novel.

Although it's not as action-packed as other dramatic events in the story, such as the Tap-Out or the Water Fairy—making it an atypical climax for a novel—it is what makes the story of despair rewarding in the end. This climax hints that there is hope for the future due to this simple act of humanity.

Dry is a novel written by Neil and Jarrod Shusterman. It is about the devastatingly desperate drought situation in California. The plot showcases the best and worst of humanity as people in California cope with the effects of the low water supply. For instance, one of the main characters, Alyssa, has a frightening experience with a bogus convenience store clerk, and that situation makes her realize that firearms are important to have for protection. She makes sure that Kelton, another main character, does indeed know how to handle a gun to protect himself. This is just one of many instances that allow readers to see that the drought situation is not just a struggle for survival due to lack of water, but also because people around them are willing to do anything to other people to survive. But the good side of humanity is also on display in the novel, which leads readers to the main climax of the story.

Kelton's canteen, for example, is an item that represents much more than just a container. It represents the bonds of unity and friendship among people as they deal with their struggles for survival. Kelton often offers his canteen to Alyssa so she can drink from it. He does so to help Alyssa survive. Stories like that one in the novel show that humanity has a good side, that people are not purely selfish, even in times of despair, and that people can come together to become a stronger group. So the story climaxes when it leaves readers with a sense of hope for a better tomorrow, knowing that people have not lost all compassion for others when they could have easily sought to protect only themselves instead of thinking about the needs of other people.

The book moves quickly from its climax to its conclusion. Due to drought conditions, the environmental surroundings are very dry. Fire is a serious issue, and the group gets caught up in a firestorm. They are forced to run from the fire; however, their efforts are simply not enough. Their weakened state prevents the group from making a realistic escape. Just as the entire group is about to be burned to death, a firefighting aircraft miraculously shows up and drops a bunch of water on and around the group. They are saved, and the book then jumps forward a number of weeks. Readers see that Alyssa and her brother are getting back to a somewhat normal life, but Alyssa is incredibly conservative with water. Her relationship with Kelton is cordial, and readers see that there might be something there beyond friendship at some point. The book attempts to leave readers with a somewhat hopeful ending, but the events that took place during the Tap Out are too fresh in a reader's mind. We are glad at the present outcome, but we also realize how quickly society degenerated and remember all of the horrible things that the group did and saw. Living in Southern California myself, the ending served much more as a warning than a happy conclusion to an adventure book.

The climax of Neal Shusterman's Dry occurs when the kids are trying to make their way to Lake Arrowhead. The group has successfully arrived at Kelton's family bug out shelter only to find that Kelton's brother has completely drained the place of any and all supplies. The group is devastated, and dehydration is completely taking over. The group dynamic begins to seriously fall apart, and the tipping point occurs when they discover that Henry's box of water contains no water. Garrett is also near death. To make the entire situation even worse, a huge wild land forest fire has broken out, and is threatening the group. Despite all of these problems, Alyssa, Kelton, and Garrett make the decision to try to make it to Lake Arrowhead. It is supposedly only a few miles away, and it is the group's best chance at water. Unfortunately, the raging fire begins to close in on the group, and imminent death is likely. This is the story's climax and highest point of tension. Fortunately, the group is miraculously saved by an aerial firefighting aircraft. A ton of water is dropped on the group of kids and it puts out the inferno that is raging around them. The story then moves to several weeks later to begin the falling action and conclusion.