Review: In a Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis

In a Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis Published by: Katherine Tegen Books on Sept. 23rd, 2014 Series: Not a Drop to Drink #2 Pages: 384 Format: Hardcover Genre: Post- Apocalyptic  Source: Purchased Rating: 3/5 BUY THE BOOK or ADD IT TO GOODREADS!
FROM GOODREADS: The only thing bigger than the world is fear.
Lucy's life by the pond has always been full. She has water and friends, laughter and the love of her adoptive mother, Lynn, who has made sure that Lucy's childhood was ver different from her own. Yet it seems Lucy's future is settled already-- a house, a man, children, and a water source-- and anything beyond their life by the pond is beyond reach.
When the disease burns through their community, the once life-saving water of the pond might be the source of what's killing them now. rumors of desalinization plants in California have lingered in Lynn's mind, and the prospect of a "normal" life for Lucy sets the two of them on an epic journey west to face new dangers: hunger, mountains, deserts, betrayal, and the perils of a world so vast that Lucy fears she could be lost forever, only to disappear in a handful of dust.
In this companion to Not a Drop to Drink Mindy McGinnis thrillingly combines the heart-swelling hope of a journey, the challenges of establishing your own place in the world, and the gripping physical danger of nature in a futuristic frontier.
MY THOUGHTS:
Dear In a Handful of Dust,
Oh how I was awaiting your release. I recently read your cousin, Not a Drop to Drink, and oh how I loved loved LOVED it and pushed it onto any and all who hadn't read it yet, even going as far as buying a copy for my friend, Sarah. I just knew that you were going to be epic, but sadly, I was a little disappointed in you. Maybe I overhyped myself and that was it. I'm not sure. I mean, don't get me wrong you were still fascinating because I love your world, but I just found you lacking when I compared you to your cousin. 
Of course, you don't follow the same tracks as Not a Drop to Drink. However, you are set in the same world about ten years later, and from a different point of view, Lucy's, who we originally met as a little girl, who Lynn had to basically take under her wing. When a disease basically kills people in their community left and right, Lucy and Lynn decide to leave and head west in hopes of Sanctuary.
Lucy and Lynn meet friends and definitely lots of foes and cray cray peeps, but I just wasn't as interested or sucked into you as I was before. I still can't pinpoint the exact reason why. I wanted to love you as much as I did your cousin, but it just didn't happen. Lucy was a great character, although sometimes I felt she was a little naive, which is to be expected when she was raised in a community unlike Lynn was. It broke my heart what they had to go through concerning the loss of some people, either due to death or just by leaving in general. I missed Stebbs!!!!
You are not without action, although maybe it was little slow. I expected them to run into a lot more trouble than they did, but it was interesting being able to see what was going on in the rest of the world. Although some parts of you were disturbing and full of what the f-ery!!!! I can't speak of it though because spoilers but WOW. Crazy stuff. 
Although I didn't love you to pieces, In a Handful of Dust, I still thought you were a great read. I would warn others not to overly excite themselves over you, because I fear they might be left a little disappointed like I was, but if they want to know more about Lynn and what's happening in the rest of the world after the shortage of drinkable water, then they should definitely pick you up! Three stars to you, In a Handful of Dust, because I liked you but I just didn't OMG LOVE you. 
Thankful for my abundance of drinkable water,
Becca

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