Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

From Goodreads.com:

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. 


My Take:  I really enjoyed this book.  It was a little bit of a different take on a dystopian  take on the future.  Water is scarce and Lynn's Mom teaches her that she needs to protect their pond no matter what.  You shoot whoever comes near without asking questions.  After Lynn's Mom dies she meets some other people who teach her to have a bit more compassion to  a point until some savage men come and decide to take whatever they want including people.  The ending was satisfying and I look forward to reading the next novel in the series. 

I read this book on my Kindle from my personal book collection.