Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Living Inside Raindrops, tells the story of Jimmy, who grew up during World War I. We are taken back and forth between the past and present of his life.

I did not finish Living Inside Raindrops, as this book didn't hold my attention. The writing felt like it was a tv/movie to book adaptation (not book to movie adaptation). Luke Butler's writing style is very particular which is not the point I will be making for this review. The topic of WWI is one that interests me which is why I requested this on NetGalley. However, when I came to pick this up, I felt bored. This was something that I felt like I had to push myself to read. The writing felt like I was *reading* a TV show rather than *watching* a TV show.

Reading this didn't paint a picture in my head like it did other books. I felt the plot rather boring and found that the way the settings of the books, which usually is painted in my head, came out blank. I was merely reading words on a page that I had to push myself to read.

From the start of Living Inside Raindrops, I wanted the story to intrigue me, to make me want to flip to the next page. Instead, I couldn't find that pull that a book usually has, the way a plot can put me into the mood, especially when it comes to historical fiction books. This book felt like I was being told the story rather than shown the life that Jimmy lived. I was not finding anything beautiful that truly hit me while reading this, nothing that made me think, "Wow that was worded excellently". I could not find a part where I could picture the sorrow or the life that Jimmy had in my mind.

Living Inside Raindrops is a book that I wish that I was able to appreciate more but sadly found that this was a book that I think needed to show a lot more rather than tell. The writing could have improved to make a World War I book read like we were there, but, Living Inside Raindrops did not do it.

Thank you again to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An intriguing story with some good points. The writing is intense with visceral and shocking details described. The characters are interesting.
An OK read.

What I love about this book is language, but also characters that you can easily fall in love with. The story is beautiful and author's writing skill is more than just good.

The way that this book is written is really beautiful, this being said is a hard book to read. It was so hard for me not to DNF this book. But i was intrigued with the story and the way we can see his memories and life. Overall not a bad book but I needed to be completely awake and alert to read it.

Vivid, striking imagery, and unique character development.

The novel begins with Jimmy, a young solider, waking up confined to an asylum. Definitely a dreamer, he "lives through raindrops" by traveling mentally to memories of his youth and loved ones. These flitting escapades are filled with honesty, fear, and pain.

Loved the integration of stream-of-consciousness into his memories as a technique; I only wish the thoughts kept better pace with the story, sometimes feeling overly dramatic (at the same time, as such a young man, the extreme perceptions of his situation also feel possible).

Throughout the novel themes of love, fulfillment, and survival shine through in his thoughts and memories--Jimmy is the picture of a young man full of potential: a sweetheart, a best friend, curiosity, and big dreams. We watch as his childish perspective on life and himself, grow into a fuller understanding of the world, of mental illness, and of human nature.