SYNOPSIS:
It’s in the rain…and just one drop will kill you.
They don’t believe it at first. Crowded in Zach’s kitchen, Ruby and the rest of the partygoers laugh at Zach’s parents’ frenzied push to get them all inside as it starts to drizzle. But then the radio comes on with the warning, “It’s in the rain! It’s fatal, it’s contagious, and there’s no cure.”
Two weeks later, Ruby is alone. Anyone who’s been touched by rain or washed their hands with tap water is dead. The only drinkable water is quickly running out. Ruby’s only chance for survival is a treacherous hike across the country to find her father-if he’s even still alive.
WHY SHOULD YOU CHECK IT OUT?
It came from outer space! Deadly space bacteria that is. And now it’s in the clouds, raining down on humankind. Like Stephen King’s THE STAND or other YA pandemic novels, plague is the latest trend in apocalyptic scenarios. We look forward to seeing how Ruby handles her time in the limelight as one of the few who survived (0.27%) that hazardous rain in the first place.
With a shnazzy new title from the story’s original in the UK (then called THE RAIN), we get a spiffy new cover as well! The acid burn effect on the paper is neat, though didn’t make us think of deadly bacteria. Overall, with the use of white space and sparse color, it definitely draws the eye.
This is author Virginia Bergin’s debut young adult novel! Virginia grew up in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, she re-discovered creative writing during her college years and has since written poetry, short stories, film and TV scripts. She has worked as a writer on TV, eLearning and corporate projects and has TV credits, from children’s favourite Big Cat Diary Family Histories (BBC) to the award-winning series Africa for National Geographic. She currently lives on a council estate in Bristol and has taken to feeding the birds. Find Virginia online at www.VirginiaBergin.com/!
EARLY REVIEWS SAY…
Grab an umbrella: The latest fictional civilization-ending threat is deadly rain… The situation’s horrifying, but what gives the deaths resonance is how sad they are, rather than simply scary (although they are plenty gory). (Kirkus Reviews)
Writing from Ruby’s perspective, debut novelist Bergin treats the story as the girl’s recollection of the history of the epidemic and a handbook of sorts for other survivors. (Publishers Weekly)
NECESSARY DETAILS
YA Science Fiction
Hardcover & ebook, 336 pages
Published on October 7th 2014 by Sourcebooks Fire (ISBN 1492606545)
http://www.sourcebooks.com/store/h2o-en.html
Purchase H2O
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