In a Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis

ARC, 371 pages
Release Date: September 23, 2014
Published by: Katherine Tegen Books
Not a Drop to Drink, #2
For fans of: Dystopias, Sparkly Covers, YA

     The only thing bigger than the world is fear.
     Lucy’s life by the pond has always been full. She has water and friends, laughter and the love of her adoptive mother, Lynn, who has made sure that Lucy’s childhood was very different from her own. Yet it seems Lucy’s future is settled already—a house, a man, children, and a water source—and anything beyond their life by the pond is beyond reach.
     When disease burns through their community, the once life-saving water of the pond might be the source of what’s killing them now. Rumors of desalinization plants in California have lingered in Lynn’s mind, and the prospect of a “normal” life for Lucy sets the two of them on an epic journey west to face new dangers: hunger, mountains, deserts, betrayal, and the perils of a world so vast that Lucy fears she could be lost forever, only to disappear in a handful of dust.
     In this companion to Not a Drop to Drink, Mindy McGinnis thrillingly combines the heart-swelling hope of a journey, the challenges of establishing your own place in the world, and the gripping physical danger of nature in a futuristic frontier.
 

*MY THOUGHTS*

     Another September release that I was expecting to love, but eh not so much. Sure I finished it, but I thought I would love it, but I didn't. I liked it, but I didn't really love it.
"'he told me once that people like me and him are badly built for times like this, when there's nothing we can do."
pg. 13
     When I read Not a Drop to Drink, I was especially interested in the way the Earth would be if there actually was a water shortage but unfortunately saw that there wasn't very much world building. This one was a little better since it had more details, but it still wasn't at 100%. I know there isn't much you can say besides "dry cracked grounds" or "brown brittle grass," but a little more insight to the rest of the world or even why this is still happening even though in almost every scene it's raining.
"Desperate people do stupid things."
pg. 69
     Then there's the plot. I was a little upset because as excited as I was about this one, it was just like the first. Really exciting in the beginning, boring Boring BORING in the middle, and then really exciting in the end as well. Plus a lot of things in the middle was really predictable. It was upsetting because the first one was lacking adventure as well.I really thought this one would be a little better. But honestly, if it had been like the beginning or the end, I would've given this book five stars. I'm just a little sad that it wasn't.
"'I'll be really pissed at you if you die."
pg. 126
     I did like the fact that it left it open for another book to be written. What happens to Lynn and Lucy leaves an opening to have another book from either POV. I'm excited about this because this time if something happens I won't be so surprised. When I saw this one was coming out, I didn't know what to expect because the first one was such a good stand-alone and there really wasn't any room to make a sequel.
"'This is a hard place we live in."
pg. 356
     The characters were still the same though. Lynn was still bad ass and overprotective. She went through great lengths to protect Lucy, who grows up not realizing why Lynn was so hard all the time. She didn't understand that she was that way because she had to grow up so fast. I really Through out this book though, Lucy gets a welcoming awakening. They run into people they want to trust and find out they shouldn't as well as those that they should. The more they find that they shouldn't trust people, Lucy gets older and wiser. Lynn just gets more bad ass lol
"'It stuck with you though. The words meant for us can do that."
pg. 366
     Again, this one wasn't my favorite, but because of the hype I just wanted to review it for you all. It wasn't for me, but then again, the first one wasn't my favorite either. Maybe I'm the black sheep of this one. Maybe you all may like it more than me.
Overall, I give this


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