Lisa Reviews: Pam Borchaz's - "Drought"

Hi! And welcome to my review of Drought by Pam Bachorz!

“A young girl thirsts for love and freedom, but at what cost?

Ruby dreams of escaping the Congregation. Escape from slaver Darwin West and his cruel Overseers. Escape from the backbreaking work of gathering Water. Escape from living as if it is still 1812, the year they were all enslaved.

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.”

Before seeing it in the book-store I’d never heard of Drought or of Pam Bachorz, but what really pulled me in was this synopsis and the cover. The cover is so interesting, mysterious, and dark!

Ruby has been a slave to Darwin for hundreds of years now, collecting water everyday with a cup and spoon. If someone in the congregation doesn’t meet the required amount of water for the day, Darwin or one of his men, will abuse and beat them with a chain.

Having always been reminded by her mother, Ruby focuses on collecting water, praying to Otto, and taking lead in the congregation, and never really having time to do or think anything else… until, that is, she meets Ford (one of Darwin’s Overseers). After avoiding Ford, and her own feelings, Ruby soon has to decide between her mother (and the congregation) and Ford (and leaving everything she’s ever known behind).

Drought was a book that I would recommend to all my friends. It has the perfect combination of romance, and adventure! The characters are what really made the story enjoyable. Ruby was a strong female character, which I LOVE. Her mom was strict, and cared more for the congregation, instead of her own daughter. Ford was only doing this job, because he wanted to be able to pay and keep his mother alive, and Darwin’s interest in Ruby’s mother was also very interesting!

If you haven’t read Drought its a book that should be on anyone’s TBR!