TW: Language, death of parent(s), death of child, drinking, drug addiction, toxic family relationships, anxiety

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
There are a lot of stories about how the rain started.

The thing that always comes to mind first isn’t the how though, it’s the how much. Russell still does the math too: 15, 5,400, and 8,550. 15 inches a day, 5,400 a year, and 8,550 feet since the start.

We have no idea if it’s accurate. But it’s important to think about it, he says, because it reminds us to keep moving. I’m Tanner. Russell plucked me from the rain when I was two.

Fourteen years ago we left Philadelphia. As the water rose, we moved west, hoping the elevation would keep us warm and dry. Pittsburg, Indianapolis, Sioux Falls, Rapid City. Now we’re stranded on the islands in Wyoming. Russell thinks they used to be the Bighorn mountains. But we can’t go back now. There’s no warm and there’s no dry anymore. Just a rumor about a place where it isn't raining. So we’re going to try to make it—520 miles south to Leadville. But we can’t drift east, the Great Plains have become waterspout alley, a raging tomb of moving water.

Together we push on, surviving, heading to Leadville. But something is wrong with him now. He says it’s nothing. But his breathing doesn’t sound that way.

Exposure, pruned hands, and infection. But since, Rapid City, it’s the face eaters too. And the crack in the canoe that’s growing. And the ice I think I see on the water. Russell thinks it’s my imagination.

We cling to the last strips of the veneer. And each other.
Release Date: December 29th, 2013
Genre: Sci-Fi
Pages: 352
Rating: ⭐

What I Liked:
1. I enjoyed the writing style from the author
2. Liked the plot of the book
3. Dual storyline told by different characters

What I Didn't Like:
1. Repetitive
2. Book gets boring half way through
3. Characters feel one dimensional
4. Feels like a YA book
5. I don't need a romance in every thriller I read - we don't need it!

Overall Thoughts:
I am absolutely so annoyed hearing about the drug addicted brother. That seems to be the only character development of Brock and Andrew. That is the only conversation Brock seems to even have with his parents - which it feels like way to easy he managed to find his parents.

Of course a sex scene with a 16 year old.

This book worries too much about the small stuff that doesn't matter to the plot, while leaving us - the readers out of the action and struggling to care about if a 16 year will find love. I don't care about a romance. I signed up for the horrors of a world that is drowning. I need some sense if urgency but this book just drags it's feet at things happening.

Final Thoughts:
Ahhh I feel so weird about this book. On one hand I love apocalyptic stories, but this book made me feel bored.

I don't like books that push a romance onto me when it isn't needed, but feels so instant love. As soon as you are introduced to Dusty you know where this is going to go. I also never really knew what Russell and Tanners relationships were. There were points where it felt as though Russell was her boyfriend despite the age difference.

This story reminded me too much of The Last of Us; character that picks up an abandoned girl and they travel around.

This book never made me feel like anything was in danger. It's so slow and everyone seems so calm. You hear about had things that have happened to the characters, but it's all off the page for us.

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Thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The rain started 19 years ago and never stopped. There are also some canabalistic people on the lose. I clwasnt a fan of the main character she really irked me with her personality but the plot and science behind the rain was really interesting!

"The Rain" by Joseph A Turkot is a gripping thriller that immerses readers in a world of suspense, danger, and the chilling atmosphere of a relentless pursuit. This novel is a compelling blend of tension, mystery, and the complexities of human nature under pressure.

Turkot's writing style is atmospheric and intense, creating a sense of unease that lingers throughout the story. The characters in the novel are intricately developed, each with their own motivations and fears that contribute to the depth of the narrative.

At the heart of the narrative is a suspenseful exploration of survival, trust, and the unforeseen consequences of decisions made in moments of crisis. The author skillfully builds tension and anticipation, creating a narrative that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.

"The Rain" successfully balances the psychological aspects of the story with the fast-paced action, resulting in a narrative that is both immersive and heart-pounding. The themes of resilience, morality, and the lengths people will go to in order to protect their loved ones add depth to the plot.

In conclusion, "The Rain" is a riveting and skillfully crafted thriller that offers a roller-coaster ride of suspense and intensity. If you're looking for a book that will keep you engaged and guessing until the very end, this novel provides a gripping and thrilling narrative that will leave you captivated.

I loved the premise of The Rain. A new take on a post apocalyptic world that felt very believable throughout the story. The beginning of the book had me racing from page to page, desperate to find out more.

My main issues with this book came from later in the book. There’s a few things I would have liked. I would have loved to see more time spent in the early days of the rain/fall of society. I would have enjoyed seeing the two narrators storylines converge. I also would have enjoyed a bit more of a conclusion, I felt like these characters have more of a story to tell.

Overall, a very enjoyable, fast paced read. Many moments had my heart racing as I stressed about the main characters, and the concept of the never ending rain will definitely stick with me as a new climate change nightmare to worry about

Over the years I’ve read hundreds of end of the world books. Discounting zombie apocalypse stories, most center around catastrophic environmental disasters: massive solar flares, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, giant asteroid strikes, what is rare is for the disaster to be water based (aside from the Biblical tale of Noah of course), which is what we have in Joesph Turkot’s The Rain. Now I have no idea about the science behind this idea, but in The Rain there has been a global warming disaster resulting in rain that will not stop. We aren’t talking a few days of continuous rain…we are talking years of nonstop rain, and now much of there world is underwater.

The book jumps us back and forth between to main storylines. In one we follow Rook, a meteorologist, in the early days of the rain as he joins a team that is attempting to help those affected by the rain and flooding. The other storyline follows Tanner, a teenage girl who has never known a world without the constant rain as she and her guardian struggle to survive, attempting to reach somewhere safe…all the while on the run from ‘face eaters’, aka crazed cannibals. The action is definitely intense at times and both storylines are intriguing. I will say there were a few things that felt a bit off, though I won’t say exactly what to avoid spoilers, but even so these were minor distractions and overall I enjoyed the book quite a bit. I look forward to seeing where Mr. Turkot goes from here. Thanks so much to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an ARC of The Rain.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rain-joseph-turkot/1117908647?ean=9798200835027&bvnotificationId=47137e97-25f1-11ee-8a48-0ed8f66ffbe5&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/253323962

The Rain by Joseph A. Turkot is a highly recommended survival novel set in a postapocalyptic America.

Civilization has collapsed. After almost twenty years of rain, almost all of North America is underwater. Any survivors have boats and/or made it to land on higher elevations while avoiding the face eaters, people addicted to "Red" a drug that makes them murderous and cannibalistic.

There are two story lines that are told through alternating chapters. In the first, Tanner, seventeen, and her adoptive caretaker, Russell, have long been searching by boat for Leadville, Colorado, which is rumored to be "the highest-elevation city in America, the last place where it’s not raining." In the alternate chapters, the plot follows Rook Wallace. Rook is a meteorologist who joined a a pharmaceutical company called Yasper. His job there is to help the company maintain a trade route between groups of survivors. He kept up contact with his parents until he stopped receiving their letters.

This is a bleak end-of-the-world climate science fiction novel with Yasper, a pharmaceutical company, an equal antagonist in the overall plot. The two different narratives remain separate until the very end when a connection is made that most readers will have deduced much earlier, but the journey of these characters is the point.

Character development is most certainly present, but, as with any mythological tale, the more important element is the struggle and encounters on the journeys of the heroes. It is obvious at the open ended conclusion of The Rain, that there has to be second novel.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

A descriptive and well told “end of the world” story.
I understand it’s the first book in a trilogy and am keen to pick up book 2 and to see what is next for Tanner and Russell and Rook.
I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you wondered what would happen if it rained for 18 years straight, this is a novel to read.
It is very dark, like most apocalyptic novels are. It is not without it's dark forces as well.
If you enjoy books like "The Road", you will enjoy this. It has many similarities.
I would recommend.

I absolutely love dystopian thrillers and this one gave me chills. I adored the character Tanner watching her grow and evolve throughout the story was a joy.
This is a really thought provoking and timely read. I loved everything about it. So mind blowing to take something as mundane as rain and turn it into a climatic event that becomes out of control and the consequences on humanity.
Brilliant and I was so excited to find it’s a series, I’m holding my breath for the next one!

I'm still not entirely sure what to make of this book. I get that it has heavy implications of what humans are doing to the world now (climate change, technology, rubbish, emissions) and also that of relying on drugs to survive.
But not much really happened. There were a lot of graphic elements that were there soully for shock factors, that didn't add anything to the story.
That being said, Tanner is a great character. Watching her grow and become confident was the highlight of this book

The first in a trilogy!! I loved this dystopian novel where it just doesn't stop raining. Feels very fitting with the weather we are experiencing in NZ at the moment! There are some super creepy horror aspects in this book involving canniballs. Just a really entertaining and thrilling read I couldn't put down! Highly recommend for dystopian fiction and sci-fi lovers.

Thanks so much to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC copy of this book!

I have scheduled promotional posts around release day for this book and I will provide a full review on my Instagram once I am able to get to this read.

Rating 5 stars on Netgalley as a placeholder for me to update later once the review is complete.

Will also complete a review on Goodreads once read.

Thanks again!

The Rain is a 5⭐️ dystopian novel that asks what humanity would do if something as ordinary as rain became more than we could handle. Loved every part of this book!

This was a well-written post-apocalyptic story with never-ending rain as the reason for civilization's collapse. Mr. Turkot portrayed the challenges, horrors, struggles and dangers of a world soaked in perpetual precipitation and the loss of the "veneer" of civilization very vividly.

The writing style was a little unusual. Often, there were no punctuation marks for the dialogue and some of the paragraphs were overly long, but I think it worked quite well for the most part.

The story was told through Tanner's eyes, a sixteen-year old girl who was amazingly spunky and strong despite the hardships she endured. I liked Russell, too, although he was a little harder to connect with because he seemed aloof and reticent at times. But, the relationship between him and Tanner was at once sweet, heartwarming and complicated.

Alternating POVs and timelines that showed two completely separate views of the progression of the rain and how the earth declined because of it. I found both POVs equally riveting and highly enjoyed both of our main characters and their character development The focus on said characters and their relationships with their families, found families, and people working against them. I cried once or twice throughout because I had such a connection to some of these characters and was devastated by what was happening to them
Creepy creature feature horror in the “face eaters” that would roam around searching for their next cannibalistic meal. I’ll never think of fully dilatated eyes the same way

As other reviewers have said, the ending was abrupt and jarring. But, there are four more installments to this story, so I'm not too upset. :)

There was so I much I liked about this novel but equally as much I didn’t like.

The alternative storylines which I thought were going to intersect but they didn’t quite get there. I hope that means there could be a sequel in the works.

I felt the time jump of Rook’s story of ten years was too much time for him to be easily brought back into the fold of original settlement. I would have liked more of those ten years with his parents time. That all felt very rushed.

Tanner’s side was us being dropped in and honestly I knew who Russell was right from the start.

The idea of the novel is a good one. I have read other end of world stories that involved flooding. The red drug and cannibalism was an interesting twist for sure.

There were areas that I would have liked to seem more developed by the author and if a sequel was written, I was invested enough that I would read it to see if the answers I had would be answered.

I´m a fan of the post apocalyptic genre and I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait for the next one!
#TheRain #NetGalley #blackstonepublishing

The Rain by Joseph A Turkot was a great and disturbing read.

A compelling novel set in a postapocalyptic America brings us a chilling look at survival in the face of a catastrophic climate disaster and the collapse of civilization as we know it.

An enthralling and timely climate disaster novel with government corruption and corporate greed.
This was such a different type of sci-fi. It as honestly intriguing and very surreal.
The suspense was slowly building and the anticipation was creeping it’s way on me.
I honestly couldn’t imagine this ever happening because I’m terrified of drowning.
But I love dystopian type novels and this was a chilling experience.
The devastation, loss and horror was real and I could feel the characters emotion in this compelling tale of survival.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I thoroughly enjoy this book. It's a different concept within the recent sci-fi genre. Climate change has been a hot topic since the late 90s. Here's a story of what happens when we ignore what the Earth is trying to tell us. Instead of solving the problem because it's now too late or rather moving humans to another planet comes a story about survival and humanity. The characters are not much different from one another for those whose minds are alike, even though they are developed. However, the science behind what's happening to the Earth can use more research and write in a more precise manner. The ending is not just one when I look at it from different angles. There are several open-ended endings. Not for those looking for something with a little more finale.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for letting me read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is kind of hard to summarize beyond the goodreads summary, so instead I’ll share the many things it featured that I love in my sci fi:

-Some kind of sci fi nature element, I loved that this book used constant rain (like for 20 years straight) and the possible effects of global warming and pollution as the main “villain” in this story. The descriptive imagery of what long-term water exposure does to humans will stick with me for a while…

-Alternating POVs and timelines that showed two completely separate views of the progression of the rain and how the earth declined because of it. I found both POVs equally riveting and highly enjoyed both of our main characters and their character development

-The focus on said characters and their relationships with their families, found families, and people working against them. I cried once or twice throughout because I had such a connection to some of these characters and was devastated by what was happening to them

-Creepy creature feature horror in the “face eaters” that would roam around searching for their next cannibalistic meal. I’ll never think of fully dialated eyes the same way👀

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone publishing for my ARC! Definitely recommend picking this one up when it is republished traditionally on July 18th if you previously enjoyed Bird Box by Josh Malerman!

This one reminds me a lot of the writing of T. W. Piperbrook. All in all a good story. I did have trouble believing when, 30% of the way through it, Rook says he’d never been in a fight. This apocalypse has been going on for 8 1/2 years ant this point and he’s never had to fight anyone for supplies even before going to Yasper? In any case, that was the only thing that really irked me about the story, and it wasn’t enough to dissuade me from reading the next one!

Huge thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!