This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinion expressed here are my own.
Hi Blogger Buds!
So, I received Drought by Pam Bachorz for review! I loved Pam's Candor, and I reviewed it
HERE. If there's one thing you can count on from Pam, it's a spectacular ending. And...well, I'll save it for my review. (All links below)
Blurby:
Ruby dreams of escaping the Congregation. Escape from slaver Darwin West and his cruel Overseers. Escape from the backbreaking work of gathering Water. Escape from living as if it is still 1812, the year they were all enslaved.
When Ruby meets Ford--an irresistible, kind, forbidden new Overseer--she longs to run away with him to the modern world, where she could live a normal teenage live. Escape with Ford would be so simple.
But if Ruby leaves, her community is condemned to certain death. She, alone, possess the secret ingredient that makes the Water so special--her blood--and it's the one thing that the Congregation cannot live without.
Drought is the haunting story of one community’s thirst for life, and the dangerous struggle of the only girl who can grant it.
Short Review:
Another original semi-dystopian fiction from Pam Bachorz, taking place in the near-future, about one girl with a kind, brave heart. Ruby is a character who is selfless but still determined. Ford is a great male MC, no cookie-cutter with a haunted past, who's a go-getter who knows when to stop. A beautiful, heart-wrenching ending, and I would expect nothing less from Candor's author.
Longer Review:
I loved Candor, and was so excited to get Drought. I was so excited to dive into it, and the premise is so brilliant. I was confused in the beginning as to what was happening, but Pam cleared up everything for me pretty quickly. That actually surprised me, because I'm so used to author's that keep the reader in the dark, but it would have been a hard book to understand without the elaboration (is that a word?). And this book takes place in 2012--tastefully distant from now, but frighteningly close.
The book was filled with lovable, if ignorant characters. I can't say too much, as it would be massively spoilery.
The protagonist, Ruby, is mature and intelligent. Her heart is torn, but she always makes sacrifices. I don't want to say any more, for fear of being spoilery, but she's awesome.
Sula is Ruby's mother, and one of the community leaders. She's a zealot, doing whatever it take for her Community, and truly believing in Otto. (I'll be talking about him in a second.)
Ford is an Overseer, who loves Ruby. He's determined, but still doesn't cross any boundaries. His love for Ruby is so strong, he can't stop coming back to her. Ford is a welcome change,as he's not "a tortured soul with a dark, tormented past". He's a normal guy, trying to keep his job to pay for his sick mother's medical bills.
The Community works for Darwin West, who is Ebil. Sorta. Well, yeah, okay, he's ebil. But he's not fully to blame, because he's offered to free everyone, if Sula will love him and stop "enduring". But he's evilness.
Religious Aspect, Otto, and Fighting:
Otto. Ruby's father, Otto, had "Sacred Blood" as does Ruby. It's the only thing that can save the Community. I didn't appreciate this religious aspect of the book, where the Community prays to Otto, their savior. The Community spends their Sunday mornings praying to Otto to come save them. And while they wait for his return, they believe they have to "endure", and not "fight". Ruby's mother is constantly telling Ruby to "wait for Otto" to save them. They were in love before Otto disappeared, and Sula is so intent on waiting for his return, she refuses to save the Community herself by marrying Darwin West.
Ruby doesn't fully believe in Otto's return, and can't believe the father she never met would want everyone to suffer. She finds the Community's desire for Otto to save them is insane, when they can free themselves, but her word means nothing.
I didn't really appreciate the religiousness of Drought, though I understand the reason for it. And I had some suspicions in the end, though I won't voice them...*zips lips*
The Ending: (Not spoilery, just me rambling)
I want to perform a lobotomy on Pam. (No, not like that.) I want to take the part of her brain that makes up endings and install it in my brain. Because Pam is Queen of Book Endings. She doesn't write happy endings. She writes gut-wrenching, tear-jerkers that make you want to throw the book down, scream at the imperfection, then snatch it back up, kiss off the wounds you inflicted, and hug it tight, saying sorry and promising never to let go of it, simply because of those last pages.
Just like in Candor, it's perfect and impossible to put the words "Happy ever after" in the end.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Pam Bachorz awesomeness.
Peace,
Riv
Current Music: Look After You by The Frey (listening to Drought playlist on Pam's site)
Current Mood: Jealous of Pam Bachorz Awesomenss
last year. The second book, 
, comes out next Spring.
