The Water Year (ARC review)

In under 100 pages, The Water Year packs a surprisingly powerful punch. 

This hard-hitting YA contemporary (with a sprinkle of romance) follows the story of Sophie as she joins an immigrant aid group while also coming to terms with learning her father is a Desert Ranger, finding fun in making sure those crossing the border from Mexico never make it.

This book somehow handles a lot of tough subject matter with grace in what I thought would be an impossibly small span of pages. And it somehow manages to develop its small cast of characters well enough to root for right away. 

I loved the element of the letters in the story, the strong narration they supplied and the few surprises that they held in a book where the synopsis gives almost everything away, including the overall message of the story. 

The only thing about a story that takes little more than an hour to read is that it doesn’t hold the lasting impression that a story that contains so many important moments deserves. It feels…fleeting. I can’t help thinking that a full-length work could have served much better for memorability, and to move the audience in a way that better suits the topics at hand. Plus, there were so many good elements that extending the story seems like it could only have served to make it that much better.

I rated The Water Year 4 out of 5 stars. Fans of Internment and People Kill People will probably like this. 

Thank you to Netgalley and West 44 books for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!