H2O

Ruby Morris heard about the asteroid that almost collided with Earth--"honestly, it was boring"--but years later, dust from that boring asteroid infects water molecules with an alien virus that kills humans on contact. Alone and thirsty, Ruby holds tightly to the unlikely hope that her father is still alive. Ruby's diary-style narration lends some dark comedy to the post-apocalyptic doom and gloom.

Of course Ruby Morris heard about the asteroid that almost collided with Earth: "We'd seen the stuff about it on the Internet," Ruby says, "and honestly, it was boring." But years later, while Ruby is lounging in a hot tub with her crush, dust from that boring asteroid bonds with the atmosphere, infecting water molecules with an alien virus that kills humans on contact. Ruby escapes the first deadly storm by the skin of her teeth, but soon afterward she is alone and thirsty, stranded in a grisly suburban landscape littered with the bodies of her friends and neighbors. Bergin presents Ruby's story as a firsthand document of life after widespread disaster. The diary-style narration emphasizes Ruby's distinctly teenage response to society's end -- she rescues too many abandoned pets, loots her favorite boutiques without shame, and holds tightly to the unlikely hope that her father is still alive -- and her strong, spontaneous voice lends a touch of dark comedy to the post-apocalyptic doom and gloom. The challenges Ruby faces on the road to locate her father are significant, but watching Ruby