California in the future when most of the world population has been wiped out by an unknown virus finds small enclaves up and down the coast connected by trade and policed by an overall police force. Study, and education are frowned upon except for what is need for a person's particular job in their town. When a trouble shooter from a town that supplies water from a desalination plant goes out to investigate a malfunctioning pump it the pipeline he makes a discovery that there is more going on the population suspect and it will eventually effect everyone. It's all about water. The time is an unnamed date in the future. The dreaded "Passim Virus" has struck Earth, killing untold millions of people. Cities have also been destroyed, leaving behind small towns of people who don't like "smart" people, people who seek knowledge. They live by hunting, fishing, and trading. And by operating huge desalination plants. Even the Internet was destroyed; the remains of it are used for communication among the people. And the Fibs maintain police control over all, shooting all "marauders", those who live outside their control in the wilderness.Roy, who has learned to keep his studies and knowledge to himself, has noticed something very strange: The amounts of water being processed in the desalination plants didn't make any sense for the numbers of people left. But he can't tell anyone, because he'll be branded a troublemaker and maybe even get shot for his trouble.Roy doesn't set out to find out the reason but ends up following various trails and does indeed find out why.It's been too long since I've read any science fiction, and H2O is a good way to get back into it. This story kept me up all night! I just couldn't stop reading, wanting to know what happened next. And what happened after that. And after that ...Most of the action takes place on the west coast of what is now the United States, now part of the "Territory". It was great fun for this native West-coaster to read the names of towns and try to figure out what the original names were. I'm guessing "Port Orford" might have been "Port Orchard", but I could be completely wrong. "Yachats" I never did figure out. And it could be that the names weren't meant to represent real towns. I think they were, though.Some small miscues here and there, but overall, a fun and highly recommended read.
What do You think about H2O (2012)?
Don't waste your time. The first half of the book is intriguing, but it went downhill from there.
—stacey
Post apocalypse sci-fi. Quick read. I'd read more in this series.
—Del
