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Lynn knows survival in her harsh, drought-plagued world depends on one thing: water.  If she and her mother want to live—and they do—they must protect their pond with everything they've got.  The 16-year-old has been taught to show no mercy to trespassers; if someone edges too close to their precious supply, Lynn shoots to kill.

It's not until tragedy strikes and the teen finds herself defending the pond alone that she begins to question her mother's extreme caution.  Is it possible that some strangers can be trusted?  With danger lurking on the horizon, does Lynn dare ask for help in defending her water?  Or will showing even an ounce of weakness make her a bigger target?  Lynn's mother taught her to trust no one, depend on no one, help no one, but now she's got to make her own choices—can she risk putting her life in someone else's hands?  What about her heart?  As threats to her priceless pond creep closer and closer, Lynn must learn to defend more than just her property.  Only one question remains:  Will she survive?

Describing Not a Drop to Drink, a debut novel by Mindy McGinnis, well enough to do it justice is pretty much impossible.  At least for me.  Suffice it to say that the post-apocalyptic YA story is a grim, gripping tour-de-force made all the more horrifying by its utter believability.  No other tale of this type has spooked me quite as much as this one.  Harsh as it is, though, Not a Drop to Drink has plenty of heart.  Surprised? It's true that Lynn can be a difficult character to like, but as she opens up, she reminds us what it really means to be human.  While I won't go so far as to label this novel "hopeful," I will give it a few other adjectives: strong, mesmerizing, thrilling and, yes, lovely (in a bleak, brutal kind of way).  If you read only one YA dystopian this year, make sure it's this one.  I can pretty much guarantee you won't be disappointed.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of any that are really similar.)

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To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Not a Drop to Drink from the generous folks at Harper Collins.  Thank you!

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While other people spend their summer vacations playing on the sparkling beach in Colby, North Carolina, Emaline does not.  The 18-year-old would definitely not mind spending endless hours sunbathing or snorkeling or pedaling a bike along the pier, but she's hardly a carefree tourist.  She's got a job, a demanding one, one that ensures the town's summer people enjoy their stays in her hometown.  As the official greeter and make-sure-everyone's-happy person for her family's vacation rental business, Emaline gets to deal with guest requests, guest complaints and, worst of all, her older sister's irritating know-it-all business management style.  She can't wait to leave it all behind when she goes to college in the Fall.

Well, okay, there's a (not so) small part of her that wants to stay in Colby for the rest of her life.  Maybe the small town doesn't have a lot to offer in the way of educational advancement, but it's where she feels most content, most at peace.  Does she really want to leave her warm, crazy family behind?  And what about Luke Templeton, her perfect, loving boyfriend?  Can their relationship survive the distance?  

When Emaline meets Theo Burns, an NYU film student who's in Colby for the summer working on a documentary, she begins to see just how small her life really is.  Through him, she realizes how tired she is of being "just [a] supporting player in someone else's summer" (67).  But, does she have the courage to step onto center stage?  Especially if it means taking big risks that come with serious consequences?  Pulled between the comfort of her safe little life in Colby and the promise of better things awaiting her in the big, wide world, Emaline must decide who she really is and what she really wants.  Before her bright, pivotal summer fades away forever. 

The Moon and More, the newest offering from teen favorite Sarah Dessen, is exactly what it appears to be—an easy, breezy beach novel that's as light and entertaining as the best of summer days.  Although it's a lengthy 435 pages, the book's got a bubbly tone that keeps it from feeling too weighed down.  While that's all well and good, a stronger central conflict would have helped the story feel more focused and substantial.  Emaline's inner struggle seemed flimsy to me, which made her decisions too predictable.  So, all in all, I enjoyed The Moon and More, I just thought it prattled on for way too long considering its underdeveloped plotline.  Since this was my first foray into Sarah Dessen territory, it's possible I was expecting way too much from it.  And, really, the novel didn't disappoint, but it didn't wow me either.   

(Readalikes:  The Distance Between Us by Kasie West)

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To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of The Moon and More from the generous folks at Penguin.  Thank you!

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For the last decade, 41-year-old Georgia Bing's been obsessed with one thing: getting pregnant.  She and her husband John always planned to give their now 13-year-old daughter a sibling, it just hasn't happened yet, no matter how hard they try.  And Georgia has tried everything.  To no avail.  Just when Georgia's finally ready to give up all hope, her best friend Alice Kinniard offers to become an egg donor.  The donation leads to a healthy pregnancy, which puts Georgia over the moon.  She's ecstatic about the new baby, can't wait to hold him and love him.  

Then, Georgia discovers a shocking betrayal, one that will change everything she knows about her marriage, her best friend and her ability to mother her infant son.  As she tries to piece her life back together, Georgia will have to decide what to fight for, what to let go of and who to trust with her newly shattered heart.  Plagued with guilt and shame, Alice can only watch, helpless, as her carefully-ordered world falls apart.  With her marriage on the rocks, her one true friend gone and her teenage daughter's welfare to consider, Alice has to make her own difficult choices.  But how can she mend what she so recklessly tore apart?  Will her husband ever trust her again?  Will Georgia?  With Georgia and Alice grappling to navigate their way through this fractured new reality, the most important question isn't how they will cope, but what will happen to the baby they both helped to create?  

It's difficult not to be drawn into Leaving Haven, an intense new family drama by Kathleen McCleary.  The characters are well-drawn, so much so that it's hard not to feel empathy for all of them.  The conflict at the heart of the story gives the novel enough tension and drama to keep the reader interested, even when the subject matter gets depressing.  While the premise may seem a little far-fetched, Leaving Haven actually felt very authentic to me.  Even the ending, while not as satisfying as I wanted it to be, seemed real.  So, while I found the book to be a bit of a downer, I also found the story riveting.  I cared about the characters, the plot kept me guessing and the prose didn't make me want to scratch my eyeballs out with a toothpick.  That equals a decent read in my book.  

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

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