Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Don’t miss this offer - 8 issues for just £9.99
SUBSCRIBE
Books

Thirsty Animals review: A dystopian future 'impeccably depicted'

Thirsty Animals by Rachelle Atalla imagines a dark and terrifying near-future in the Scottish borders

Thirsty Animals

The world is going to hell in a handbasket, right? Authors can deal with this by either sticking their heads in the sand or facing modern life head-on. Rachelle Atalla’s Thirsty Animals is a cracking novel that does the latter brilliantly. Atalla made a splash with her debut The Pharmacist last year, and this follow-up has a similar dystopian vibe, while being more expansive and accomplished. The story is set in a near-future Scotland which, due to climate change, is suffering a severe drought. Scotland is independent and receiving a big influx of refugees from England where conditions are much worse. Until, that is, the border is closed. Aida is a teenager living with her mother on the family farm near the border, as water becomes an incredibly valuable commodity and the rules of society crumble. 

Your support changes lives. Find out how you can help us help more people by signing up for a subscription

One day, strangers arrive at the farm. Aida and her mum treat them with suspicion but let them stay out of kindness. This escalates the story into thriller territory, and I won’t say any more about the plot here, for fear of spoilers. 

One of the great strengths of Thirsty Animals is Atalla’s consummate world building. Her near future is impeccably depicted on the page, and the way society slowly falls apart feels entirely believable. Margaret Atwood said she never made anything up for The Handmaid’s Tale, just transferred events from other parts of the world into a western country, and Thirsty Animals has the same feel. There are some scenes at the border later in the novel which are truly disturbing but entirely believable, given the treatment of refugees worldwide. Atalla knows how to ramp up tension expertly, and Thirsty Animals comes to a dramatic, unexpected but satisfying conclusion. This is a dark vision of a possible future, and all the more terrifying for that. 

Thirsty Animals cover

Thirsty Animals by Rachelle Atalla is out now (Hodder & Stoughton, £18.99). You can buy it from The Big Issue shop on Bookshop.org, which helps to support The Big Issue and independent bookshops.

This article is taken from The Big Issue magazine, which exists to give homeless, long-term unemployed and marginalised people the opportunity to earn an income.To support our work buy a copy! If you cannot reach your local vendor, you can still click HERE to subscribe to The Big Issue today or give a gift subscription to a friend or family member. You can also purchase one-off issues from The Big Issue Shop or The Big Issue app, available now from the App Store or Google Play.

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

Never miss an issue

Take advantage of our special subscription offer. Subscribe from just £9.99 and never miss an issue.

Recommended for you

View all
Soft Core by Brittany Newell review – sex, smoke and mirrors
Books

Soft Core by Brittany Newell review – sex, smoke and mirrors

Top 5 books about desire, chosen by novelist Lisa Harding
Books

Top 5 books about desire, chosen by novelist Lisa Harding

Dengue Boy by Michel Nieva review – a bizarre but utterly compelling look at Argentina in 2272
Books

Dengue Boy by Michel Nieva review – a bizarre but utterly compelling look at Argentina in 2272

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad review – the war crimes paradox
Books

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad review – the war crimes paradox

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know
4.

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know

Support our vendors with a subscription

For each subscription to the magazine, we’ll provide a vendor with a reusable water bottle, making it easier for them to access cold water on hot days.