Apocalyptic, dystopian type fiction is high up on my list of MUST READ right now and I constantly need to have some kind of apocalyptic novel on the go – it has become an addiction!
When I read the blurb of this book I was desperate to read it and when the lovely Jessica sent me a copy I was SO quick to dive into it.
The Rain follows our protagonist called Ruby as she experiences the end of the world as she knows it. One minute she’s at a friend’s house snogging Casper – the hottest boy around, and then suddenly they’re all being rushed inside and being told to keep out of the rain. It soon transpires that the rain is poisonous, that bacteria are in the rain that can kill humans with just one drop. Ruby hitches a ride and manages to make it home to her mother, stepdad and half-brother but as the radio and TV begin to show, life is about to get a whole lot tougher.
Tap water is infected too and with no drinking water and nowhere to shower or go to the toilet, people are starting to give up hope. When neighbours start dying in the middle of the road and in Ruby’s front garden she decides she wants to get away but does she have the skill and insight to get to where she wants to go without dying?
There is more to the plot than I have just detailed but I don’t want to give anything away so I am going to stick to that basic outline for now!
I loved this book but at the same time I hated it.
I thought the concept was FANTASTIC. The idea of water being infected and not being able to go out in the rain or drink any kind of tap water made for a really compelling plot; I was constantly wondering where Ruby would find water but that is kind of where the excitement ended…
Ruby was not a very likable protagonist at all. This dramatic world catastrophe was a way for her to develop as a character and realise what is important in life but instead of growing and developing, she remained really immature and found that dyeing her hair and getting upset about her mobile phone was more important than most other things. Sure, some people cope with things in different ways but I can’t imagine someone investing so much time in putting on make-up or dyeing their hair when the world is falling apart around them. She also took a long time to become a team player and that frustrated me a little too – this is the most important time to work as a team and become selfless yet Ruby didn’t see that! I think it was pure luck that she managed to survive for as long as she did!
Secondly – the ending. I’m always a fan of a circular narrative but this one went just too far in that direction. She ended up right where she started which made the whole plot feel like a waste of time – what’s the point on taking a character on a journey when physically she doesn’t get anywhere and mentally she doesn’t learn anything or take anything from the experience?
Lastly, there were just too many plot holes in my opinion regarding the water. Firstly, animals seemed to be immune to these bacteria with absolutely no explanation which just frankly confused me. How could they be happily chomping on human limbs and still be alive?! Plus, I would have at least expected there to be bacteria left in the grass and on pavements if there has been a rain storm yet there didn’t seem to be any mention of damp grass or puddles or a blazing hot sun to dry it all up.
I guess the main issue I had with this plot was perhaps a lack of continuity and explanation in terms of the outbreak of this bacteria and the lack of connection I had with the main character.
The writing itself was really great and the style of writing meant I was eager to read on and there was a lovely amount of tension but I just didn’t love this like I wanted to love it.
The main ingredient for a successful apocalyptic/dystopian YA novel is a likeable protagonist and if you don’t have one of those then the reader has no one to fight for and sadly will lose interest and be indifferent to the fate of said character. And, unfortunately, in The Rain, a likeable protagonist is missing. All she needs is a little bit more self-awareness, a greater sense of responsibility and a bigger heart. Nothing is more off-putting than a selfish, vain, and self-obsessed character.
Having said that, there were still aspects of this book that I enjoyed and I would be interested to see what other people felt about it. Give it a read and let me know what you think!