In a near-future, Alex Hewitt heads to Pine Ridge, the community where his sister is last living to try and find her, per their mother. Amery has always been a little odd, and since she moved to Pine Ridge and started going into the exclusion zone which houses their former hometown, River Meadows. For a brief period, River Meadows was a boon town, running on the extraction of “ghost,” a volatile fuel more valuable than gold - and one which caused decoherences, little ripples in time. In an accident that kills Alex and Amery’s father, the town is evacuated forever.

Claire Foley, a classmate of theirs, heads to Atlantis, on a job, where she comes across a rare bird. Michio, a professor, returns to the exclusion zone against his better judgement. And in a final epic poem, the story of Amery is revealed.

There are a lot of disparate threads here, but it worked really well for most of the book. I found the ending rushed - the poem, compared to the drifting prose, felt jarring after all of the buildup. Wharton examines the environment and how we treat it; Claire is the best stand-in for how many of us act, vaguely committed to the land unless something else more important comes along, like money or convenience. The Book of Rain was spellbinding for a good chunk, but I really wish the end hadn’t been wrapped up in an epic poem. Detracted from an otherwise interesting book, and the story of the poem was too interesting to be jammed like that at the end. That said, I think this book is still worth it.

This novel called to me, Canadian dystopia?! Heck yes, sign me up.
The premise of this novel had all the right elements, but the execution was unfortunately not for me. My first DNF in a while - flipping between characters and History notes, this novel lacked a rhythm for me and made it difficult to work through. The story felt choppy and out of order at times, while the story was there it felt as though the text was more complicated and dense then it needed to be.
When Alex returns to his hometown in search of his missing sister Amery, he finds his plan to be more difficult than he had hoped. Her friends are not eager to help and he is warned to stay out of the evacuated region Amery was known to visit.
We have Claire who's aim is to remain a mystery as she smuggles illegal animals throughout the world.
Flashing back the characters lives overlap in a diner during their youth, however I did not get far enough into the book to find if there is a significance in that.

I gave this story 2 stars, I believe that readers who have more patience and a better grasp of science would better enjoy it. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Blending genres, timelines, and characters, The Book of Rain is an eco-fiction that shows how our connection to the nature around us is both strong and tenuous.

It’s part sci-fi, part environmentalist message, part character-driven stream-of-consciousness meandering. I tend to enjoy all three of these aspects, so I found this book entertaining, enlightening, thoughtful, and interesting, though I wouldn’t go too far as to say it’s fascinating or too emotional.

While there are some minor characters who have a point of view (Michio’s part was my favourite), the two main characters are Alex and Claire. Alex wasn’t entirely exciting as a person - he feels like a vessel at times (perhaps because he’s rather dead inside) and Claire is a trickster because she starts out interesting but grows supremely unlikeable once you are involved in her story (though I think we are meant to feel this way about her! Her selfishness towards the environment is, I think, intentionally distasteful, more so because we can see the excuses she makes about her environmentally unfriendly choices reflected in average people being lazy or uncaring about their carbon footprint, how wasteful they are, the excess at which they live without heed to the environment). Both characters have arcs about finding things they’ve lost, and while they are fully fleshed-out characters, they aren’t loveable. Such is literary fiction, though.

What’s riveting about the novel is the style. If you enjoy literary fiction, you know what I mean - the blending of thoughts and concepts into and around one another, the lack of exposition or even true explanation of the events or concepts, and the flowery language.

The message behind the novel - that our fracking and destruction will not only kill the environment but lead to our destruction - I was totally on board with as an environmentalist myself.

The language in the novel is straightforward and clear (despite the stream-of-consciousness drifting), so that I was never confused. It’s peppered with metaphors and similes that tie back to the environment in a way that’s very clever.

The novel also exists in a sort of parallel dimension where everything is the same except Atlanis (presupposing it existed) never sank into the sea, and there is a mysterious mineral that, when mined in abundance, creates these space-time continuum decoherence waves that warp reality for a few minutes, either in showing other realities or other times. It’s fascinating in that it’s just an accepted part of the world so the story, while the decoherence is important to it, isn’t about “stopping it” or something. There is a part of Alberta called the Reclamation Area where decoherences run wild. It had a kind of Dhalgren or Annihilation feel to it at times. The sections of the novel that take place there, while brief, are engrossing.

The last section of the book is an epic poem that reminded me a lot of Hollow Kingdom without the comedy because it features an animal perspective. I’m not opposed to poetry in fiction, but it felt to me like it was done to save space. If you’ve read Seveneaves, you’ll understand what I mean, I think.

Along with finding the poem “alright,” I also found the novel dipped into telling and not showing a lot, which was less engaging, and there are often long stretches of dialogue that could have used some action beats to break them up. I also found Claire and Alex’s stories didn’t really tie together, so they felt like two different books at times.

Yet, overall, I really enjoyed the novel and loved the message behind it.

I received this arc from Netgalley because the synopsis sounded so promising! I saw that a part of the book was based in Canada which had me hyped too.
Unfortunately, after reaching about 25% into the novel I decided to DNF because it wasn’t suited for me.

Did I mention that I love to support Canadian authors?

Did I also mention that I am not a fan of science fiction or fantasy?

Toward the end, you definitely felt like you were in the Twilight Zone

Or in a Dr. Who Time Warp...

I knew I was in trouble when the author described - at length - Claire's adventures in a wave pool.... This type of unconnected filler messes with the tone and mood of a story. I get it that this character, who illegally poaches animals for a living, was trying to blend in with the rest of the tourists in the hotel, but I could have done without this odd distraction.

The story became downright fantastical toward the end. (Not my cup of tea at all!)

The moral of this story?

As usual: we stupid humans always mess everything up for all the other sentient (and not so sentient!) beings on this planet.

I'm rating this a 3.4 out of 5. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review

I found this book engrossing at times but then mystifying at other times. It appears to be environmentally based but draws quite strongly on the occult which tended to confuse me.

There’s an undefinable danger twisting time and space inside the Park. What it is, exactly, is never fully explained but the results of encountering any of its many manifestations... Well, it’s a game of Russian roulette for everyone who enters the restricted area. Which anomaly will you find? Or will it find you? Will you die? Lose your mind? Just your memories? End up trapped in a pocket of space until you starve to death? The suspense, or perhaps more accurately anticipatory dread of the Book of Rain is palpable. And the assortment of ways that the Park can hurt, main, or kill the living is an unpredictable horror.

Alex and Amery Hewitt moved to River Meadows as children. It formed who they would become while it was still being formed itself by a mining operation harvesting newly discovered ghost ore. There is fear and dread even in those early days when the dangers were still... developing. As an adult, Amery continued sneaking in to save any animals trapped or harmed by these mysterious anomalies, until she doesn’t return. Then Alex does and convinces Michio to guide him safely in and out of the zone in search of her.

Claire is interesting in that her story is almost completely independent. She left River Meadows years ago and now traffics in endangered species. That is, she picks up and delivers the illegal goods. On her newest job she’s losing her nerve and messing up, but she also has an opportunity to cash in on the most valuable animal she’s ever come across. Interestingly, her story drops off before she decides what she’ll do with the creature. The reader does learn the consequences of her decision in a general sense but that’s all. Her story becomes part of the many unanswered questions in The Book of Rain.

We have a bit more resolution with Alex. While his story is much more unsettling than Claire’s (his foray back into Meadow Rivers and the anticipation of things going horribly wrong, which they may or may not, read to find out), his journey into the Park nudges him towards a sense of acceptance. He’s not necessarily happy but he seems settled with what he discovers and on how he decides to move forward with his own life.

We leave Claire, then Alex for good, and enter the distant future where the story changes direction entirely. The final 80 pages have an equally curious yet hopeful note to them in the form of a transcribed legend – a poem – about birds and humans joining together to try and save the world humans have all but destroyed. A little strange and disjointed from the rest of The Book of Rain, but it ties all the pieces together nicely.

The Book of Rain requires attention to see where Wharton is leading you, as there are ideas planted throughout that become meaningful later; seemingly random chapters about how animals communicate, Alex’s boss explaining his virtual Ark, and more.

This is a strange, fascinating and brilliantly written mixture of suspense and legend with a dash of crime. You are constantly on edge wondering what, exactly, was released into the Hewitts’ world.

Highly recommend.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

What caught my interest in this book was the promise of philosophical commentary on pollution and environmental catastrophe but I felt it didn’t deliver to my expectations.

I loved the concept of the story. The town's story was crafted beautifully, and the sci fi aspect was super creative and fun to read. However some parts of the book were slow, dryly written and the characters fell a little flat. I think if my expectations were placed as more sci fi/ speculative and less philosophical ecology I'd have enjoyed it more.

Overall I do like it but it wasn’t what I expected it to be. I'd recommend this book to people who appreciate a creative speculative fiction like myself.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC. This book was interesting in a few ways. It wasn't at all what I had anticipated. It included mystical elements and elements of time. It made me think. I'm not sure I drew everything form the novel that the author was intending as at times, I found it hard to follow. I don't know if I liked it exactly or if I found it different and interesting. It was a different approach to the rape of the planet by humans. Some of the story I really liked and some I found odd so I think that's why I can't really say whether I liked it or not. It would be a great book to discuss in a book club as its murky at times and to be able to flesh out with other people would be helpful. I originally thought I would give it a 4 for creativity and uniqueness, but because I'm not sure I even liked it, I will give it a 3. Would love to give 3.5.

What do you get when you cross Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, The Overstory, and Cloud Atlas? The Book of Rain.

Yes, those are three of my top favourite books, ever. And The Book of Rain will be joining them on that list.

With elements of speculative fiction looking into our future on this planet (Cloud Atlas), environmentalism (The Overstory), and video game design (Tomorrow x3), The Book of Rain is a profound and heart-tugging examination of the interrelationships between humans and the other species on this earth that is all it’s own.

I have been a long-time fan of Thomas Wharton, ever since I read Salamander as a high-schooler and the long wait for this new work was absolutely worth it. Put it on your to be read list.

I greatly enjoyed this book, despite it having some flaws. There were a lot of interesting ideas that were well written and I was very invested in the plot. I thought that every person's story was memorable and kept me wanting more. However, I felt like the characters felt flat, and the timeline made it necessary for me to flip back often to remember who was who. I also wanted the author to stick with some of the ideas for longer to keep fleshing them out instead of jumping to a new idea or concept. This book will definitely stick with me and I'll be on the lookout for other things they have written.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This is an ambitious and very well written novel that I feel is trying to do too many things. It of course begs comparison to Station Eleven because it shares the dystopian setting and something of its structure, but Station Eleven is both more complex and more seamless. In terms of "world-building" I found myself unsure about whether this was supposed to be our world or one of the quantum possibilities that are briefly discussed in one of the story-lines. Why does the author include an island obviously intended to be the "real" version of Atlantis? It doesn't really add anything important besides window-dressing. The mini-epic poem at the end is virtuoso, but again seemed unnecessary, except perhaps as a short way of covering a lot of narrative material. Overall, my verdict is intriguing but ultimately flawed.

The northern mining town of River Meadows is one of three hotspots in the world producing ghost ore, a new energy source worth twenty-eight times its weight in gold. It's also linked with slippages of time and space that gradually render the area uninhabitable. After the town is evacuated, the whole region is cordoned off, the new no-go zone wryly nicknamed the Park.

The Book of Rain follows the story of Alex, his sister Amery, and Claire. Alex lived in River Meadows with his family until the town was evacuated. He comes back after Amery goes missing. We follow Alex as he goes looking for her. Claire, on the other hand, ran away from River Meadows as a teenager and now traffics in endangered wildlife. She arrives on a mysterious island under threat of environmental catastrophe. We follow her as she finds herself facing a life-altering choice.

I must admit that the story takes place in Canada drew me to this book. There are a lot of flashbacks and the pace is slow. The narration jumps from one narrator to the other, but each chapter identifies who we are following, so we always know whose story we are reading. It is also a clever way to show to sides of environmental disasters.

There is a sense of longing throughout the book, and I enjoyed discovering the characters’ past, almost more than the “present-day” plot. I wish we had more background for Claire, I found it difficult to relate to her, but all characters were lovable and seemed honestly depicted.

Overall I enjoyed this read. The characters are lovable and the disturbing plot is eye-opening.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: March 14, 2023
Thomas Wharton is a Canadian author whose newest work, “The Book of Rain” is an emotional, thought-provoking and beautifully written examination of the world as it could be, and the connections that are made, and lost, with the world around us.
Alex Hewitt and his sister, Amery, move to River Meadows with their parents when their father finds a job working in the mining fields. River Meadows is one of the few places in the world that mine a new and mysterious form of material called “ghost ore”, known to generate energy at alarming rates, and with alarming consequences. River Meadows’ inhabitants begin to experience lapses of time and space, eventually making the town uninhabitable. When it is evacuated, its remnants are cordoned off, and the world continues at its edges. Amery returns to River Meadows, now known as “The Park”, as an adult, in a desperate attempt to try and salvage the remaining animals and ecosystems, but then she disappears, leaving Alex behind to search for her.
“Rain” is a very unique story, deemed ‘environmental suspense’, and unlike anything I’ve read before. Narrated by Alex and Claire (a character also from River Meadows, who traffics exotic animals and endangered wildlife), both sides of a very gruesome environmental battle are portrayed, both before the town is evacuated, and after. “Rain” speaks of a world on the brink- and every page of it is terrifyingly realistic.
Although the chapters are long, each section is clearly marked so it is evident whose story we are hearing. Both Claire and Alex (and their associated relations) are depicted honestly and emotionally, which builds instant rapport. The character development is on point in “Rain”, and the plot is disturbing and eye opening, with smooth flow and a powerful message.
Although Wharton is a new author for me, and a Canadian one at that, he is not a new novelist and “Rain” has piqued my curiousity. I am beyond intrigued to read his other works and see if it creates the same emotional reaction that “Rain” did. I can definitely see this unique novel being turned into a movie (or a Netflix series, as things seem to go these days) and with the right casting, it will be something memorable. “Rain” is an absolute must-read for those looking for something more in a novel, and it will be talked about for a long time to come.

With The Book of Rain, Thomas Wharton has penned an original, incredibly detailed apocalyptic novel.
I was drawn in by the synopsis, which promised a book set in Canada, with a unique and intriguing premise that is unlike other books of the genre. However, by the time I was 30 percent into the book, I was seriously considering giving up on it, but continued on in hopes that the book would deliver on the promise of its synopsis.
As I continued reading I found to be book to be disjointed, obscure, and a chore to read. I pressed on to the end, which I found to be quite unsatisfying.
The writing is technically proficient, but it never grabbed me and made me want to continue.
I received an advance copy of the book courtesy of #NetGalley.

An intriguing book. It had elements that reminded me a bit of fables, and elements that were more science fiction. There was this kind of ache throughout, partly because Alex is looking for his sister and thinks she might be dead. Partly because Claire is running from her past and herself (and for other reasons that would spoil the story for others). I found this enjoyable from beginning to the somewhat strange end.