The Dry - Jane Harper
The Dry is a wonderful, complex story that depicts people who could be in a small town in the American West, or in Australia. The golden boy, Luke; his faithful friend, Aaron; the cheerleader type (Gretchen); and the darker girl (Ellie). It's a story of emotions run amuck, cast against a terrible drought. The final threat—fire—is a clever use of something threatening both America and Europe, and I was delighted to see an author bring attention to the fact that fire (and drought) are merciless and overwhelming enemies of life.

The plot twists and turns, the suspense builds, and the ending is very satisfying. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Harper.