The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

Sourcebooks Fire, January 1, 2011
read for A-Z Challenge & 2011 Debut Author Challenge

Summary from Goodreads:

Vera and her brother, Will, live in the shadow of the Great Panic, in a country that has collapsed from environmental catastrophe. Water is hoarded by governments, rivers are dammed, and clouds are sucked from the sky. But then Vera befriends Kai, who seems to have limitless access to fresh water. When Kai suddenly disappears, Vera and Will set off on a dangerous journey in search of him-pursued by pirates, a paramilitary group, and greedy corporations. Timely and eerily familiar, acclaimed author Cameron Stracher makes a stunning YA debut that's impossible to forget.

OK, if you know me at all by now, you'll know that I love dystopian fiction. Hunger Games, Maze Runner, XVI, Matched, Delirium...these are all fantastic reads. I can't really explain why I love the genre so much, but I do like dark reads, and I love exploring the alternate futures that authors create.

I did like The Water Wars. I think Stracher did a great job creating a future universe run by people who "own" water. It's just that I thought Stracher's future was a little too realistic. I don't think we're too far away from this world of dry showers (still trying to wrap my head around that one), water pirates, and wars being waged over rivers, lakes, and streams. Realizing that Stracher's world might very well become our reality makes me a little uncomfortable. It also made me so very thirsty! I had to have a big glass of water next to me the whole time I was reading.

The story is well-written and the characters are portrayed very realistically. Vera and Will have that awesome sibling bond that I never had with my brothers, and it's always refreshing to read about a brother and sister looking out for one another. The relationship between Vera and Kai is very sweet and innocent, and readers will absolutely understand why Vera is so determined in her quest to find him. My favorite character in the story, though, was definitely Ulysses, the unofficial pirate king-with-a-heart-of-gold.

All in all, The Water Wars was a unique dystopian novel, and a powerful debut novel. While it may be uncomfortable to think about our future without water, perhaps that was one of Stracher's goals in writing this book. Anyone who reads this book should become at least slightly more conscious of their personal water usage and consumption.

Purchased eBook.

Enjoy your reading!
Christi