Wow! I am surprised by how much I liked this book. When I first started reading, I found the story to be a little confusing and I didn't really understand where it was headed. It wasn't until about a third of the way through that the action started and boy, did it escalate from there! Vividly graphic and violent, Paolo Bacigalupi has created a chillingly dark dystopian thriller with a strong message.

Set in the USA in the not-too-distant future, The Water Knife paints an eerily realistic view of a world in crisis. Ignored for too long, climate change and global warming have come back to bite us, causing the rivers and lakes to dry up. The land is plagued with scorching heat, dust storms and hurricanes and rain is a distant memory. With the dams going dry entire cities are shut down and refugees are everywhere, desperately seeking a better life in the north. Those rich enough choose to ignore the suffering by escaping into their specially built eco-houses, complete with air filtration, greenhouses and a water filtration system. With society on the brink of total disaster, it's every state for itself in the fierce battle for the remaining water supplies.

Told in alternating narratives The Water Knife follows three main protagonists as they fight for survival in this brutal world.
Rescued from jail by Las Vegas water mogul Catherine Case, Angel Velasquez is shaped into a weapon; as skilled at shooting as he is at reading legal documents. As Case's most trusted water knife, Angel is sent to cut or take over water supplies, unfazed by the death and suffering he leaves in his wake. Angel idolises Case and is prepared to "die by the sword" to carry out her vision for Vegas.

Having left her family and the safety of Canada for the chance to prove herself, journalist Lucy Monroe lives in drought ravaged Phoenix, covering the cities collapse. Writing about the many deaths and bureaucratic cover ups, Lucy is in danger of angering the wrong people. When her close friend is found hacked to pieces, Lucy is determined to expose the killer and enact justice.

Life hasn't got any easier for teenage Maria after leaving Texas for Phoenix. Alone following the deaths of her parents, Maria is struggling to get by in a society with a hatred for Texans. Her only hope is to find the money to make the dangerous trip over the border to California.

Their stories are skilfully entwined by the death and violence surrounding the discovery of old senior water rights. As the body count rises, the three come together to chase the hope of salvation in an action packed, page turning ride.