Where the World Ends

Where the World Ends

By Geraldine McCaughrean

Quill lives on a Scottish island in the St. Kilda archipelago in 1727.  Each summer, he and a group of men and boys is rowed out to one of the sea stacs (rocky outcrops surrounded by water) to harvest birds for food.  It’s difficult, exhausting work.  The boys must sleep inside a cave on the bare rock and endure the cold.  But it’s only for a couple of weeks, so they always manage.

But this time is different – this time, no one returns to collect them.  For some of the boys, the only explanation is that the end of the world has come. Others are aware that there must be a good reason that their families have left them in the middle of the ocean, and they wait patiently to be rescued.

But summer turns into fall and then winter.  Most of the birds leave their little island, and the cold becomes unbearable.  Bird feathers are made into warm blankets, rocks are piled in front of the cave to keep out the wind, and a fishing rod is fashioned to keep them all fed.

The conflicts on the island are many, but Quill, to keep people happy, gives each boy an official title.  Niall becomes Keeper of Faces because he’s able to describe the faces of everyone from home.  Calum becomes Keeper of Music because of his beautiful singing voice.  And Quill, admired by all the little boys, becomes Keeper of Stories because he always has a story that makes everyone feel better.  Despite the many hardships, the boys manage to (mostly) keep the peace.  But how long can they really last out there?  Will they ever get rescued?

This is a great survival story filled with raw emotion.  Scottish terminology used throughout really gives the book a sense of place, and there is even a glossary in case you get confused.  Overall, Where the World Ends is highly recommended!

Dry

Dry

By Neal Shusterman

Southern California is experiencing a drought that has lasted for many months.  Water conservation practices are well underway, including the “No Frivolous Use” policy, which means people can’t even use their pools anymore.  But no one expects the taps to go dry.  One day, out of the blue, there is no more water for cooking, washing or even drinking.

Alyssa Morrow and her little brother Garrett are sure it won’t last – the electricity always comes back on after a power outage, right?  Their parents assure them that desalinization machines are being brought to the beaches to change sea water into fresh water.  Everything is going to be fine.

As the days pass, people get more thirsty and become more desperate.  Alyssa’s neighbour, Kelton, has no worries though – his family has been preparing for this for years.  They have stockpiled food, water, and medical supplies.  Their home is utterly secure from intruders.  Kelton is willing to help Alyssa, despite his parents’ desire to keep their preparedness to themselves.

But when Alyssa’s parents go missing, and the neighbours try to invade Kelton’s house, the two teens decide to take Garrett and leave for Kelton’s family’s bug-out – a survival shelter hidden in the backcountry.

Their journey is far more difficult than they bargained for.  As they negotiate their way into an off-road vehicle and a box of water, Kelton, Alyssa and others they pick up along the way, learn what they are really capable of.  As they struggle to survive, they behave in ways they never normally would.  Their decisions will make the difference between life and death, and they do what they have to do.

Dry is an amazing survival story, and for those who like disaster movies, this is a must read!  But Dry is also terrifying because the story is so close to reality.  In a place like California, or even here in Richmond, the distance from “water restrictions” to complete “tap-out” might be closer than you think.  How far would you be willing to go to survive?