Dry Lands

The tense first outing from Martins makes a woman’s desperate struggle for survival in a postapocalyptic setting plausible, even if a few plot elements feel contrived. The “Shift,” possibly resulting from the shifting of Earth’s magnetic poles, has transformed the planet, “turning land into the sea and sea into land.” The rising waters flood the New Jersey home of Liv and Felipe, who flee to Pennsylvania with their three-year-old, Milo. Felipe’s plan for the family to reach higher ground, with the aid of a helicopter pilot willing to transport the trio for a steep price, ends tragically when the aircraft explodes, killing Felipe and leaving Liv to care for Milo on her own. She intends to honor Felipe’s wish that she seek sanctuary in Tennessee, at his grandmother’s home in a remote town not listed on any map and inaccessible by car—but the trek there is perilous. Liv’s daily battle against starvation and predators, human and otherwise, is visceral, and—thanks to Martin’s gift for characterization—her evolution feels earned as she gradually adapts her ethics to keep Milo alive at all costs. The tenacious, well-shaded heroine elevates this above many similar efforts. (May)