I was actually reminded of the Japanese tsunami a few years back, when news outlets were speculating that radiation could affect people on the west coast of the US and they advised people to take potassium iodine tablets. Access to water and medications in this future is controlled and everything is expensive, so a majority of people cannot afford very much of either. In terms of YA dystopian “explanations,” I found McGinnis’ world to be very real and very possible, especially the lack of antibiotics once people were forced to move into organized cities and the demand for medication relentlessly skyrocketed. The population has been decimated by diseases including (but not limited to) cholera due to overcrowding in cities, the aforementioned water situation, and the strain on resources. In Not A Drop To Drink, Mindy McGinnis has envisioned a futuristic United States in which access to water is strictly controlled. 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…. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.īut wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.Ĭonfident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest.

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water.

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis