In a Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis

Blurb 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 very 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 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.

This is so gorgeously written, and Lynn is one of the most compelling characters I've ever read. Having said that, I felt that Lynn was such a strong character that she overshadowed Lucy. Not that I minded because I adore Lynn. She does not shy away from getting done what needs to be done. I felt the mountain scenes really showed what she is made of.

The ending felt a little rushed. Things magically happen, and tension is resolved without much explanation. We have this long journey and then it is over within a couple of pages. I needed to see the entire thing and not just the Cliff Notes.

This book really raises the question of whether or not humanity has any decency and integrity left in it. The characters are really pushed to the breaking point, and it illustrates humankind at its most vulnerable. Can people still be good when faced with surviving against the odds? Lynn and Lucy are faced with that question every day. Who to trust or even should you trust at all. Lynn and Lucy make great examples of the spectrum. Lynn trusts no one, and Lucy trusts everyone. Our world is seeing a rise in crime. This book really asks a question relevant to our world.

I really enjoyed this one, and I hope there will be a third book. I would love to see more Lynn in the next one. She is one of my favorite characters.

Content - No sex, but there is a fair amount of language.