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The Water Thief #1
The Water Thief
Hell hath no fury like a ratter scorned.
In a post-apocalyptic world where purified water means life and rainwater means death, ratters struggle to survive while highsiders live in luxury.
When River Quinn, a fiery eighteen-year-old ratter, is released from a decade-long sentence for stealing water for her dying father, she travels home to reunite with her mother--only to discover her mother is gone, and the very highsider who sent her to the Pen now owns her land. With a ragtag group of friends by her side, River sets out to even the score.
THE WATER THIEF is the first in a New Adult dystopian and post-apocalyptic trilogy that boasts diverse characters trying to survive a world devastated by climate change. This ROBIN HOOD retelling addresses our planet's health, the cost of living, and the wealth disparity between classes to give this age-old story a new face. Readers of the HUNGER GAMES will appreciate River’s gritty personality and imperfections.
In a post-apocalyptic world where purified water means life and rainwater means death, ratters struggle to survive while highsiders live in luxury.
When River Quinn, a fiery eighteen-year-old ratter, is released from a decade-long sentence for stealing water for her dying father, she travels home to reunite with her mother--only to discover her mother is gone, and the very highsider who sent her to the Pen now owns her land. With a ragtag group of friends by her side, River sets out to even the score.
THE WATER THIEF is the first in a New Adult dystopian and post-apocalyptic trilogy that boasts diverse characters trying to survive a world devastated by climate change. This ROBIN HOOD retelling addresses our planet's health, the cost of living, and the wealth disparity between classes to give this age-old story a new face. Readers of the HUNGER GAMES will appreciate River’s gritty personality and imperfections.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 5, 2024
66 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Natasha S. Brown
26 books404 followersUSA Today bestselling author Natasha Brown's imagination has always been a distraction. The books she read in the dark past bedtime fed her excitement for fantasy worlds. Once she started writing, there was no stopping her. By day, Natasha’s an assistant teacher at an elementary school, and by night she’s a book cover designer. Her weekends are spent writing and spending time with family.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 28, 2024
3.5 stars.
Here's my story of how I came to read this book: I set out this month to read some of the advanced review copies I already have access to. I was scrolling Netgalley to check on my shelf, when I saw The Water Thief as a "recently added" book. I have been in a post-apocalyptic/dystopian mood lately, so once I read the description and saw it compared to The Hunger Games and other thrilling, quick dystopian reads, I knew I had to request it. And lucky me, it was a "read now" (aka, could access it immediately and not have to wait for publisher approval). I have read nothing else by the author or even heard of her other books.
Now, onto the story itself: in short, I liked it. It was an easy read and had some interesting dystopian elements (harmful rains, pure water is only owned by the government, a huge disparity between wealthy and poor, a work camp/prison you can get sent to at any age for small infractions).
River is our main character, and when we meet her, she is just getting released from "the Pen," a work camp/prison that houses thousands of people convicted to serve time. River's crime? Stealing pure water for her ailing father. She was imprisoned at 8 years old and has just completed her sentence a decade later, at 18.
I think the comparison to The Hunger Games comes in with River's personality and thoughts, more than for plot reasons. River is harsh, very anti-social, and closed off. Remnant of other weary and life-hardened dystopian heroines, for sure.
The plot moves slowly at first, as River attempts to find her way back home and reconnect with her mother. She makes a friend along the way, Ruthless, and they reach River's hometown together. From here, I thought a larger plot would kick in, but instead, the pacing is a bit meandering as River tries to decide what to do next. The pacing here and even into the middle was slower and at times read like a backstory or prequel. It isn't until near the end of the book when a classic anti-government scheme begins, dreamed up by River. This is where my interest was fully hooked and why I will be reading the next book!
Something that felt off at first was River's thought-process. River is SO vengeful. She has a hate-fueled grudge against one person in power, and it drives her to make reckless choices and relentlessly try to cause hurt to that person. It's not until the very end of the story that River steps outside of her personal vendetta mindset. It was hard for me to connect to River in her vendetta stage, and I knew she could make so much of a difference trying to better things for the needy rather than just hurt those with wealth. (And she gets there, too. It was just a long transition.)
On a writing note, the dialogue could be stale. The writing itself was good, but the dialogue (especially emotional dialogue) felt flat at times - though not always!
Overall, I think The Water Thief series has the potential to be a dystopian tale that teens and new adult readers will find captivating. I hope the next book expands the scale and gives us some big action!
.
.
.
.
**content notes: death of a parent (off-screen), violence, attempted sexual assault (vaguely talked about), accidental manslaughter (in a flashback).
**no romance - yet.
Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the gifted ebook copy. All opinions and thoughts are fully and genuinely my own.
Here's my story of how I came to read this book: I set out this month to read some of the advanced review copies I already have access to. I was scrolling Netgalley to check on my shelf, when I saw The Water Thief as a "recently added" book. I have been in a post-apocalyptic/dystopian mood lately, so once I read the description and saw it compared to The Hunger Games and other thrilling, quick dystopian reads, I knew I had to request it. And lucky me, it was a "read now" (aka, could access it immediately and not have to wait for publisher approval). I have read nothing else by the author or even heard of her other books.
Now, onto the story itself: in short, I liked it. It was an easy read and had some interesting dystopian elements (harmful rains, pure water is only owned by the government, a huge disparity between wealthy and poor, a work camp/prison you can get sent to at any age for small infractions).
River is our main character, and when we meet her, she is just getting released from "the Pen," a work camp/prison that houses thousands of people convicted to serve time. River's crime? Stealing pure water for her ailing father. She was imprisoned at 8 years old and has just completed her sentence a decade later, at 18.
I think the comparison to The Hunger Games comes in with River's personality and thoughts, more than for plot reasons. River is harsh, very anti-social, and closed off. Remnant of other weary and life-hardened dystopian heroines, for sure.
The plot moves slowly at first, as River attempts to find her way back home and reconnect with her mother. She makes a friend along the way, Ruthless, and they reach River's hometown together. From here, I thought a larger plot would kick in, but instead, the pacing is a bit meandering as River tries to decide what to do next. The pacing here and even into the middle was slower and at times read like a backstory or prequel. It isn't until near the end of the book when a classic anti-government scheme begins, dreamed up by River. This is where my interest was fully hooked and why I will be reading the next book!
Something that felt off at first was River's thought-process. River is SO vengeful. She has a hate-fueled grudge against one person in power, and it drives her to make reckless choices and relentlessly try to cause hurt to that person. It's not until the very end of the story that River steps outside of her personal vendetta mindset. It was hard for me to connect to River in her vendetta stage, and I knew she could make so much of a difference trying to better things for the needy rather than just hurt those with wealth. (And she gets there, too. It was just a long transition.)
On a writing note, the dialogue could be stale. The writing itself was good, but the dialogue (especially emotional dialogue) felt flat at times - though not always!
Overall, I think The Water Thief series has the potential to be a dystopian tale that teens and new adult readers will find captivating. I hope the next book expands the scale and gives us some big action!
.
.
.
.
**content notes: death of a parent (off-screen), violence, attempted sexual assault (vaguely talked about), accidental manslaughter (in a flashback).
**no romance - yet.
Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the gifted ebook copy. All opinions and thoughts are fully and genuinely my own.
August 14, 2024
The Water Thief is a dystopian YA story that belongs on the shelf next to the likes of Divergent and The Hunger Games.
The way the story is written scratches all the itches I have in regard to plot development, action and resolution. It feels like a prequel in that there’s so much anticipation built for the next book in the series. The writing is fluid and fast paced, it delivers all the necessary world building with the added bonus of being written in a way that’s incredibly easy to read and understand.
The world the story is set in feels like a probable outcome of our own reality. The urban aspects are so relatable and you can imagine where the class divide would fall in today’s society if the rain suddenly became toxic.
River is the embodiment of rage and disillusionment at the reality she’s dealt returning home after ten years imprisonment for trying to help her dying father. I have high hopes for her character development within the continuation of the story.
I am such a sucker for found family tropes and this definitely gave me the warm and fuzzies. I adore Ruthless with all my heart. If she doesn’t find her happiness by the end of this story I will feel personally victimised by Natasha Brown.
Thank you to the author for allowing me access to an advanced copy of The Water Thief, I am leaving an honest review voluntarily.
The way the story is written scratches all the itches I have in regard to plot development, action and resolution. It feels like a prequel in that there’s so much anticipation built for the next book in the series. The writing is fluid and fast paced, it delivers all the necessary world building with the added bonus of being written in a way that’s incredibly easy to read and understand.
The world the story is set in feels like a probable outcome of our own reality. The urban aspects are so relatable and you can imagine where the class divide would fall in today’s society if the rain suddenly became toxic.
River is the embodiment of rage and disillusionment at the reality she’s dealt returning home after ten years imprisonment for trying to help her dying father. I have high hopes for her character development within the continuation of the story.
I am such a sucker for found family tropes and this definitely gave me the warm and fuzzies. I adore Ruthless with all my heart. If she doesn’t find her happiness by the end of this story I will feel personally victimised by Natasha Brown.
Thank you to the author for allowing me access to an advanced copy of The Water Thief, I am leaving an honest review voluntarily.
August 16, 2024
3.5 stars!
A dystopian, post-apocalyptic world, a found-family group of characters and an evil government in the need of toppling? Say no more.
River and her friends (especially Ruthless) were very fun to follow. This book served a lot as exposition to the world and society, but towards the end we get close to the real action.
A dystopian, post-apocalyptic world, a found-family group of characters and an evil government in the need of toppling? Say no more.
River and her friends (especially Ruthless) were very fun to follow. This book served a lot as exposition to the world and society, but towards the end we get close to the real action.
September 26, 2024
Disclaimer: I received an early reader copy from LibraryThing in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
I give the book 3.5 stars. I'll round up to 4 stars for the official rating.
At first I wasn't sure if I would like this book as much as I ended up liking it. The first bit of the book felt overly described, like the author had grabbed a thesaurus and went hog wild. I enjoy when authors show and don't tell but the first chapter or so felt like they were trying a tiny bit too hard. Once the story picked up and the author got into their stride things felt more natural and flowed better. This gave for a pleasant experience. My heart hurt for the people.
I thought the story a great dystopian take on the Robin Hood theme and the world building was interesting. The disparity between classes is truly monumental.
I did struggle with the fact that the main character is supposed to have bright red hair and striking green eyes yet multiple times, she's made eye contact with her adversaries and in at least one instance, they grabbed her red braid and no one has recognized her. I am baffled as to how, I know they have face coverings but still.. She's also very short, which has been pointed out throughout the book and no one has put two and two together. I'm unsure if others in the area also have similar height and coloring as her or if the 'bad guys' are just that dumb.
I do like the dynamics between the characters and her ability to adapt and think on her feet. Its cool to see someone whose had a rough life be that strong willed and warm hearted still. I look forward to reading the second book, because I NEED to know what happens and until I do, I have so many hopes and questions and no answers.
All in all I liked it and would recommend it but a reread will be a while coming.
I give the book 3.5 stars. I'll round up to 4 stars for the official rating.
At first I wasn't sure if I would like this book as much as I ended up liking it. The first bit of the book felt overly described, like the author had grabbed a thesaurus and went hog wild. I enjoy when authors show and don't tell but the first chapter or so felt like they were trying a tiny bit too hard. Once the story picked up and the author got into their stride things felt more natural and flowed better. This gave for a pleasant experience. My heart hurt for the people.
I thought the story a great dystopian take on the Robin Hood theme and the world building was interesting. The disparity between classes is truly monumental.
I did struggle with the fact that the main character is supposed to have bright red hair and striking green eyes yet multiple times, she's made eye contact with her adversaries and in at least one instance, they grabbed her red braid and no one has recognized her. I am baffled as to how, I know they have face coverings but still.. She's also very short, which has been pointed out throughout the book and no one has put two and two together. I'm unsure if others in the area also have similar height and coloring as her or if the 'bad guys' are just that dumb.
I do like the dynamics between the characters and her ability to adapt and think on her feet. Its cool to see someone whose had a rough life be that strong willed and warm hearted still. I look forward to reading the second book, because I NEED to know what happens and until I do, I have so many hopes and questions and no answers.
All in all I liked it and would recommend it but a reread will be a while coming.
August 16, 2024
A story set in a dystopian world where fresh water is scarce and the divide between rich and poor is extreme. The main character is River Quinn and at the start of the book she is returning home after spending 10 years in a prison camp. Along with her friends, she decides to right some of the wrongs in her community.
The story line is potentially very good but I found the writing style quite jarring. This is a young adult book but it felt more geared towards teenagers. The characters were reasonably interesting but the main character was not as appealing as some of the other characters. The point of view of the story is all through River, so this detracted from my enjoyment. The pacing was a bit stop and start and didn't really pick up until the later chapters. Overall, I felt the book lacked any depth but nevertheless, the story line should appeal to a younger audience.
I received a free review copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unedited review.
The story line is potentially very good but I found the writing style quite jarring. This is a young adult book but it felt more geared towards teenagers. The characters were reasonably interesting but the main character was not as appealing as some of the other characters. The point of view of the story is all through River, so this detracted from my enjoyment. The pacing was a bit stop and start and didn't really pick up until the later chapters. Overall, I felt the book lacked any depth but nevertheless, the story line should appeal to a younger audience.
I received a free review copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unedited review.
August 28, 2024
*ARC Review*
The Water Thief is a captivating addition to the dystopian genre. Natasha Brown delivers a fast-paced and easy-to-read story set in a world where toxic rain has created a desperate struggle for water, mirroring real-life environmental issues.
The protagonist, River, is a fierce character who returns home after ten years in prison for trying to save her dying father. Her journey is filled with anger and disillusionment, and readers will be eager to see how she grows in future books. The found family theme shines through, especially in River’s bond with the gang of misfits around her, particularly Ruthless, who readers will root for wholeheartedly.
Even if dystopian tales aren't your usual choice, The Water Thief offers a thrilling and emotional ride. It’s a story filled with action, relatable characters, and important social themes.
Thank you to Natasha Brown for the advanced copy! I can’t wait to see where River's journey takes her next! 🩷
The Water Thief is a captivating addition to the dystopian genre. Natasha Brown delivers a fast-paced and easy-to-read story set in a world where toxic rain has created a desperate struggle for water, mirroring real-life environmental issues.
The protagonist, River, is a fierce character who returns home after ten years in prison for trying to save her dying father. Her journey is filled with anger and disillusionment, and readers will be eager to see how she grows in future books. The found family theme shines through, especially in River’s bond with the gang of misfits around her, particularly Ruthless, who readers will root for wholeheartedly.
Even if dystopian tales aren't your usual choice, The Water Thief offers a thrilling and emotional ride. It’s a story filled with action, relatable characters, and important social themes.
Thank you to Natasha Brown for the advanced copy! I can’t wait to see where River's journey takes her next! 🩷
December 30, 2024
This story makes me think of Robin Hood crossed over with Divergent.
In my personal opinion, this first book is mainly written to give us a really deep dive into main character River and a lot of world building. I felt that the first half of the book was slow pace do to this, but the tension, action and overal storyline pick up in the second half.
The writing is pleasant, but was a little bland at times. Do to the fact that there is no spice and hardly any fighting/harmful scenes, I think this book is perfect for YA readers. As I said, it gave me a lot of flashback to the Robin Hood story of my childhood with the fox against the lion. Set in a world alike to the movie Divergent or the Hunger games.
While I prefer stories with spice and a heavier action/ tension element, the story end does make me wonder what will become of River and her friends.
So for me this was a 3,5/5⭐️
In my personal opinion, this first book is mainly written to give us a really deep dive into main character River and a lot of world building. I felt that the first half of the book was slow pace do to this, but the tension, action and overal storyline pick up in the second half.
The writing is pleasant, but was a little bland at times. Do to the fact that there is no spice and hardly any fighting/harmful scenes, I think this book is perfect for YA readers. As I said, it gave me a lot of flashback to the Robin Hood story of my childhood with the fox against the lion. Set in a world alike to the movie Divergent or the Hunger games.
While I prefer stories with spice and a heavier action/ tension element, the story end does make me wonder what will become of River and her friends.
So for me this was a 3,5/5⭐️
August 5, 2024
While this book is not my normal reading fare I’m glad I took a chance. River and her gang of misfits captivated me from page one. River with her tough as nails but heart of gold as she fights for what is right and finds out things in her past that she was not expecting. I can’t wait to read her next adventure and find out if maybe she has a change of heart to become something other than a ratter to make a difference with her change in status or if she sticks true to her roots and makes the ratters better than before in more ways than she has started.
September 16, 2024
A captivating read with a great concept and plot.
After being released from prison after 10 years River returns home to find her mother dead and herself homeless.
I enjoyed reading as River grew as a character and opened herself up to friendship and trust
At times she did annoy me when being so thoughts and rash but overall I enjoyed her character development.
I am looking forward to the next book to find out what happens next!
After being released from prison after 10 years River returns home to find her mother dead and herself homeless.
I enjoyed reading as River grew as a character and opened herself up to friendship and trust
At times she did annoy me when being so thoughts and rash but overall I enjoyed her character development.
I am looking forward to the next book to find out what happens next!
September 6, 2024
The Water Thief is not my usual reading, but I enjoyed it so much. River was a Robin Hood character. I can see that the Hunger Games feel will be in future books. River is a character that although she was given a rough hand in life, sees that people deserve better and those that take advantage of the lower classes deserve to be knocked down a few pegs in life. Everything she did, she did for the good of people not for her own sake. I really liked the fact that she was very aware of those willing to help her and her priority was keeping them safe.
As I started the book, I was not sure what I was going to be reading. Would this be a poor me? Look at all I lost in the world and how alone I am or a story of revenge? It is a little bit of both but more of a girl coming into herself, finding her tribe, and getting revenge on the people who put her into the life she is living. I was invested in River. I was invested in the way she was choosing to live her life and the choices she was making to find a way to help her town. She realized and was willing to help not herself but those who deserve better.
I will be excited to move forward with this trilogy.
As I started the book, I was not sure what I was going to be reading. Would this be a poor me? Look at all I lost in the world and how alone I am or a story of revenge? It is a little bit of both but more of a girl coming into herself, finding her tribe, and getting revenge on the people who put her into the life she is living. I was invested in River. I was invested in the way she was choosing to live her life and the choices she was making to find a way to help her town. She realized and was willing to help not herself but those who deserve better.
I will be excited to move forward with this trilogy.
unfinished
February 23, 2025Content Rating: 🟠 (estimated)
Language: None so far.
Violence: Mild. Fighting, some blood. Accidental manslaughter.
Sex/Nudity: Moderate. Possible reference to child sexual abuse. Innuendos. Mentions of attempted sexual assault.
LGBTQ+ Content: None so far.
My Review: ⭐⭐ DNF
I read to chapter 2.
The writing struck me as a little dry. Too much description in some places and not enough in others. A lot of the action felt underwhelming and the pacing was slow. Some of the word choices are odd too, and I'm pretty sure some vocabulary is used incorrectly. Some sentences feel awkward.
The content isn't as clean as I'd like for a YA book. Lots of vague innuendos, right from the start. There is some violence, but I wouldn't expect it to get bad. No language so far, but can't guarantee there won't be any later.
Find more clean reads on my site (link in bio). Follow me to easily see my content reviews (if available) when you look up books here on Goodreads.
Language: None so far.
Violence: Mild. Fighting, some blood. Accidental manslaughter.
Sex/Nudity: Moderate. Possible reference to child sexual abuse. Innuendos. Mentions of attempted sexual assault.
LGBTQ+ Content: None so far.
My Review: ⭐⭐ DNF
I read to chapter 2.
The writing struck me as a little dry. Too much description in some places and not enough in others. A lot of the action felt underwhelming and the pacing was slow. Some of the word choices are odd too, and I'm pretty sure some vocabulary is used incorrectly. Some sentences feel awkward.
The content isn't as clean as I'd like for a YA book. Lots of vague innuendos, right from the start. There is some violence, but I wouldn't expect it to get bad. No language so far, but can't guarantee there won't be any later.
Find more clean reads on my site (link in bio). Follow me to easily see my content reviews (if available) when you look up books here on Goodreads.
December 17, 2025
the first feeling that I have reading this book is that it really feel like a western, and at the same time with a mix of water world but in a desert kind of place... let just assume, most water is tainted if you drink rain water you'll probably get sick, our main character River Quinn, you know what I saw her like a smaller pixie version of River Song from doctor who, even more with her mother being named Melody ahhah but that’s for me to know and for you to find out, but going back to River, she was sent to prison because she tried to steal water, and her father was killed when that happened, during the 10 years in the prison, River dreamt of coming back to her mother and learnt all she could to be able to survive inside and out of jail...
the story was ok, maybe not what I was imagining what I was going into, but it was ok, it has a very well though dystopian society where the difference between rich and poor people its abysmal...
Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
the story was ok, maybe not what I was imagining what I was going into, but it was ok, it has a very well though dystopian society where the difference between rich and poor people its abysmal...
Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
September 21, 2024
Water Thief tells the story of River, an 18 year old orphan just released from 10 years in a prison work camp for stealing water for her dying father. Earth has become less than habitable - the air is not clean enough to breathe without a mask, and most fresh water is contaminated. The Hastings company has a monopoly on clean water, but prices are so high that many of the poor resort to drinking poisonous rain water. Finding life on the poor side worse than when she left, River vows to change things by liberating water from the rich and distributing it to the poor.
The novel is fast paced with compelling characters and erudite writing. "My high laced boots squished in the edge of the bog, disturbing a thick film of algae, freeing the sulfurous and rotting stench from its depths." I enjoyed reading it and look forward to the sequel.
The novel is fast paced with compelling characters and erudite writing. "My high laced boots squished in the edge of the bog, disturbing a thick film of algae, freeing the sulfurous and rotting stench from its depths." I enjoyed reading it and look forward to the sequel.
August 3, 2024
This is not a trope I would normally read, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
There are plenty of action scenes - all involving River Quinn, the Water Thief.
And it ends on a cliffhanger... I can't wait to read what happens in Book Two.
There are plenty of interesting side characters and a hint of a possible romance - or two - in the future.
You will be cheering on River and her 'ratter' friends as they seek ways to redress the balance between the highsiders (haves) and the ratters (have nots).
Bring on The Games!
There are plenty of action scenes - all involving River Quinn, the Water Thief.
And it ends on a cliffhanger... I can't wait to read what happens in Book Two.
There are plenty of interesting side characters and a hint of a possible romance - or two - in the future.
You will be cheering on River and her 'ratter' friends as they seek ways to redress the balance between the highsiders (haves) and the ratters (have nots).
Bring on The Games!
October 10, 2024
The Water Thief, after miraculously surviving years in a brutal prison for children, is heading home to reunite with her mother. Tough but compassionate, she's a character readers will immediately route for. I highly recommend this first book in the series, and I can hardly wait for the next to be released.
April 3, 2025
Loved it!!
I really liked this book. Great start to a new series. Can't wait to read the next one. This book was free on Amazon when I got it. Go check it out. 😁
I really liked this book. Great start to a new series. Can't wait to read the next one. This book was free on Amazon when I got it. Go check it out. 😁
June 22, 2025
Water Theif
Fabulous book! A tale of friendship and growth, coming back home, having nothing and nothing to lose. Making a difference never sounded so good!
Fabulous book! A tale of friendship and growth, coming back home, having nothing and nothing to lose. Making a difference never sounded so good!
October 15, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed the first of a trilogy by Natasha Brown. A dystopian YA fantasy fiction book, it's filled with uncertainty and heroics in the form of an eighteen year old woman who's ready to change the status quo. She's fierce and determined to right the wrongs of the lopsided world she's now in after leaving the Pen on a false charge.
Her friends are equally strong willed, humorous and impulsive, like many young people I know. It also reminded me of my own youth - full of idealism and courage.
This book is a shout into the future and what it might hold a hundred years from now. Take note.
I look forward to the second book, The Guardian Games.
Her friends are equally strong willed, humorous and impulsive, like many young people I know. It also reminded me of my own youth - full of idealism and courage.
This book is a shout into the future and what it might hold a hundred years from now. Take note.
I look forward to the second book, The Guardian Games.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews