In a not so far future, the water levels has increased dramatically, flooding entire cities and contaminating water sources. Ren lives in what used to be Manhattan and she fights to survive. Fresh water is a valuable resources not available to the likes of her and her friend is terribly ill. She is an undercover scouting agent for the government, a job she dreads but it's a necessary evil if she wants to purchase medicine for Aven. Her world turns upside down though when she stumbles into a source of fresh water after a crash.
As you know, I am a dystopian fan, and I loved that this novel was based on a plausible future. With global warming being a current concern, I thought it was smart of Frankel to exploit it, and bring it to a whole new level. How will human's greediness rule the world when the most important resource of all - water- becomes rare? A terrible illness was also born during these dire times and the way authorities handle the situation is simply animalistic. Humanity's depravity was loud and clear in this novel, exposing our darkest side.
I have to say I struggled a bit at first because Frankel throws us smack in the middle of her world, with no explanations nor glossary to rely on. Still confused after three chapters I thought of giving up on the book but I'm glad I did not. I got hooked after Ren crashed her vehicle during a race, nearly dying, and discovered a fresh water spring. From then on, the plot was engrossing and I kept on turning the pages. A bit later, Aven fell really ill (I won't give you any details so I don't spill the beans) and the plot became a race, keeping me breathless. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering if Ren and her unlikely allies would reach their goals.
I enjoyed the characterization very much even though there were slight flaws. Ren is a very dedicated friend and nothing can stop her from helping her 'sister' Aven and I appreciated it. On the other hand, she has this big crush on Derek and Jordana lead us to believe that he has always been very distant from her in the past, and all of a sudden he acts like a good friend rescuing her, going as far as being helplessly in love with her... I didn't buy. Also, one of the riders hates Ren with a passion, and it was really out of the blue, as if she needed an enemy so the author conjured one. On a positive note, I loved Callum to piece, he was such a great guy!
Some of you might know I am a lab technician and the way Callum and Ren try to cure the blight is simply impossible, which kills me. I know common populace don't know the subtlety of blood transfusion, which is FINE! I mean, I studied three years for that... but. You just cannot take someone's blood and give it to anybody! You have just as many chances of killing them from your act than saving them from their illness. Sorry for the rant, I had to say it because MANY authors do that mistake and it's a pet peeve of mine. And you can't produce medicine on a grand scale is just a few hours... just sayin'!
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and its originality. The conclusion was really shocking and I can't wait to see what happens in the following novel (which is still untitled, as far as I know). Fans of dystopian books will find something to like, and as a bonus, there are no love triangle! *yay*
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