Book Review: H2O by Virginia Bergin
When we think of Science Fiction, we predominantly think of Star Wars and superhero movies. In addition to those branches of the genre, Science Fiction also includes stories like H2O. This sci-fi story is not futuristic with advanced technology, but a present-day novel set within an apocalypse. H2O was written by Virginia Bergin and was originally published in the United Kingdom in 2014 under the title The Rain.
This book follows a 15-year-old girl, Ruby, struggling to survive when the apocalypse begins while she is out with her friends. The book is based in England in a town called Dartbridge, which is the perfect location for the book to follow due to the high percentage of rainfall. The apocalypse is being caused by killer rain, which has contaminated all fresh and saltwater. Even the dew left on the grass each morning is tainted. The format of this book could be a little different for some. It is written as if it were Ruby’s journal. It is primarily written in first-person, but also addresses the reader in the second-person in a few parts of the novel.
Ruby is left on her own to survive. Like any 15-year-old girl, she does not always think clearly, which can jeopardize her survival. At first, her only goal is to simply survive. She soon realizes that she may not be able to survive on her own for much longer. She sets out to find her father who might not even be alive. Through her journey, she meets a few people who could potentially help her, or alternatively, make things worse for her.
In her struggle to find food and untainted water, Ruby meets Darius, a boy she went to school with. While his ways of survival were much more logical than Ruby’s, with the complications with the new world she finds herself in, she still encountered copious amounts of stress, which caused her to breakdown and go on a rampage. While he helped Ruby survive, Darius also took care of a young girl who would not talk. Darius was the logical person in this troupe, while Ruby was often bossy and irrational under pressure.
While there are several options that Ruby could explore to survive, her priority was finding her father. There were places where she knew she would be safe, but she insisted on focusing on the search for him. A trek across the country to his house revealed only an empty dwelling. Despite this, she never gave up, no matter how many times she had to dodge the rain or find a new car when the gas ran low. No matter how high the stress of survival, ruby always stayed on track.
As a fan of the Doomsday branch of Science Fiction, I would highly recommend this book. It has everything from teenage drama, to crime, to survival tactics. If you are a fan of any sort of apocalypse, you would likely enjoy this novel. Even if you prefer contemporary writing, this may be a satisfying read for you. The subject matter includes relatable problems teenagers face with trying to fit in, whether it be with looks or popularity. If you do happen to read this novel and enjoy it, Virginia Bergin wrote a sequel called The Storm, which also follows Ruby’s story of survival in the face of killer rain.
Bergin, Virginia. H2O. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Fire, 2015.