:
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [68]My Profile

      Reply
  10. Ashley says

    1-19-14 at 6:56 PM

    I need to get reading this one. I bought it awhile back for my kindle when it was on sale, and then today I just bought the hardcopy. What can I say I love my real books. :) I’ve read a few books where water is part of the dystopian world, or lack there of. I’m curious to see how it stacks up to them. Then with your review here talking about plot twists. I always love me some plot twists in books.
    Ashley recently posted…Book Review: Mind Games by Kiersten WhiteMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-25-14 at 12:04 PM

      High five! I’m totally like you; I prefer physical books over my ebooks.
      There are other dystopians talking about how important water is? Ohh, I’ll have to check them out and compare them to Not A Drop To Drink too!
      The plot twists in this one will KILL you Ashley. Trust me.
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [68]My Profile

      Reply
  11. Missie says

    1-19-14 at 7:06 PM

    I have this on my TBR list, it sounds so amazing!
    Missie recently posted…Week RecapMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-25-14 at 12:06 PM

      I hope you’ll like this one when you get to it Missie! (:
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [68]My Profile

      Reply
  12. Nova @ Out of Time says

    1-19-14 at 9:17 PM

    This one is one I’ve also heard a bunch of rave reviews on! I didn’t really want to read it because I wasn’t all too interested in Dystopian at the time, but it’s good to see that it isn’t completely as hyped as everyone else thought!

    Great review <33
    Nova @ Out of Time recently posted…ARC Review: The Naturals – Jennifer Lynn BarnesMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-25-14 at 12:10 PM

      If you ever decide to read any dystopians, you should definitely give this one a chance Nova! It’s pretty good! ;D
      Thank you! <3<3
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [68]My Profile

      Reply
  13. Vivien says

    1-19-14 at 11:11 PM

    I was slightly bummed by this book. It just wasn’t as exciting as I had expected it to be. By no means bad, but I had just expected more.

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-25-14 at 12:13 PM

      I’ve learned this lesson the hard way: do not raise your expectations for a book or otherwise, you wouldn’t enjoy it as much as you would expect to. ):
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [68]My Profile

      Reply
  14. Beth W says

    1-20-14 at 12:09 AM

    I’m glad you liked it! I loved it…it’s not often you get a heroine that gritty, self-assured, and capable, despite her mom and the events around her. Raw is definitely a good word for it! :)
    Beth W recently posted…5 ThingsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-25-14 at 12:19 PM

      Yes! Lynn was definitely a breath of fresh air; I hate reading about all those weak heroines who swoons over guys and all their lose their brain cells over them and depends on them to rescue/take care of them. /ends rant
      I’m glad you agree! ;D
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [68]My Profile

      Reply
  15. Kristen@My Friends Are Fiction says

    1-20-14 at 10:07 AM

    I really loved this one…I was so surprised by the depth of the characters and the gritty nature of the story. McGinnis didn’t hold back with any aspect. When I read it there were no expectations so I can see after seeing so much hype about it there could easily have been some disappointment. I’m glad you were able to enjoy it. I have to admit…I’ve gotten pretty scared about the idea of a water shortage. Eeps. I think I was terrified because I can see how this could be a reality.
    Kristen@My Friends Are Fiction recently posted…The Unbound Blog Tour-Lego ArtMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-25-14 at 12:25 PM

      I was really surprised with this one too; honestly, I was expecting this one to be one of those books that was over-hyped. :P
      The last I heard, the government was planning on making/buying more machines that turns salt water into fresh water so… -crosses fingers-
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [68]My Profile

      Reply
  16. Ashfa says

    1-21-14 at 7:12 AM

    Ever since this book came under my radar, I’ve been dying to read it. The premise sounds fantastic!!! And there are all the elements of a good dystopian too- word and character building and being unpredictable!! Great review and if ever we do get this same sort of scenario, I think I’ll drop dead pretty fast too. :D

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-26-14 at 1:56 PM

      You should be happy to hear that Not A Drop To Drink lives up to its premise then. ;D
      Thank you Ashfa and ha ha, at least I’m not alone in dropping dead! :P
      Kelly recently posted…Book Review: Uninvited – Sophie JordanMy Profile

      Reply
  17. Angela C. says

    1-21-14 at 10:48 PM

    I was planning on skipping this one, but KELLY, YOU TOTALLY HAD ME AT THE LAST SENTENCE. “…raw, will tug on all your heartstrings, and will leave you a bit sad and wistful, knowing how cruel the world can really be sometimes” THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT I NEED TO READ. I’ll even ignore that this is dytopia and I don’t read dystopia. But if I ever do read this, you should probably tell me where that foot scene is. I’d rather skip it; SO not looking to be grossed out. Great review! :D

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-26-14 at 1:59 PM

      If that’s exactly what you need to read, go grab a copy of Not A Drop To Drink then! -shoves you out the door-
      The foot scene is on page… -looks at notes- 94. So yeah, skip it. :P
      Thanks Angela! :D<3
      Kelly recently posted…Book Review: Uninvited – Sophie JordanMy Profile

      Reply
  18. Jess says

    1-23-14 at 1:02 AM

    So glad you enjoyed this! :)

    (Everyone else said all the intelligent things.)
    Jess recently posted…01/22: Waiting on Wednesday: My Faire Lady by Laura Wettersten (Simon & Schuster BFYR)My Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-26-14 at 2:01 PM

      :D
      Ha ha, your comment is intelligent too. ;D
      Kelly recently posted…Book Review: Uninvited – Sophie JordanMy Profile

      Reply
  19. Samantha P says

    1-23-14 at 1:49 AM

    This book has been on my TBR shelf but I think I’ve been avoiding it. Not on purpose or because I don’t think it will be good, but because I haven’t touched a dystopian for a while (excluded continuations in series). It’s hard to find something new and refreshing and after your review I’m going to give this one a try. I like how it’s different from the rest and that a lot of characters die. I love plot twists and being left in shock and disbelief. The twists could go two possible ways for me. I’ll either think it was ingenious and made for a better story, or I will not have wanted them to happen and I’ll get emotional and not like the story as much. As for your comment about being the first to die, it made me smile because I’ve never actually thought about it before. Now that you’ve got me thinking I know that I would be one of the first to die too. My skill set would definitely not be useful in any kind of dystopian world.

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-26-14 at 2:04 PM

      I was avoiding Not A Drop To Drink too because everyone else LOVED it and I don’t want to be odd one out. I don’t regret reading it though, so you should definitely give this one a shot! (:
      Ha ha, when you finish this one, you would NOT like that a lot of characters die, trust me. :P
      I think I’ll usually survive most dystopian worlds (earthquake? I know what to do. Mighty bad weather? Sure, no problem.), but I won’t survive this one simply because I DON’T OWN A GUN and because I DON’T KNOW HOW TO USE A GUN. ):
      Kelly recently posted…Book Review: Uninvited – Sophie JordanMy Profile

      Reply
  20. Filia Oktarina says

    1-24-14 at 4:25 AM

    Great review!! So glad you enjoyed this book. I still haven’t got a favorite read for this genre, maybe i will try read this book.

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-26-14 at 2:06 PM

      Thanks Filia! :D
      Most people loved this one, so you probably will too! (:
      Kelly recently posted…Book Review: Uninvited – Sophie JordanMy Profile

      Reply
  21. Evie says

    1-25-14 at 1:41 PM

    Well, I am most definitely one of those people who loved Not a Drop to Drink enough to have it on their top 10 of 2013 list :) I really did love it. I thought it was unique, intelligent and wonderfully written, and I’m glad that you ended up enjoying it, too, even though you didn’t love it quite as much as some of us :) but that’s the thing with hype and expectations, right? I know I have read it long before the hype and that probably made a big difference! Regardless, this is a wonderful, detailed and honest review – love it! Thank you for sharing your thoughts :)
    Evie recently posted…Vote on February TBR Pile Read-a-Long Read!My Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      1-26-14 at 2:10 PM

      Ha ha, I did try to tame down my expectations (because it’s almost always your expectations who ruins books for you), but I’m glad I did like this one! In fact, I’ve been recommending Not A Drop To Drink to some other people too. :P
      Kelly recently posted…Book Review: Uninvited – Sophie JordanMy Profile

      Reply
  22. Stephani says

    2-01-14 at 3:28 AM

    I read this book and really enjoyed it.
    Stephani recently posted…Book Review: Descendant by Lesley LivingstonMy Profile

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Book Review: Uninvited – Sophie Jordan says:
    1-26-14 at 9:11 AM

    […] happen in the book at least once. Other books did that to me multiple times easily (latest example: Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGinnis). However, there was not a single thing in Uninvited that surprised me, but that […]

    Reply
  2. ARC Book Review: In A Handful of Dust – Mindy McGinnis says:
    9-17-14 at 9:10 AM

    […] In A Handful of Dust. With the strong OH MY NOOOO THAT JUST DIDN’T HAPPEN RIGHT?! feeling Not A Drop to Drink left me with, I needed some answers in my life and I just wanted more. More, more, more. Imagine my […]

    Reply
  3. The Book GIF Tag says:
    11-10-14 at 11:32 AM

    […] 5. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge 6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling 7. Not A Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis 8. Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay 9. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie […]

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