105 pages • 3 hours read
Neal Shusterman, Jarrod ShustermanDry
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2018A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman, sixteen-year-old Alyssa Morrow and her younger brother, Garrett, face a harrowing struggle for survival in California when a water crisis known as the Tap-Out leaves the state without water. Together with their neighbor Kelton, a prepared survivalist, and a girl named Jacqui, they confront numerous dangers, including desperate people and the threat of dehydration, as they search for water and their missing parents, navigating a society on the brink of collapse. This novel includes discussions of violence, threats of sexual violence, and death.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman offers a gripping and timely narrative of a dystopian water crisis in California. Readers appreciate its intense plot and realistic portrayal of a community in chaos. However, some find the characters underdeveloped. Overall, it effectively raises awareness about resource scarcity while providing an engaging story.
Who Should Read Dry?
Readers who appreciate fast-paced, dystopian young adult novels like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer will enjoy Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman. Ideal for those intrigued by survival tales and ethical dilemmas in a dire, near-future setting.