In a Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis

This is a book I was looking forward to reading.  I'd read Not a Drop to Drink and cried and then gained some hope from the book's ending.  I had to read this book to see how this dystopian world was shaping up and what was new with Lynn.  It's hard to have hope when there is no medicine and no water...

Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 23rd, so you can grab a copy then.

Lynn is older and is still protecting her pond.  Her family has expanded and life goes on.  The worst part is that people are still dying...

The newest danger to the group of survivors is polio.  It's killing a lot and maiming others.  There's nothing to inoculate them with.  Vera attempts to find the source of the contamination.  It's bad when a beloved family member dies, but what do you do when you find out it's a family member carrying the disease?  You ban him from the community to protect those left.  No matter how much it hurts. Lucy loves him but it doesn't matter.  When there is no information on how long he'll be an active carrier, they are forced to send him away.

Lucy decides she's ready to go, too.  They won't let her go with him, but Lynn decides she'll go with Lucy and head towards the west coast.  It's not an easy trip.

When everything in the world has changed, personality traits tend to show up.  Those who are greedy or selfish no longer hide it.  Men are quite willing to rape women.  Death is always close and you can trust no one.  This book showcases how desperate and crazy people can get.  It also shows how hard some people will work to stay safe and be alone.  Once you've killed someone, you change.  Sometimes, though, you have no choice.

This is a tough life for everyone but Lynn keeps going.  Lucy has a spark she doesn't have, so she'll get her to the coast so she can live her dream.  Where it goes from here we shall have to see in the next book, if there is one.