ARC Review: In A Handful Of Dust by Mindy McGinnis

Release Date: September 23rd 2014

Series: Not A Drop To Drink #2

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Genre: YA Dystopia/ Post-Apocalyptic 

Format: eARC

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Rating: 4 Stars

The only thing bigger than the world is fear.

Lucy’s life by the pond has always been full. She has water and friends, laughter and the love of her adoptive mother, Lynn, who has made sure that Lucy’s childhood was very different from her own. Yet it seems Lucy’s future is settled already—a house, a man, children, and a water source—and anything beyond their life by the pond is beyond reach.

When disease burns through their community, the once life-saving water of the pond might be the source of what’s killing them now. Rumors of desalinization plants in California have lingered in Lynn’s mind, and the prospect of a “normal” life for Lucy sets the two of them on an epic journey west to face new dangers: hunger, mountains, deserts, betrayal, and the perils of a world so vast that Lucy fears she could be lost forever, only to disappear in a handful of dust.

In this companion to Not a Drop to Drink, Mindy McGinnis thrillingly combines the heart-swelling hope of a journey, the challenges of establishing your own place in the world, and the gripping physical danger of nature in a futuristic frontier.

 

Where to start? Okay, if you are friends with me on Goodreads, then  you may have read my review for the first book that I wrote earlier last year. I rated it 3 stars, being that I thought it was an okay read and it really didn’t feel like a dystopian/post-apocalyptic book. I never knew that there would be a companion to go along with it, so I was shocked and eager to read this book. Now, why couldn’t the first book be as exciting as this one?!!! I really loved Lucy as the protagonist, compared to Lynn. While Lynn had a one dimensional life in the beginning, I still enjoyed her character after half of the book in Not A Drop To Drink. As you know, she raised Lucy and learned there’s more to life than guarding a pond. There is love and friendship, something her mother steered her clear of growing up.

Lucy is such a refreshing character, and she’s all grown up now!! To be optimistic in the dawn of an outbreak that kills her friend and others in the surrounding community, a community that was formed in the first book, shows just how compassionate and caring Lucy is. When her grandmother, Vera, comes to the conclusion that Lucy and another are the common denominator within the community, they are exiled. Not out of hate, but out of love and concern. Once the people heard of Vera’s theory, they would panic and possibly hurt/kill Lucy. Lynn, being the protective mother that she is, goes with Lucy. Their destination, California.

Along the way they encounter other people, both good and bad. Lucy learned a lot of life lessons and a few hard truths on this journey. She is such a happy character, and for her to go through the trials and tribulations in this book, made my heart break. Lynn is Lynn. Kick-butt, protective woman that has learned to love and trust, but she still has her gut feelings and they were needed more now than ever. There are good people out there, and then there are the malicious ones. I was on the edge of my seat because I didn’t know who to trust. And that ending, seriously? Surely, there will be a book 3. I’m officially a Mindy McGinnis stalker! I want more, it’s as simple as that. These two heroines covered a lot of ground in this book. Lots of descriptive locations along the way, which made the book even more enjoyable. Such a vast contrast from the first book, where we only had the pond to visualize and a few other locations. Glad to see Stebbs character again. He is still the same old wise man, only he has a companion now. Interesting how things worked out so well from the first book.

If you read and enjoyed Not A Drop To Drink, then read this book. If you were meh about it, still, read this book!! It’s truly better than the first one with lots to see and more characters to contend with. I really enjoyed this book. Definitely recommend!!