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When Ruby meets Ford — an irresistible, kind, forbidden new Overseer — she longs to run away with him to the modern world where she could live a normal teenage life. Escape with Ford would be so simple.
But if Ruby leaves, her community is condemned to certain death. She, alone, possesses the secret ingredient that makes the Water so special — her blood — and it’s the one thing that the Congregation cannot live without.
Drought is the haunting story of one community’s thirst for life, and the dangerous struggle of the only girl who can grant it.
In this lengthy, imaginative science-fiction tale, a girl is driven to escape an isolated commune in upstate New York that's been frozen in time since 1812. Ruby actually is 200 years old, but she's only 17 in growth. She lives in a slave colony controlled by Darwin, its cruel master, and his brutal Overseers. She and the other Congregants gather Water, which can heal any wound or disease and stops aging. The Congregants lead an almost intolerable existence, enduring constant beatings and starvation while taking strength from their cult-like religion. Ruby needs to escape not only her slavery but also her mother's and the Congregants' hold on her. Bachorz paints the bleak colony in stark detail and writes especially vivid and interesting characters, but the story suffers from a certain sameness. She makes Ruby's grim world believable but so unremittingly desolate that readers may need relief nearly as much as the colony's inhabitants. An intriguing story with depth, but its success will depend on individual taste. (Science fiction. 12 & up)
Water is precious. Water has made slaves out of Ruby's people. While the rest of the world lives normally, Ruby and the people in what is referred to as the Congregation spend their days gathering water. Although there is a small lake nearby, the members of the Congregation are forced to seek water in the forest. Each one armed with simple tools, a spoon, and a cup, they struggle in the oppressive heat to collect water drop by tiny drop. They are forced by the Overseers, led by a tyrant named Darwin, to gather their daily quota. Failure to meet their quota earns them a beating. Members of the Congregation are unique. Ruby, for instance, is two hundred years old, but she doesn't look a day older than seventeen. Blessed from birth with some special power in her blood, she is destined to be the group's leader, perhaps sooner than even she expects. The Congregants follow a mysterious leader they call Otto. According to her mother, Otto is Ruby's father. He left before she was even born, and now the group works tirelessly and waits for his return and the hope that he will set them free. But the wait is taking its toll on the members. Some are losing faith, and arguments between them threaten to weaken the group. Also, secrets known to only a few could either save them or cause a rebellion. Most evenings, Ruby visits the huge cisterns that stores the gathered water until the Visitor comes to collect from the containers. The purpose of her nightly visits is to add drops of her own blood to the water, creating a life-sustaining element to the liquid. Like her father, she possesses the power that has allowed her people to carry on for centuries. During one visit to the cisterns, Ruby meets an Overseer named Ford. He treats her kindly, and a friendship begins to form. Soon, Ruby finds herself thinking about Ford all the time and watching for him as she collects her quota every day. He may represent her chance for freedom, or her destruction if he reveals the mysterious power of her blood. Pam Bachorz is the author of CANDOR, another unusual dystopian YA novel. DROUGHT presents the secret world of a group still living in the past but working to provide for the world of the future. Bachorz takes her readers into the life of Ruby and her people to illustrate the unreasonable and frightening control one group of people can hold over another.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 11, 2012
PLEASE MAKE A MOVIE!!!!!!! LOVED IT!!!!!!!! **) ;D #1 BOOK
--- from
lil' Lydea and $ara
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 6, 2012
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.
- The Serenity Prayer Reinhold Niebuhr
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 20, 2011
one of my favorite books could not put it down must read!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I got this book on overdrive, thank goodness I didn't actually have to pay for it! I almost always finish a book, but this one was so lame, I quit after about half of the book. I love fantasy and things that aren't all that realistic, but the thought of a colony of people living like they're in the 17 or 1800s but in present day and being 200 plus years old and acting like a more than naive teenager is just out there. I didn't find a single character I could identify with, I just don't enjoy a book where people don't stick up for themselves. If that sort of thing bothers you too, I wouldn't recommend this book, in fact I wouldn't recommend it to people it doesn't bother either.
2 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 5, 2013
It was and still is one of my favorite books. Its so original. Like who ever thought of sacred Water that is made with water and blood. Creepy but genious. Must read in my opinion.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 22, 2011
Loved!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This was a seriously fantastic story to read. It had so many things going on at different times that it was almost never dull or boring. There were so many things going on that even the narrator wasn't aware of in spite of the fact she was the one telling the story. It was fascinating to watch how Ms. Bachorz wove into the story subtle clues to what would happen in the final 50 or so pages. And let me tell you, the last 50 or so pages flew by so quickly that I found myself on the last page and wishing there were so many more.
The characters in this book began a little underdeveloped for my taste. They were somewhat one-dimensional and flat in the beginning, but perhaps one can forgive that because considering it's told in the first person by someone who has lived the same exhausting, repetitive life for 200 years, everything and everyone around would be sort of monotonous and flat. But as the story develops and new pieces of personalities of those around Ruby come to light, we see the gray life of those who harvest water during a dry and colorless drought bloom into bursts of color. And for someone like me who associates color with personalities, this was a real treat.
I especially loved some of the nuances of Ms. Bachorz's writing that tied in the entire drought theme to how people were feeling. Particularly how the blossoming relationship between Ruby and the Overseer Ford was described, in Ruby's words, as, "It feels as if the air between us is like a tender waterdrop; one more move and it will burst." Their romance is saturated in life and immersed in the wonder that is discovering real and true love for the first time in your life. Some may say it happens too quickly but consider the fact that Ruby is over 200 years old and she's been extremely repressed by the society she lives in. It's only natural that she feel on some subconscious level that those she lives with don't have the same value for her as Ford appears to and that she would cling to that. And she does try to fight it for the sake of duty. It's not until something very strongly and forcefully breaks the bonds between her and some in her community that the dam bursts and Ruby's real desires gush forth.
I think the book could have been a little bit more tightly edited. I think with about 50 fewer pages of Ruby remembering and lamenting the past and people she lost (whether physically or figuratively) it would have been an even faster, more brilliant read. That said, however, I don't think being a little wordy is such a bad thing.
I found the plot twists in the story to be delicious and I liked being able to come to the slow conclusion of Ruby's situation and her true importance to the Elders of her community along with her. Discovering evil in places she hadn't thought existed along with her was fascinating even if truly saddening for her sake. I think Ms. Bachorz brings a bit of literary elegance to this story by bringing the reader along on a slow burn with some of the subplots and major themes of the novel with bright bursts of action in a way reminiscent of Jane Eyre. It's thoroughly well written and perhaps doesn't have all the over-the-top bells and whistles that some seem to need in their dystopias but I was completely satisfied. The ending wrapped up neatly enough that this could be a stand alone (which you know I love in an ending) but left enough possibility open for at least a second dip into Ruby's world.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Pam Bachorz weaves a rich and dark tale about a teenaged girl who is stuck between a rock and a hard place. At times, I had more questions than answers while reading - and even at the end, I think drought leaves the readers wanting to find out what happens next and what had happened before to lead up to Ruby's world as she knew it. The great thing about drought is, once I let go of what I know, I really got into the flow of Ruby's wretched world. Hers was a simple though horrible life: Collect enough Water to get fed and avoid the whip. A village enslaved. Not necessarily true, but I imagined that they dressed like Pilgrims - don't ask me why - I just did! It was only when Ruby interacts with Ford when I realized how behind-the-times Ruby was, how deeply Ms. Bachorz wove us into the village and hid us from the big, ugly truth. A truth the Overseers obviously knew, and the question that burns through my mind is WHY. I felt we never got a complete picture of all the characters except Ruby. Granted, we see events unfold through Ruby's eyes - but usually I thought there'd still be a little more insight to the other characters present. Maybe Ruby wasn't too observant - maybe I haven't given drought enough thought yet - but there is not a whole lot about the other characters from my initial impression. Ruby's mom tries to impress upon Ruby and the Congregation that waiting for salvation is their best option and escape in any way is not safe, but how did she reach such a conclusion and what happens when salvation never comes - or escape is possible? What makes Darwin tick - and how does he sleep each night after his monstrous actions? How does Ford get recruited to the Overseers - and is he leading Ruby into a trap by enticing her to escape? The ending of drought definitely left me both triumphant yet horrified at how things panned out for Ruby, Ford, the Overseers, and the Congregation. Definitely did not see any of it coming! I doubt that there would be a sequel, although one would be most welcome for all the questions that I have! drought will satisfy any thirst for a new dystopian YA read. Mysterious, shocking, bittersweet - an excellent combination to keep readers thirsting to learn more about the world that Ms. Bachorz has created.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 8, 2011
I Also Recommend:
I've been looking forward to reading this book since it was announced earlier this year. I'm a big fan of the YA genre including recent books by Suzanne Collins, Carrie Ryan, James Dashner, and found Bachorz's first book, Candor, not only a good read but I was intrigued by how realistic a portrait she painted of the setting of the story, and the strong character development. A true storyteller, she has done it again with Drought. A lot of what I liked in Candor, is also here in Drought, including characters with interesting pasts and motivations, quick dialogue, and a sense of setting that make you think Bachorz has a clear vision of where her stories take place.
I have to say that I am in disagreement as to some of the other reviews posted thus far. With media these days, people expect now to be spoon-fed everything, every detail, every explanation. I think Bachorz demands a bit more from her readers. She did it in Candor, and she does it again in this novel. True literature studied still today by students sometimes raises more questions than they answer, and while there are good explanations throughout the plot, Bachorz raises good questions about how we go about believing. There are religious overtones, as well, and I found the Congregation compelling. Ruby's story is an important one to dissect. How many people today could say we believe sometime blindly in what we don't understand. History also has many examples of groups of enslaved people not able to rise up against their oppressors. One needn't look too far back in history to see similarities can be drawn from Bachorz's story to that of the Holocaust, and farther back, slavery in this nation.
This is a book that is important for older teens and adults. We will be reading for my book club, and I look forward to a lively discussion. This book grips you from the first pages and takes you on a thrilling view into how this enslaved community goes about daily life and dealing with change and betrayer by one of their key members.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 23, 2013
Who ever thought of blood that could heal peoples wounds love the book buy it!!!!!
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Posted December 20, 2012
This book was friggin amazing! Ithink that there should totally be a movie! It litterally took me about half a day to read! Could not put it down! My one complaint is there should be a sequel! Like maybe it would be with Ruby and Ford on a mission to find Otto, while part of it is told in Hope's perspective as they are running out of Rubys blood because some of it leaked out because those pesky corks were too small. Just a thought.
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Posted September 9, 2012
I was surpised by how great this book was:)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Phantomgal
Posted February 20, 2012
In this book there are many preconcieved ideas that the story twists away from. The main characters are in the middle of a drought and they have to gather water every day because they are slaves. when i first picked this book up i thought that i knew exactly what would happen and although the book was strange i was unable to put the book down and was kept on my toes while reading it.
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Posted February 7, 2012
I cant decide weather to buy it or not!! Is it giod or bad? Peoples make up yo mind
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 31, 2011
I read this book a while back and i couldnt pick up another book for a while because the concept overall was absolutely mind boggling... its hard to imagine being stuck somewhere you dont wan tto be and doing things you dont want to do, and on top of that you cant fight because you would be the onlt one since everyone else is waiting on 1 person to come fight their battle for them and its been so long since they left that you just know theyre not coming back. Overall i loved it. I couldnt put it down...
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Posted December 19, 2011
This book was boring, i could not get into it at all.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Let me tell you that I have read some crazy books but I have never read anything like this. This plot is so crazy and weird. Very weird. This book was very slow to start off with. The reader doesn't get very much information on what exactly is going on. I was confused but intrigued at the same time. I wanted to know more about the characters and their life so I read on.
Drought is a weird cult book. These people believe in their god Otto, whom supposed came and left. They are awaiting his return. He left them blood which in turn keeps them young. Yeah, so as I continue to read this I thought that maybe they were in some secret town be experimented on. But no, just a bunch a people with a strange belief. What I like most about this book is the great insight on this cult. We see rules, their way of life and how they do things. I loved Ruby but felt at times that she needed to push herself more. I, for one, am super happy that she met Ford. I know without a doubt that without his influence she would of stayed there.
Ford is a great character that brings refreshment to the book. He slowly opens Ruby's eyes to what is actually going on. He did his best to be her friend and guide her out. I am a little disappointed that as the reader we don't get much questions answered. I am still wondering about a few things.
This story had me really intrigued once I read the synopsis but unfortunately I found it a little slow and also kind of frustrating. Ruby Prosser is a slave. She has lived her entire life (200 + years) among her Congregation on Darwin West's compound in the woods. Escape has never been a true option. Ruby's mother and the rest of the Elders feel that if they are just patient their savior, Otto (Ruby's father) will return and save them. Darwin West is a cruel man, forcing Ruby and the rest of the community to harvest water under grueling conditions. Darwin has been made to believe that it is the Congregation's act of harvesting the water in the woods that makes it special, little does he know that the secret to the healing powers of water lies in Ruby's veins.
The beating inflicted by Dawin's and his Overseers on members of the Congregation are enough to kill most but with life-prolonging Water they are able to endure. Then Ruby meets Ford, a new Overseer who appears barely older than her. The attraction between the two is instant and strong. Ford wants to take Ruby away from this life but will she be able to run away with him and leave everything she has ever known behind? And worse can she condemn the only family she has ever known by taking her blood away when she goes?
One thing that frustrated me about this story was that Ruby didn't really have anyone to turn to. Ford was the only lifeline she had. Everyone else was shady, even her mother seemed more like a villain throughout the story. I felt like the story was a little unrealistic at times. The way that this community blindly followed orders seemingly accepted their circumstances seemed forced. The Congregation was more of a cult in their own right.
Ford was a character that I would have liked to see developed more. I feel like his mother's illness could have been delved into more. Ruby and his relationship could also have been strengthened to the reader if they had more interaction/outings. I will say that I was pleased with the end of the story (and not just because it was over). The end gave my frustrations an outlet and brought a touch of hope for Ruby and Ford. The ending is what moved it from a 2 to a 3 star rating.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.EllzReadz
Posted January 29, 2011
My thoughts...Drought, the second book by author Pam Bachorz is not a happy go lucky story. It is dark and twisted. It left me cringing and covering my eyes with despair, yet I could not stop reading.
The story takes place in modern times, though it is hard to tell. The main characters, or Congregation, live under the control of a tyrant named Darwin West. This is probably one of the scariest villains I have read in YA literature. The man is evil. Ruby, the heroine, and other members of the congregation have to harvest water for West. The water, which is believed to have healing properties, can only be extracted by scraping water off leaves in the woods. If the Congregants don't perform as expected, they are punished by starvation, physical exertion, and violence.
While Darwin West is a horrifying villain. Ruby is an incredibly strong heroine. She and her people believe they will be saved by a man named Otto, who fled from them around 200 years ago. Ruby longs to be free of the life that has enslaved her for hundreds of years, but not everyone wants change.
As I mentioned above, this book was hard to put down. It was horrifying, agonizing, and painful at times to read. Ruby's mother infuriated me, as did the Elders in the story. The character of Otto baffled me, but the devotion to him was mysterious. I am left pondering why these people have stayed for so long. Was it out of fear? Desperation? Or Faith.
Overall, Drought was not what I expected, but I enjoyed it. This would be a great book for a club or discussion group: it will definitely evoke some strong opinions and discussions.
Overview
When Ruby meets Ford — an irresistible, kind, forbidden new Overseer — she longs to run away with him to the modern world where she could live a normal teenage life. Escape with Ford would be so simple.
But if Ruby ...