Would you risk everything for someone you just met?
What if he had a secret worth killing for?
Welcome to a future where water is more precious than oil or gold...
Hundreds of millions of people have already died, and millions more will soon fall-victims of disease, hunger, and dehydration. It is a time of drought and war. The rivers have dried up, the polar caps have melted, and drinkable water is now in the hands of the powerful few. There are fines for wasting it and prison sentences for exceeding the quotas.
But Kai didn't seem to care about any of this. He stood in the open road drinking water from a plastic cup, then spilled the remaining drops into the dirt. He didn't go to school, and he traveled with armed guards. Kai claimed he knew a secret-something the government is keeping from us...
And then he was gone. Vanished in the middle of the night. Was he kidnapped? Did he flee? Is he alive or dead? There are no clues, only questions. And no one can guess the lengths to which they will go to keep him silent. We have to find him-and the truth-before it is too late for all of us.
My Thoughts:
The Water Wars takes place in a future where water is very, very limited. Many people get sick because of the fake water they are forced to drink. Real water is only available to the rich. The United States is split into territories who are at war with each other to gain control of what little water is available (see map below). The Earth is slowly dying because of the many abuses that it has suffered throughout the years from its inhabitants. Told in the perspective of 16 year old Vera, who, with her older brother Will, go across the country to find their friend, Kai. Kai has a special power that allows him to smell water, making him important and always in danger.
This book actually terrified me. Everyday we destroy our planet more and the future seen in this book, can very well be our future. This book raises an important issue. We need to be aware of what we are doing to our environment, and we need to protect Earth while we still can. I was still thinking about the story a few days after I finished it and started to become more aware of what I do. If every person who reads this book can do that, we might still have a chance.
Taking the terrifying part aside, I really enjoyed this book. Vera and Will met some interesting people along their journey, some became friends, like the pirates (I love pirates by the way!) and some tried to kill them. Actually, a lot of people tried to kill them. Once I started the book, I couldn't put it down until I knew everyone was going to be safe, which sadly wasn't always the case.
I love books that gives you visuals of where the book is taking place. This is a map of North America in the future:
I would recommend this book to environmentalists, as well as anyone who enjoys a good story!
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| Love, Kristina |
I really didn't like this book. The characters were poorly developed (the moment a good character showed up, they disappeared or died) and the plot seemed rather silly - Will and Vera just run around and nearly get killed. Kai's power was barely touched upon, despite the fact that it was so important that heads of state gathered over it! I was let down by the political aspect, too; the map at the beginning of the book told me some big things were in store politically between Canada and the republics, but that didn't happen. Even with that downside, I could've respected the book if it had good characters and adventure. No such thing. This book gets my general thumbs down. I do not recommended, particularly to Canadians who hate seeing their country as an evil empire convicted of environmental atrocities.
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