Dry Character Analysis

Alyssa Morrow

Alyssa is one of the novel’s teenaged protagonists. She lives in a Los Angeles suburb with her mom, her dad, and her little brother, Garrett. Alyssa thinks of herself as a moral… read analysis of Alyssa Morrow

Garrett Morrow

Garrett is Alyssa’s 10-year-old brother. When the Tap-Out is first declared, Alyssa sees him as childish, selfish, and oblivious: he chugs Gatorade and ignores her warnings, and he’s more focused on eating samples at… read analysis of Garrett Morrow

Kelton McCracken

One of the novel’s protagonists, Kelton is Alyssa’s neighbor. He’s also socially awkward and has nursed a long-time crush on Alyssa. His family are preppers who believe in preparing for the apocalypse in various… read analysis of Kelton McCracken

Jacqui Costa

Jacqui is a 19-year-old who joins Kelton, Alyssa, and Garrett on their journey to the bug-out. She was an exceptionally gifted student, but she dropped out of school and ran away from home… read analysis of Jacqui Costa

Henry

Arguably the antagonist of the novel, Henry is a 14-year-old resident of Dove Canyon whose parents left him home alone while they went on vacation. He’s a grifter whose main focus is manipulating people, holding… read analysis of Henry

Uncle Basil

Uncle Basil—whose real name is Herb—is Alyssa and Garrett’s uncle. He’s Alyssa’s mom’s brother. Basil used to be a successful almond farmer in Modesto and was in a loving relationship with real estate… read analysis of Uncle Basil

Alyssa’s Mom

Alyssa and Garrett’s mom is married to Alyssa’s dad, and her brother, Uncle Basil, lives with the family. She’s known for her habit of stress cleaning, and Alyssa admires her parents’ strong… read analysis of Alyssa’s Mom

Alyssa’s Dad

Alyssa and Garrett’s dad is married to Alyssa’s mom. He’s an insurance agent with a passion for tinkering, especially on cars and with home plumbing. Initially, when water won’t come out of the… read analysis of Alyssa’s Dad

Kingston

Kingston is the Morrows’ dog. It’s Garrett’s job to give Kingston water, a chore Garrett often forgets. When the Tap-Out is declared, Kingston shows signs of dehydration before any of his human family members… read analysis of Kingston

Mr. McCracken

Mr. McCracken is Kelton’s dad. He’s a dentist, but his passion is preparing for the apocalypse. As such, he’s outfitted his and Mrs. McCracken’s house with solar panels, bulletproof windows, booby traps, and… read analysis of Mr. McCracken

Mrs. McCracken

Mrs. McCracken is Kelton’s mom. Unlike her husband, Mr. McCracken, she’s generous and neighborly—but it’s implied that Mr. McCracken is overbearing and regularly asserts his dominance, not allowing her to be generous to… read analysis of Mrs. McCracken

Brady McCracken

Brady is Kelton’s older brother. He moved out as soon as he graduated high school, as he couldn’t stand Mr. McCracken and Mrs. McCracken’s constant fighting—and how they kept tight control over their… read analysis of Brady McCracken

Benji and Kyle

Benji and Kyle are two preppers in their early 30s whom Kelton immediately identifies as the dangerous sort of preppers. Rather than just wanting to survive an apocalypse themselves, they enjoy chaos, violence, and living… read analysis of Benji and Kyle

Charity

Charity is an elderly woman who, several days into the Tap-Out, tries to leave California for her daughter’s house in Nevada. However, she gets stuck in traffic on the freeway and never ends up leaving… read analysis of Charity

Daphne

Daphne is Uncle Basil’s on-again, off-again girlfriend. She was a realtor in Modesto until the Pacific Dust Bowl was declared, and when it became clear none of her listings were going to sell, she… read analysis of Daphne

Mr. Burnside

Mr. Burnside is Alyssa and Kelton’s neighbor. He’s an older man and is the president of the Homeowners Association. He has a long-running feud with the McCrackens due to their not-to-code home renovations, but… read analysis of Mr. Burnside

Dalton

Dalton is a teenager who, along with his mom and sister, attempts to fly out of the John Wayne airport and escape the Tap-Out. However, he and his family get stuck at the airport with… read analysis of Dalton

Lyla Singh

Lyla is a LA news anchor. Though she’s ambitious, she also feels morally compelled to report honestly on current events. The Tap-Out is no exception: inspired by thoughts of the reporters who covered the Fall… read analysis of Lyla Singh

Roger Malecki

Roger is Alyssa and Kelton’s neighbor. He and his wife have just had a baby when the Tap-Out begins, and as his wife’s milk dries up, Roger approaches Mr. McCracken to ask for water… read analysis of Roger Malecki

Minor Characters

Hali Hartling

Hali is a popular girl on Alyssa’s soccer team. When the Tap-Out is declared, Hali’s mom takes a case of water from Alyssa. Hali and her mom find themselves at an evacuation center, where Hali is ultimately convinced to engage in sex work in exchange for water.

Sofía Rodriguez

Sofía is one of Alyssa’s friends. When the Tap-Out is declared, her family heads south to Mexico, presumably to stay with Sofía’s grandparents.

Chase Buxton

Chase is Lyla’s co-anchor on the local news. He’s extremely ambitious and hopes that his excellent coverage of the Tap-Out will earn him a position on CNN.

Camille Cohen

Camille is a college student and activist who leads people in mobbing a water truck delivering water to the Huntington Beach power plant.

David Chen

David works for the local water authority and is tasked with driving a truck of water to Pete Flores’s power plant. The truck is mobbed, and David’s fate is left ambiguous.

Pete Flores

Pete Flores is the manager of the Huntington Beach power plant. He loves his job and takes his responsibility seriously. He feels responsible for keeping southern California powered—and for protecting and sheltering his employees and their families during the Tap-Out.

Spencer

Spencer is one of Henry’s teenaged friends and neighbors. He trades a signed Michael Jordan jersey and several other valuable items to Henry for a case and a half of ÁguaViva.

Alyce Marasco

Alyce is a helicopter pilot who is tasked with flying water to evacuation centers during the Tap-Out. It’s implied that, spurred by her concern for her uncle in a nursing home, she drops water at a nursing home, saving the residents.

Sydney

Sydney is Hali’s vapid and chatty acquaintance—until Sydney reveals that she has a connection that can get Hali water. It’s implied that Sydney is engaging in sex work in exchange for water for herself and her family members. She recruits Hali to do the same.

Max

Max is a friendly biker in Charity’s freeway commune. He helps Alyssa, Kelton, and Jacqui siphon gas.

The Pilot

The pilot flies a firefighting plane and chooses to dump a load of water on Alyssa, Garrett, and Kelton, saving them from the approaching wildfire.

Dry Characters