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schnaucl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I enjoyed it, although the more I think about it the less reliable I find the narrator.
I can't imagine how terrifying it would be if any time you came into contact with water it cost you some of your memory. And how long would it take to figure out that's what happened, especially if you lived alone?
While I understand why people would want to try and leave, their plan to do so was never quite clear to me other than maybe they can't shoot all of us? Except it seemed like they all expected to make it past the military barricade but without explaining how. Or what they planned to do once they were past it. It's set in modern times and I would imagine it's hard to prove you are who you say you are without some kind of proof. I get that a lack of birth certificate for the child isn't the most pressing concern in that situation but eventually it'll come up.
I also wonder how many people deliberately stood outside in the rain and deliberately lost themselves, particularly if they thought they couldn't make it past the military blockade. Would that be better or worse than being shot? The death would certainly be prolonged and death by starvation isn't pretty but if you're not aware enough to know that's what's happening or to be aware of your hunger maybe that's kinder?
As to the ending, if time is of the essence, I'm not sure it makes sense that she let the child cry for her mother for three minutes. It certainly makes for a dramatic end though. I'm also wondering how old the kid was supposed to be when she was allowed to read the journal/diary.
Anyway, it's a really interesting concept.
I can't imagine how terrifying it would be if any time you came into contact with water it cost you some of your memory. And how long would it take to figure out that's what happened, especially if you lived alone?
I also wonder how many people deliberately stood outside in the rain and deliberately lost themselves, particularly if they thought they couldn't make it past the military blockade. Would that be better or worse than being shot? The death would certainly be prolonged and death by starvation isn't pretty but if you're not aware enough to know that's what's happening or to be aware of your hunger maybe that's kinder?
As to the ending, if time is of the essence, I'm not sure it makes sense that she let the child cry for her mother for three minutes. It certainly makes for a dramatic end though. I'm also wondering how old the kid was supposed to be when she was allowed to read the journal/diary.
Anyway, it's a really interesting concept.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, and Confinement
Minor: Suicide, Animal death, Child death, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
directorpurry's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death and Gaslighting
f18's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Gaslighting
Minor: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Police brutality, Cursing, and Panic attacks/disorders
onthesamepage's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Welcome to Aloisville, rainiest town in the rainiest state. Population: we don’t recall.
Told in the form of a diary written by our main character, Laverne, Nothing But the Rain is about a town called Aloisville, where something in the water erases people's memories. It's in the rain, in the pipes, and every leaky faucet is a potential danger. And the worst part is, they have no way of communicating with the outside world. The town is barricaded by mysterious soldiers wearing full body suits, and any and all signals have been cut off.
There's not much I can say about this novella that won't spoil something about it. I really loved what this story was doing. The writing was excellent, and the ending was well-executed. It will leave you with more questions than answers, however, and that is maybe one of the few complaints I have. While I wasn't expecting to have everything explained, and, in fact, appreciate an open ending when I feel the story warrants it, in this case it felt weird because of how the story wrapped up. There are several mysteries that are alluded to in Laverne's journal, and I wanted at least some of them to be resolved.
The other thing is that, despite how short it is, some of it felt a bit repetitive. But overall, a fantastic debut, and I would definitely recommend picking this up.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting
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