This book is frighteningly relevant: Sherri L. Things go from bad to worse when Alyssa finds that she has to care for not only herself but her younger brother as well… and their lives hang in the balance. The Tap-Out has forced people to limit their water use for years, but when the taps actually run dry, Alyssa’s suburban neighborhood becomes its own kind of dystopia, where friends and neighbors turn on one another in a desperate attempt to survive. Dry by Jarrod Shusterman and Neal ShustermanĪs droughts pummel the American West in real life, Dry feels even more timely. Here are six great texts for readers to dip their toes into this important genre: 1. In that way, they’re much like traditional literature in that they’re asking questions about how people adapt to and meet potentially devastating challenges. Dubbed “cli-fi,” these books are as much about the human condition as they are about the state of the planet. His novel, Unwind, has become part of the literary canon in many school districts across the country and has won more than thirty domestic and international awards.Shutterstock You’ve heard of sci-fi, but what do you know about cli-fi?Īs global leaders struggle to make firm commitments to reduce emissions and scientists discover ever more dangerous feedback loops and repercussions from climate change, writers are using the power of the pen to show us what the world might look like if we don’t act soon to combat climate change. Neal Shusterman is an award-winning and New York Times best-selling author of over thirty novels for children, teens, and adults. In addition to being on numerous award lists, Dry is currently in development with Paramount Pictures. Shusterman wrote Dry with his son Jarrod. “People might do whatever they can to survive, but once they don’t have to worry about that, they’re different.” When the Tap Out hits, eccentric Jacqui joins the trio, making for a haphazard group on a road trip hunt for water.Īs threads of civilized society begin to fray and stores of bottled water run out, could altruism and ingenuity be the keys to survival? The government has toned down the truth about how dire the water supply is, calling it, “The Tap Out.” Soon after, the faucets are dry and the countdown to survive begins.Īlyssa and her 10-year-old brother, Garrett, team up with neighbor Kelton, whose family has prepared for doomsday. Neal and Jarrod Shusterman bring us that what-if disaster in the form of an extended drought in Southern California.

There is something oddly reassuring about experiencing a disaster that is not the one you are living. We discuss SFPL’s On the Same Page book selection for March/April, Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman.

Neal & jarrod shusterman