Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: October 7, 2014 (In stores today!)
Source/Format: Publisher (Thanks!) || ARC
[I received this book for review from the publisher. This in no way affects the thoughts expressed in my review.]
Rose Howard has OCD, Asperger’s syndrome, and an obsession with homonyms (even her name is a homonym). She gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose’s rules of homonyms, is very special. Rain was a lost dog Rose’s father brought home. Rose and Rain are practically inseparable. And they are often home alone, as Rose’s father spends most evenings at a bar, and doesn’t have much patience for his special-needs daughter.
Just as a storm hits town, Rain goes missing. Rose’s father shouldn’t have let Rain out. Now Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe places to search. Rose will find Rain, but so will Rain’s original owners. (from Goodreads)
As someone who was obsessed with The Baby-Sitters Club novels in my younger years*, it was a no-brainer to say yes when I was offered the chance to read Rain Reign. Immersing myself in Martin's writing felt like slipping on an old, fuzzy sweater - cozy, comfortable and perfectly worn in. I fell hard for Rose Howard, and this compelling snapshot of a pivotal moment in her life.
Rose Howard is the reason I enjoyed Rain Reign tremendously. It does take some time to get used to the way she thinks, and her obsession with homonyms, prime numbers and following the rules. But underneath all of that is a young girl with a lot of heart, curiosity and intelligence. She offers a unique perspective on everything, even though there are things (like her emotions + day to day life) that most of us can identify with.
Rose's relationships - with her dog Rain, her uncle Weldon, her father Wesley, with her teachers and classmates - are all big parts of what make her story come alive. She, as an individual, is already interesting, but putting her in situations with others amps that up. The fascination, for me, comes in both her observations of others and the way other people react to her. It adds extra character and heart to Rain Reign, and I'm convinced Rose's story would have turned out differently without these people.
Rain Reign maintains the perfect balance between heartwarming and heartbreaking, mixing the two extremes in a way that mirrors reality well. Being privy to Rose's thoughts and narration make it easy to understand (and like) her. You'll be rooting for her before you know it! I really enjoyed Martin's newest offering, and am confident many others are going to feel the same.
* I loved Stacey best of all, mostly because she was from New York. But I related most to Mary-Anne, who has the personality most similar to mine.
Oh Alexa, I LOVED this book! It took me a little while to get used to reading it because it is exhausting right from the get-go - BUT ultimately the same things that exhausted me about Rose also made me fall in love with her. She is really a great character and I mentioned that I wanted classrooms and libraries to have copies of this book available because I learned SO MUCH from it about people like Rose! This is much different from BSC (also massive fan - CLAUDIA ftw) but in my opinion, Ann M. Martin can never go wrong. So glad you enjoyed it too.
ReplyDeleteI related to Mary-Anne too! I really love this author and all her books. And I can't wait to check out this one! Thanks for the review and bringing it to my attention!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful review! I think this is a book I need to read!
ReplyDeleteRain Reign does sound really good! As a kid, I always liked Kristy the best because she was the leader, lol.
ReplyDeleteRose Howard sounds like a pretty well written character.