3.75 stars

There is not much water left in the world. 16-year old Lynn lives with her mother in a rural area and they have been able to protect their source of water. Lynn has been very sheltered during her life and has never really known much about the real world or any other people, but she does know they have a neighbour her mother has helped a little bit. Just before her mother decides it’s time for them to leave, she is killed. Now, Lynn is on her own. Lynn has been taught how to protect their home and pond, but she and her mother knew there were people not far away, based on the smoke from their fire.

I listened to the audio and it took a little bit before I was fully paying attention, but it got better and better as the story moved along, I thought. I actually didn’t like Lynn much at first, but she learned and changed. ( )

3.5 Stars ( )

Loved it. ( )

Truly excellent, right up to the last few chapters where things got a little rushed. The end made me super sad (even sadder than a post-apocalyptic story would usually merit) but I thought it fit the story, even if it did give me all the feels. I would have liked a chapter or two dealing with the aftermath of that ending, so I knocked the rating down a bit.

I do really like post-apocalypse stories, and thought this was a particularly good one. Most of the time, there is a lot of concentration on the sheer unending drudgery of survival, so I appreciated the subtlety. Like, how would a young girl, who has only ever really known her mom, understand flirting? Or empathy? And right before Eli plays guitar for Lynn, she remarks how she's never heard music before. When I think of what I would miss if the the world came to an end, I think about flush toilets and showers and electricity and not having enough socks. I think about which books I would try to save and which pair of ridiculous platform boots I would mourn the most. But the idea of never hearing music? It blew my mind. For me though, the best part of the whole story is Lynn's emotional journey. Watching her struggle between the desire to protect herself (both physically and emotionally) and her desire to make genuine connections and finally coming to understand that love does make you vulnerable but it's also worth it was pretty epic.

The timeline of the story itself wasn't really well-established and the timeline of the back-story was a little iffy, but seriously, I would have given this 5-stars if not for the hurried end. ( )

I love this book. Unabashedly.

It's very clear cut and to the point. It stays with the point, the character, and, very importantly, the pond. I like how little we know and how slowly (and, perhaps, very little) we grow through the book. It's very much a stuck place in space and time.

The characters are amazingly flushed out. The views of the world beyond it are tantalizing and yet not important, which is really great and rare and a brave risk to take as an author. I was insanely happy with both of the gasp-worthy surprise moments, because they weren't surprises if you were reading along right and I'm very glad for the book not pulling its punches.

I believe I only have one tiny issue with this book, but it's a passable enough one, and I can deal with only having one too easy passed reference. I'm going to give this book 5 stars, but it would have been a 4.8-4.9 for me because of it.

I am deeply invested in seeing what else Mindy puts out from here (and am very glad I got to meet her at the Austin Book Weekend before meeting her book, because I kept feeling like this amazing, snarky, sparky woman was watching me read her book with that delightful teasing smirk of hers).

I will be on the front seat the whole way for the next things to come out. ( )