The Water Wars

"The Water Wars" by Cameron Stracher is an interesting---and telling---story depicting a world where water in general is a rare commodity and fresh water is like liquid gold.  In true dystopian fashion, Stracher's world is one where the rich get rich, the poor get poorer, the government is corrupt and an unlikely few can make all the difference. 

The tale is written from the view-point of sixteen-year-old Vera and follows her journey to save a friend from his kidnapers.  Along with her older brother, Will, Vera's adventures go from bad to worse as she becomes a prisoner of water pirates.  Through a violent chain of events, their captivity changes hands multiple times before the tale is through and keeps the reader on their toes.

As far as writing style goes, it's not my favorite.  That's not to say that the writing itself was bad. Far from it.  However, Stracher preferred to write his tale as more of a narrative than anything else, causing some of the characters and scenes to lack depth, yet the book never felt slow. 

I prefer stories propelled by dialogue, and one of the reasons why is that you get to know the characters.  It helps you to really see them, understand them, feel with and for them.  Yet I didn't feel like I really knew any of the characters much and certainly couldn't relate to them.  Kai, the boy they were trying to rescue, was barely more than a name on the page and even Will felt generic and two-dimensional.  Opportunities for dialogue and major character development were glossed over and condensed to a quick, one paragraph telling, before moving on to the next thing, and left the reader (meaning me) feeling cheated out of something precious. 

Still, the idea for this book is not to be discounted.  For those who think the concept of Global Warming just a myth, Stracher's "The Water Wars" will definitely make you think twice. 

What would the world be like with no fresh water?  As a resource, water may be one we take advantage of the most.  Stracher's version of the apocalypse may not be far off. 

The harsh reality is that those on top are typically after one thing: Power.  So in a world where money means power and power means water, it's no wonder that vicious companies overpower the governments and the people rot from bacteria and waste away from dehydration. 

Personal preferences aside, Cameron Stracher crafted a powerful and moving statement about wasting resources and the lengths even the "the weak" would go to save the ones they love while still addressing the greed and mankind.  I, for one, was captivated until the very last page---which I found only slightly disappointing.

My judgment scale: 6 out of 10.