First off, let me preface this by saying I did enjoy this book.

It was interesting, and well-written. You genuinely feel empathy for the characters, and given the ongoing climate crisis, let's face it, this could be our future one day.

However, I feel like, either the book needed to be longer, or there needs to be a sequel. There is too much left unanswered, and so much tension is built up, only for it to dissipate in a handful of pages. I wanted to know more about the events that took place before those in the book. What is the project people are working on? What happens in the rest of the country after the events in the book? What happens to the government? (Trying not to put spoilers!)

That being said, like I said, I really did enjoy it, and I would recommend it to those who like their post-apocalyptic stories a little less heavy.

Thank you Netgalley and Open Sky Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Standing Water" by Wendy Day is a captivating and immersive tale that explores themes of family and survival in a world grappling with scarcity and governmental intrigue. If you are a fan of dystopian YA fiction, then you will definitely enjoy this book. While dystopian fiction has died down a bit in the past few years, maybe this is a sign that the genre is making a triumphant return. I definitely enjoyed reading this book!

Set in a small town ten years after a devastating war, the story follows sixteen-year-old Jamie as she navigates the challenges of life in a world where water is becoming increasingly scarce. When Jamie's father is inexplicably taken by government officials, she is thrust into a position of responsibility and must confront her own desires for adventure while protecting her family and town.

The characters in this book are beautifully written, with Jamie serving as a relatable and courageous protagonist. Her journey of self-discovery is richly portrayed, as she grapples with her fears and confronts the complexities of her circumstances. She felt like a very realistic character with her actions and her perspective. She actually felt like a teenage girl throughout the book, though you were still able to see her grow throughout. others appreciated the depth of character development and the exploration of family dynamics. I also really liked the focus on Jamie's relationships with her family and friends, as I thought this added layers of complexity to the story. This is a story filled with emotional depth and an examination of different relationships in a unique dystopian setting.

The pacing was slow at times, and it took me a bit to really get invested in the story. For a dystopian book, I think it needed even more action. While I really enjoyed the character writing (which I consider to be one of the strong points of the book), there were times where the plot meandered a bit, especially considering this is a dystopian book and there should have been more established tension throughout. Despite these slow moments, when the plot picked up, it really picked up, and I found the book to be a pretty fast read.

Overall, "Standing Water" will appeal to fans of post-apocalyptic/dystopian fiction and character-driven narratives alike. Wendy Day's masterful storytelling and rich character development make this novel a must-read for anyone looking for an immersive and thought-provoking story.

This book is a captivating story of a young girl's determination and courage in the face of adversity. Set in a world recovering from war, Jamie yearns for adventure. The narrative follows Jamie as her world is turned upside down when government officials drag her father out of their farmhouse. Suddenly thrust into a position of responsibility, Jamie must navigate the challenges of protecting her family and town while also confronting her own desire for escape. Wendy Day weaves a tale of resilience and strength as Jamie grapples with the weight of her circumstances. Her mother's denial and her younger brother's reliance on her for answers add layers of complexity to Jamie's journey. As she embarks on a mission to rescue her father and safeguard her town, Jamie is forced to confront her fears and discover the depths of her own bravery. The character development in "Standing Water" is rich and compelling, drawing readers into Jamie's world and allowing them to experience her emotions and struggles firsthand. Wendy Day masterfully captures the tension and urgency of Jamie's quest, keeping readers on the edge of their seats with each twist and turn.
This novel is not just a story of adventure, but also a poignant exploration of family, loyalty, and the power of resilience. Jamie's journey is one of self-discovery and growth, and readers will find themselves rooting for her every step of the way.

This was a scary concept, it uses the fight for water perfectly and thought it worked with the scifi elements. The characters were interesting and I could see them living this world. It had a great premise and glad I got to read this. Wendy Day writes a strong story and left me wanting to read more from her.

I really wanted to love this book. It was immersive and the characters well defined but there was just something missing?
It was a bit slow and dragged on.

A little mischief turns into an adorable tale and even holds a twist of creative inspiration.

It's Bob's birthday, and while he's suppose to be patient, he wants to play...especially with a cake on the table. After an unexpected mishap, Bob knows he's going to be scolded. Instead, things take an unexpected turn.

Not only puppy fans will giggle and smile at Bob's antics. He's a cute dog, but it's his mishap with a cake, which will have readers' eyes opening wide. The approaching trouble is clear and is something young readers will identify with as they recall similar situations in their own lives. Sympathy turns to surprise and rolls into positive scenes to make this a read filled with good vibes. Then, at the end, readers are encouraged to create similar pieces of 'artwork' and thanks to detailed directions.

The illustrations are well done and bring each scene across nicely as the tale runs through various emotions. Details invite to gazing, but then, much of the story is told through these bright scenes. The text is kept to a minimum and, sometimes, falls away completely to allow the images to show several moments of the story. This makes it lovely as a read-aloud and invites those readers, who are beginning to have a grip on their words, a chance to read the book themselves.

A message surrounding forgiveness accompanies the humor and heart, making this an enjoyable read in many ways.

I liked the idea of the story. Years from now, post pandemic and war, the US has changed. A small town finds itself in a battle over one of the most valuable resources, water. The story takes a bit to build up to an edge of your seat face off. Overall, a good story.

An easy to read, suspenseful story. I didn't feel the connection to the characters quite like I had hoped but I did enjoy the story nonetheless.

The premise for this book caught my attention immediately and I knew the minute that I was accepted for the ARC on Netgalley that I wanted to absolutely devour it.

This was a fun and immersive read. I absolutely loved how the characters were written and thought they all brought something so fantastic to the book. Jamie is the perfect main character to have in a book like this.

Personally, I felt like this was missing something. I would’ve loved for there to be more action. I usually love character-driven books but I feel like with a book like this, there should be a good mixture of plot and character focus. However, that is entirely my own opinion and I know some people will actually enjoy that.

I can see this becoming a great movie or tv-series and honestly? I would devour that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Open Sky Publishing for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“America has fallen. The fight for water has begun.”

Standing Water follows sixteen-year-old Jamie in a small town her family moved to after the war of 2027. The book is set ten years after when the country is starting to rebuild. However, water is becoming scarce and their small town that thrives off a river and lake system, are at risk. To make matters worse, Jamie’s dad is taken from their house by government officials. She and her mother butt heads as her mom is a senator and appears to be in denial about her husband’s kidnapping. Jamie is desperate for answers and desperate to save her father no matter the cost.

The premise of this book sounded amazing to me. I love a good post-war survival story or anything in the realm of post-apocalyptic. And a story about water becoming scarce and a fight for water being the forefront of the story sounded super interesting. However, I felt the book the slow and dragged on a bit. Standing Water definitely focuses more on Jamie and her small circle as well as some chapters from her mom’s perspective as a senator. But overall, I felt there was little action and intrigue besides from information being dropped here and there. I wanted more about the fight for water and things becoming scarce in their world. This wasn’t a bad book by any means, it just wasn’t exactly what I was wanting or expecting.

Jamie is a good main character. She’s smart and goes after what she wants. I liked that we got insight into her mother as well. The side characters were all good as well and I liked the direction of Jamie’s romantic subplot. I thought that was well done. The writing is really good and I’m curious to read more from this author. I think this book will definitely appeal to a lot of teenagers as Jamie felt very realistic as a teen.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read but one that I wanted more from. However, I think this is really a case of it’s me and not the book, so it’s definitely worth checking out!

Standing Water by Wendy Day was a really good story. I was sucked hard I got his compelling read with the fantastic characters and wonderful writing. The writing is exquisite. The atmosphere is palpable. And I’m looking forward to reading her backlist titles.

Thank You NetGalley and Open Sky Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book deserves way more hype and attention than what it's getting! It has so many important messages that apply to the real world and I think the author did an amazing job conveying them. I read this in one sitting and was completely immersed in the story the whole time. The characters felt like real people going through a difficult time, and the character progression throughout the story was amazing. More people need to read this!

3.75 stars! Really fun and relatively fast read! There were some parts that felt a little too long and some parts where it felt like some information was missing, but overall a really interesting story! It actually made me emotional at point which is rare for me in books. I would love to see a sequel! Overall the writing was well put together and I loved the Christian influences in some parts of the book and the clean language. I also wasnt expecting the romance subplot which was a nice surprise! Thank you to Netgalley and Open Sky Publishing for the Arc.