Parched

by Melanie Crowder

A mesmerizing debut about a girl, a boy, and a dog struggling to survive in a parched and barren land.

Sarel is a girl with secrets. She knows which tree roots reach down deep to pools of precious water. But now she must learn how to keep herself and her dogs alive. Nandi is the leader of those dogs. She knows they can’t last long without water—and she knows, too, that a boy is coming; a boy with the water song inside him.

Musa is that boy. His talent for finding water got him kidnapped by brutal men, yet he's escaped, running away across the thirsty land that nearly claims his life. And so Sarel, Musa, and the dogs come together in what might be their last hope of survival.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Survival, Dystopia, Young Adult, Fiction, Adventure

144 pages, Hardcover

First published June 4, 2013

About the author

Melanie Crowder graduated in 2011 with an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is the author of JUMPER, MAZIE, THREE PENNIES, AN UNINTERRUPTED VIEW OF THE SKY, A NEARER MOON, AUDACITY, PARCHED, and THE LIGHTHOUSE BETWEEN THE WORLDS and A WAY BETWEEN WORLDS.

A West Coast girl at heart, Melanie now lives and writes in the beautiful state of Colorado.

Reviews

[Akoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book left me hungry. Hungry for more details about the main characters and the world the story took place in. For me it ended too soon and those are the only things I didn't like.

I love the writing. It's short, sharp and packed with emotion all at once. The book is told from three POVs and I enjoyed each one of them equally but I have to say my favorite is Nandi. I personally tend to shy from books with animal narration but this one? I'm so glad I took the chance.
The characters had to face numerous dangerous situations caused by nature and other human beings.

Both Sarel and Musa have an extremely heavy emotional baggage. Although most of the immediate issues were resolved I wanted to know more. I wanted to know more about Musa's relationship with his brother, and Sarel's relationship with her parents.

Now for the world building, I'm not sure what to say. I didn't find anything specific, it seems more of a combination of worlds. I noticed some post natural disaster theme, and a hint of post apocalyptic world. Everything happens in a desert setting that reminds me of parts of the African Savannah mixed with some other deserts you can find in the United States.

The author didn't waste words on description, instead you learn about the environment from the characters themselves. The same goes for physical features. I had no idea what Sarel looked like until Musa met her and vice versa. I noticed a variety of skin colors and hair which led me to speculate that this book could be a nice addition to my diversity bookshelf. But I believe it's up to everyone's interpretation which isn't a bad thing.

The events in the book are a bit harsh and mildly graphic but I think the book does a very good job portraying how resilient a human being can be. It's all about survival and courage.

[Cameryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parched is about 2 children and a few dogs finding a safe home and water. The main charachters are Sarel, a girl who lost her parents in a fire and has a hidden talent, Musa, a boy who got kidnapped because he also has a secret talent, Ubali, one of Sarel's dogs, and Nundi and her puppies, another one of Sarel's dogs. Sarelwent a long time living and taking care of herself and her dogs. Nundi was kidnapped and is dying of dehydration. My favorite character is Nundi because I love how protective Nundi is over Sarel, she is like a big momma bear! I can relate to Nundi because Nundi has a role in protecting her family (Sarel, puppies, and Ubali) and i have to do that for my sisters. I felt the same when Sarel pulled the bullet out of Ubali, she was taking care of him. I thought this book was stunning because it has amazing imagery and I feel like I am there with them. My favorite part is when Sarel and Musa meet. My least favorite is when Sarel's parents die. If I could change anything, I would wish Musa had a companion also. I would definatley recomend this book to everyone!

[Clay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somewhere between 4 and 5 stars. Really loved this story of a realistic dystopia where water is scarce; brave girl, Sarel; her pack of heroic Ridgebacks; and enslaved savant-dowser boy, Musa. Short, tight, moving, poetic and very nicely done.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book caught my attention from the moment I saw the cover and its title. Once I began reading it, I was torn between savoring the language (and gulping some water to soothe the dryness evoked in my own sympathetic throat) and racing to its conclusion to find out what would happen to the three main characters. One of the best parts of the book is how readers can't be sure whether the events are taking place somewhere in a modern setting where gangs in search of water have formed or whether it represents our own future. Instead of diamonds and oil, perhaps water will become the most important resource of all, and those who have it or know how to find it will be endangered. The story centers on Sarel who draws on the knowledge about plants that her mother taught her; Nandi, the loyal Rhodesian ridgeback who protects and guides Sarel; and Musa, a diviner who escapes from kidnappers in the city and then is drawn to the water he senses in somewhere in the desert. The author describes the desert's unrelenting heat and the grotto from which Sarel is drawing the last drops of water vividly. Although I'm not sure how the characters will manage to stay safe from any outsiders who venture their way, I was relieved at the way the story ended. This one will prompt much reflection and conversation.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

PARCHED, just the name has ya thinking hot, dry and thirsty. The cover also captures the tone of the book very well. Melanie Crowder imagines a barren world in which water supplies have dried up. What little left is being hunted down by armed thugs. It is a sad place, one where Sarel losses her parents in a struggle to hold onto the food that they were able to find among the barren soil. One leaving Sarel to tend to the family dogs and the little knowledge her mother left her about which roots can survive and what left is edible. It is also a place where a young boy, Musa is kept in chains because of his ability to track down the water that is deep within the soil. Yet, among this place the two are brought together in hopes that they can find a way to survive. Parched is classified as Literary Upper Middle Grade Fiction, so right around 5th to 8th grade. This is defiantly one book that will make you feel. Feel for the children, the dissolution of the circumstance and yet also leave you with alot to think about.


My review copy was provided by the lovely Casey and Natalie over at Literary Rambles http://www.literaryrambles.com/ as a part of a giveaway from the author and her publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. So a big thank you to all for the ARC of Parched.

[K.A. Barson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each word in this novel packs a punch. None are wasted, which beautifully illustrates how every drop of water is a matter of life or death for these fabulous characters. Told from three different points of view, including a dog (which I LOVED), this story is a wellspring of emotion. From page one, I was invested in each one and wanted them to not only survive but to thrive. While prose, it reads like poetry. So much so that I found myself dwelling in a phrase and savoring it before continuing, much like main character Sarel would appreciate every sip of water, letting them wash over her parched mouth before swallowing. A powerful reminder of the precious, life-giving resource of water. I highly recommend this book!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling debut novel that titillatingly straddles a line between fantasy and reality and should prompt mmany questions and much discussion.

[Lenore Appelhans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man! I should have known that pack of cute dogs + drought + evil gang = animal death. Never mind me. Just crying in my cornflakes.

[Mary Bleckwehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love to read about the resiliency of children, this is it.

[justice · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You're telling me that you can hear water? Water that's under the ground?"

What a beautiful book! It was very short so I read it under the span of an hour but I loved it so much. The three narrators in this story are Nandi, Sarel, and Musa. All of them have been affected by a serious drought that has caused gangs to form and living life in fear. Sarel's parents die at the beginning of the book and she and her dogs, Nandi and the others, are forced to learn survival. The most prominent gang has taken Musa into custody, using him to help find water as he claims that he has the ability to hear where water is, a talented dowser. Eventually they come together and search for water, living in fear of the gang returning.

It's very vaguely written. You don't learn much about the character's personalities and their backstory is slowly uncovered, and not with much depth, but instead of taking away from the story it adds to it. It's a simple tale that almost feels like a short story and even without knowing them personally you feel the connection. And you also almost understand why you don't know them well. In this desperate situation their mind is stuck on one thing: survival, and so you are as well. It's short and simple, the writing style and the story, yet still so emotional.

Overall a really great book and a quick read that I feel is meant to be read in one sitting.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Words that aptly describe this book: mesmerizing, thirsty, sparse, engrossing, moving, quiet, and surprisingly full-to-overflowing. It's not necessarily a happy book--rather a cross section of the lives of some seriously tough children, scraping a tough living from a barren land--and so it'd be hard for me to describe it as one I thoroughly enjoyed, but I was drawn in by the author's skillful self-editing and the evocative imagery and emotional energy. The connection to our earth's life blood (fresh water) seeped through every page, and the sparsity of the language really made you feel every single drop. A very impressive debut.

One note: I really loathe the cover artwork. I feel like it looks childish and dated and I almost didn't pick up the novel because of it (I know, I KNOW, the adage...). I'm very happy I didn't go with my gut based on cover art.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story screams to be read quickly. It is difficult to imagine that children can witness their parents' death by people who are desperate for water, and in anger, they shoot to kill and set fire to the small home. This heart-wrenching story is told from three points of view, the girl Sarel, whose parents died, a boy Musa who is enslaved because he has the gift of dowsing, and Nandi, the lead dog of a pack of Rhodesian Ridgebacks that belong to Sarel's father. The descriptions of the drought and the terrible thirst are vivid, and the persistence of these children to fight to survive shows us how little we really know about people in other parts of the world who are managing to live in unbelievable situations. It is a book with spare text that won't let you quit until the end. It is not as fully developed, but when reading I was reminded of my feelings when I first read Night by Elie Wiesel.

[Victoria Villa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book "Parched" by Melanie Crowder is a good book in my opinion. I'd recommend this book to 6th and 7th graders. I'd also recommend this book to people who like the book "A Long Walk to Water". This book is about how a family suffered a fire and how it effected there lifes. It's also about how the "family" had to learn how to take care of themselves and there dogs.

[Connor Lefevre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very interesting book, hard to understand though. It skipped around a lot, and it was easy to make you forget what was going on because it jumped around so much. Overall though it was really interesting and put well together.

[Jilanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stark and disturbing dystopian novel that ends with a glimmer of hope for a pair of kids living in a water-challenged world. Tremendous sense of place. The initial situation made bearable because it's written from the POV of a dog. Great book, but not for the faint of heart.

[Laiba Basit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book. I really liked the writing, and the whole thing about not having water at all gives you an entirely new perspective. I did not like the way the animals died or the story ended so abruptly, but other than that, this is really amazing-

[Nancy McGinley Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful. I love Melanie Crowder's writing!

[Michelle Hickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great dystopian tale for early teens. Set in a world where water is extremely precious. This book is written from three points of view, including a dog. It is an engrossing story and the subject matter makes for a potential modern classic for class study.

[Tate Webley · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was the best book i have ever read

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brutal struggle for life.

[Sherry Tobin · Rating 2 out of 5]

We finished it but did not enjoy it. The language was pretty but storyline very slow

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart-wrenching story of children facing a climate crisis--a war for water.

[David Yu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parched is a decent book. The story is great. It is able to inspire many people, while having a sad touch throughout the whole story. Even though the two main characters, Sarel and Musa, are saved from certain death by finding an underground lake, they still lost their parents and siblings. A flaw of this book is that the narration possibly could be confusing. Different characters narrate at certain times, including one of Sarel's dogs. Although the language of the characters that narrate are excellent, a reader could get mixed up with who's who. One of the best suspects of Parched is the imagery Melanie Crowder uses to project an image into the reader's mind. One could almost smell the hot and arid desert air and see the barren land. To add to that, when a reader finished the book, they would feel a sort of determination to accomplish a task. Overall, this was a good book to read.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Musa has a special talent: he can hear water and knows how to dowse for it when it's near. In a parched and dried up land where all the fresh water has run out, his abilities mark him as useful. Chained up and mistreated, Musa is forced to dowse for the gangs that run the city.
Sarel watched her parents die for their secret water source, kept safe only by her preternaturally smart dog Nandi. Now she must find more water before her family's hidden well runs out - it could be any day now. Sarel must keep herself and her dogs alive with only the knowledge her mother taught her about the desert.

A colleague recommended this book to me, and though I felt it started a little weakly, it read very quickly and came to a satisfying conclusion. I am a bit confused as to why we placed it in Young Adult, as despite some fairly non-graphic violence it read more on a late elementary school to middle school level. I was excited to discover that the dogs, Nandi and her pack, are Rhodesian Ridgebacks - a breed I am very familiar with as I grew up with one. Consequently, I felt they were portrayed very well; they were so smart that Nandi even got some of her own POV chapters.
The story was laid out in an interesting way: opening with the murder of Sarel's parents from Nandi's point of view and running from there to Musa's introduction in chains. There is little setting described and the world is not set up directly. The big picture is mostly hinted at instead of written out, although it would seem to be somewhere in Africa. I thought Crowder was going to pull a twist and set it in the US or somewhere prosperous and full of water currently, but it didn't happen.
I liked Sarel and Musa - they're both hurt by their experiences and it shows in their interactions. The pack of dogs are good characters, too, and the book is aided by the peeks we get into Nandi's consciousness. The place (despite lack of description) and it's climate are omnipresent in the story, having effects on everyone in the book. By the end I felt like I knew Sarel's home with it's secret grotto and well, and I hurt for her when it ran out. The sense of desperation overwhelmed the story (in a good way).

I'd recommend this title for mature 4th and 5th graders on up through middle school. It might also make for a good hi-lo book since the reading level is quite easy.

[Stacy Nyikos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summer has come and gone so quickly, fortunately packed with a lot of amazing reads. Which made choosing this first Fall review hard! I decided to go with my fellow Vermont College friend and amazing writer, Melanie Crowder's first book, Parched. You might argue that I'll be slightly biased in my review of this work, but this story, from its inklings to final version, won a few prestigious VCFA awards, landed Melanie her agent and first book contract. It doesn't need my bias. It stands... shines... all on its own.

Very succinctly, the story chronicles the struggles of a girl surviving on the parched African savanna and a boy escaping a d(r)ying city in search of water.

In only 160 pages, Crowder develops characters and situations so powerful they have followed me throughout all of my other reads. It's a little bit magical how she does this. It's as if she discovered Hemingway's secret for parsimony. The writing is sparse but fully packed. In some ways, it's as if poetic style has been applied to prose. For that reason alone, if you're looking for tricks of the trade, Crowder's work will keep you up nights deconstructing to figure out just how she does it.

POV is used extremely deftly. Whenever the story follows either child, POV is omniscient/close 3rd. However, this is interspersed with an unusual 1st person perspective from the POV of the main hunting dog. These short chapters are like a raw, direct, honest emotional punch that jolts the reader and pulls them deeper into story.

Finally, this story itself works like a dip into the pool of all the story that is going on around the characters. Crowder shows only what needs showing, while nevertheless belying a sense of extreme depth to her characters.

Spoiler Alert: Dogs do get hurt in this book. Yes, it is another dead dog book. My kids may never forgive me for buying it for them and urging them to read it. Protest signs against parental evilness line the walls of our house. I can think of no greater compliment for Crowder. She pulled them in. She made them care. She made them mourn and KEEP READING.

Move over Where the Red Fern Grows. There is a new contender for greatness.

For more great reads, stroll over to Barrie Summy's site. She's serving them up cool and refreshing!

[Julissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

***SPOILER ALERT***
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you like books that have suvival then this is the book you should read the book is called Parched. The genre of the book is fiction.In my opinion I think that this book seems interesting.It has lot of dogs envolving with this book.

The books setting is in a hot desert. This book is about a girl named sarel she has many dogs but the hardest part of her life is that her parents have died and she is all alone only her and her dogs.Then there is a boy named Musa he knows where to find water wich is estentiol in the hot desert. Sarel has dogs so she needs to give them water.Musa has been kidnapped many times they capture him to make him find water.The leader of the dogs is nandi she takes care of her own little puppies AND Sarel.The type of conflict is person v.s nature since sarel has to struggle without water qand trying to find it.

I had liked the title a lot. Parched is a good title for the book because it tells you a lot just from the begining PARCHED already tells you somthing like words in your mind DRY, SUN,BRIGHT,SAND AND SCORCHING. The point of view of the story is 3rd person point of view.The part that was scary is when sarel had to take the bullet from one of the dogs.

The characater that most relates me is Sarel, since she has to struggle at points and has ups and downs but you cant not give up.The characters actiomns wrre not believeable when sarel had to take the bullet out i wouldn't do that it would make me scared.This book makes me wonder what if we lived in a desert and we only had a little bit of water we would need to go and search for it.

Overall I give this book 5 stars because it uses a lot of details about the characters snd how they feel by theire sides for everery chapter there is a different characters point of view. I would recommend this book to people who like survival books.So yeah you should read this book it is very amazing and detailed. I hope you guys read it. ok.

[Kristen Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parched is a book that took me by surprise. Told from the point of view of a girl named Sarel, a boy named Musa, and also Nandi, a dog, it's set in a desert setting where the water has dried up and gangs are willing to kill for any source of water. Parched opens to such a scene, Sarel's parents being killed and Sarel herself escaping with the help of the dogs, especially Nandi. Her source of water is running out and her mother's garden was destroyed in the struggle and resulting fire, giving her little food. Not wanting to leave, she tries to make the best of her situation.

Musa is a boy who can seek water, he learned from his mother but has a magical sense and can hear the water. He was taken from his family by a gang and lives in change, only let out to help find water. When they reach another gang's territory to look for water, things go south and he is able to run away and find his freedom, searching out water on the way. It's this sense that brings him to Sarel and her dogs, who is weary of him at best. Together, they must find their future, along with enough food and water to survive.

Sensing a deep lake, Musa hides his talent at first from Sarel, not trusting her and worried over being taken advantage of again. It takes time for him to warm up and show Sarel his talent and how it can help them. Unfortunately it looks as though the gang is looking for Musa and they will have to defend themselves with nothing but dogs and themselves.

I was blown away by this book, which really had a overlying hunger and thirst held over this area. I felt for Musa and Sarel throughout the book and found myself rooting for the two to find the source of water that could change everything. There's a certain terror in dystopian books, the gangs that take over and do as they feel to get by and using others in horrific ways to do so.

Final Verdict: Parched was a quick and powerful read that really looked at what would happen if water was scarce.

[Elissa Schaeffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book sat on my bedside table for too long. I knew I wanted to read it, I knew it would be good, but it took some time for me be ready to read it. You know you are getting a brutal story. It even says so in the blurb by Kathi Appelt on the cover. Brutal. But don't let it stop you, it is hard to bear sometimes but it's such a worthwhile read.

As the title describes, it's a dry and barren world. Whether it's the future, the present, or some other time setting, is unknown. But water is scarce and the world is a dangerous place because of that. Sarel is a young girl who lives with her family and their Rhodesian Ridgebacks (aka African Lion Dogs). In the first chapter Nandi, who appears to be the leader of the dog pack, keeps Sarel out of harm's way when marauders burn her family's farm and kill both her parents. We go on to hear from Sarel's point of view as she struggles to overcome the grief and try to survive. We then meet Musa, a boy who was kidnapped and forced to be a slave for a local gang in order to help them find water as Musa has the gift of water dowsing.

The text is sparse, but so is the world these characters live in. It's dangerous and there's death. But there's hope, there is the will to survive. It is a brutal environment and it is a brutal read, but it's an excellent one, as well.

Recommended for those readers who can handle such a story, especially for those that were moved by Linda Sue Park's A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story. Ages 10+.

[☼Bookish in Virginia☼ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved every part of this book... but the ending. The last part of the story just felt rushed to me, and surprisingly disjointed from the rest of the book.

Not to mention that it was something of a downer. [I've got two middle-schoolers (okay, one is going to be one next term) and I know they would get dragged low by how things worked out. They're still at the stage where they like happy endings.]

That said, I am so impressed with Crowder's wordsmithing. PARCHED deserves much praise for the author's word choice and ability to evoke a feeling and sense of place. You will feel thirsty. You will feel like you are roasting under a boiling sun.

**SPOILERS** **SPOILERS**

PARCHED is written at the mid-5th Grade level and it's definitely Cli-fi (climate based fiction), which might make it a good choice for English teachers looking for an alternative to OLD YELLER and WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS. (You know, books where the dog dies)

**END SPOILERS** **SPOILERS END**

There is no graphic violence, and no cursing. The dark tone and interesting story line should appeal to Young Adults as well as middle-schoolers. In fact, it might appeal more to the YA crowd as the pacing is not always quick.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a country with no water, Sarel watches her parents get shot as men search for their well—which they don’t find. Sarel is left alone with her father’s pack of Rhodesian ridgeback dogs to fend for herself. Musa is a water dowser, imprisoned by a local gang and only released from his chains to search for water. When his chance comes, he flees, always in search of water. What he finds is Sarel and her dogs. Can they survive together, and find water?

I couldn’t tell if this were a dystopia, or just set in an African country based on one of those having such terrible droughts, so I felt a little off-balance all through it for that reason; maybe that was the author’s goal, though, since this could so easily happen/probably is already happening. I liked the way of telling, with the dog’s voice adding a thread of magical realism, and thought the world was beautifully constructed. The characters were believable, and the book was well-structured. I can’t see this appealing to many kids, though-—I think it will be a really tough sell. Like some of the other books I’ve read recently (Vine Basket, for example), it’s a ‘spinach’ book-—good for kids, but can you get them to read it on their own?