Review: Drought by Pam Bachorz

DROUGHT by Pam Bachorz

Pub. Date: January 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Format: Hardcover , 400pp
Source: Publisher

Ruby dreams of escaping the Congregation. Escape from slaver Darwin West and his cruel Overseers. Escape from struggling to gather the life-prolonging Water that keeps the Congregants alive--and Darwin rich. Escape from her certain, dreary existence, living as if it's still the early 1800s, when the Congregation was first enslaved. But if Ruby leaves, the Congregation will die without the secret ingredient to the Water: her blood. So she stays, and prays to their savior Otto, who first gave Water to the Congregants... and fathered Ruby before he vanished.

When the Congregants discover Ruby's forbidden romance with an Overseer, they beat Ford to stop her from running away with him. Ruby steals their store of Water to save Ford's life and is banished. Ruby has everything she's dreamed of: a modern life with Ford. But the modern world isn't what she thought it would be, and Ruby can't forsake the Congregation. Love and loyalty push Ruby to return and fight for her family's freedom...at a terrible price.

Bachorz has created a compelling story about hope and survival. Ruby is the key to the Congregation’s survival - a secret that must be kept at all costs. Just like her mother, Ruby is fed up with the conditions that she & the congregation is forced to endure. With the greedy tyrant, Darwin, overseeing the harvest, Ruby can only hope that she will escape his rule. I was enamored with this novel.

Bachorz created another interesting world with some exciting characters. Ruby is brave and willing to take the punishments for the congregation's shortcomings when it comes to the water harvest. The conditions are unbearable and the punishments cruel. I rooted for Ruby the whole way as she longed for escape and the safety of the community.

Bachorz's portrayal of Ruby's internal struggles in having to choose between the loyalties of her people and escaping to a normal life is really what drew me into the story. The whole cult-like premise and the Congregation's faith in Otto continued to make me question Ruby's decisions. Bachorz's sophomore novel is just as impressive as CANDOR. I look forward to seeing what this author has in store for her readers next.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars