Drained by Marc Daniel Acriche is an incredible Dystopian Fantasy tale of what a teenager will do to save a friend when they disappear and they're without the resources they need to find them.

Casey Parker enters the story, already disjointed from her life, with a father who has dropped out of her life without a trace, a questionable mother with an even more questionable partner, and an uncertain future. But when her best friend's boyfriend, Martin, disappears having been taken by a large and oppressive political party to be brainwashed and trapped as one of their soldiers, Casey suddenly knows what she must do next---but with no idea as to how.

This story is an epic chase and battle through unknown terrain and challenges, as well as constantly questioning how reliable the narrator is and how trustworthy the people (new and long-term) are to Casey's survival and core objective. The story is fast-paced and enjoyable, full of wit and sass, as well as sharp, intellectual, and often unexpected twists and turns, with a little sci-fi thrown in for fun effect.

Drained was an incredibly quick and enjoyable afternoon read for me, and the unique storyline and imaginative images and characters will keep it in my memory for a long time.

My sole critique would be that the tone of the book does not always match its graphic nature. There are explicit moments in this book of graphic nature and language, though the book largely reads to me as a Young Adult (YA) Dystopian Fantasy. For me, this was only an observation and not something that actually detracted from the story or quality of the read---but this might be one of those examples of a book being placed in the YA section when it arguably shouldn't be.

For anyone looking for their latest Dystopian read, especially with a kick-butt, talk-back sort of lead character, this is an excellent option (and definitely a book I'll be reading again).