Take a photo of a barcode or cover
anyaemilie 's review for:
Rain Rising
by Courtne Comrie
Content warnings:
I am always on the lookout for contemporary books that would be good for a middle school audience. Most middle grade books, although the protagonists are the age of middle schoolers, tend to read as though they're written for younger audiences. And most YA books have protagonists that are 16-18 and going through things that middle schoolers aren't quite at the age to care about or relate to. (This is a problem across publishing. I've heard of many authors wanting to write for middle school audiences, but they are told by people in the publishing industry to either age their characters up or down, thus leaving a huge gap of stories for that middle school age group. That's not to say there aren't any, but how many recently published books can you think of where the protagonists are between 13 and 15 years old?)
But I've found a great one! In RAIN RISING by Courtne Comrie, our protagonist Rain is in 8th grade, and she actually FEELS like it. She talks like 8th graders I've known, she has a lot of the same worries as middle schoolers, and the author really captures that middle school feeling of not quite knowing where you fit in the world and trying to figure out how to mold yourself into someone you're happy with.
RAIN RISING deals with some heavy topics that are a reality for a lot of teenagers but in a way that doesn't talk down to them. Rain has depression, but while it's never directly named in the book, Comrie vividly describes Rain's feelings of deep, heavy sadness and inadequacy in a way that is recognizable and could be very relatable to a teenager reading this book if they're feeling the same way.
Rain has to deal with the realities of losing a friend, insecurities about her body, getting through school and also rediscovering her love for old hobbies and love for herself. Her relationship with her older brother Xander was my favorite part of the book. It's a beautifully written book (in verse!) that I couldn't put down, and a book I would not hesitate to give to a middle schooler.
Spoiler
Depression; anxiety; self-harm; body image issues (including beginnings of disordered eating and skin bleaching); colorism; racially motivated assault (off-page, recounted); mild bullyingI am always on the lookout for contemporary books that would be good for a middle school audience. Most middle grade books, although the protagonists are the age of middle schoolers, tend to read as though they're written for younger audiences. And most YA books have protagonists that are 16-18 and going through things that middle schoolers aren't quite at the age to care about or relate to. (This is a problem across publishing. I've heard of many authors wanting to write for middle school audiences, but they are told by people in the publishing industry to either age their characters up or down, thus leaving a huge gap of stories for that middle school age group. That's not to say there aren't any, but how many recently published books can you think of where the protagonists are between 13 and 15 years old?)
But I've found a great one! In RAIN RISING by Courtne Comrie, our protagonist Rain is in 8th grade, and she actually FEELS like it. She talks like 8th graders I've known, she has a lot of the same worries as middle schoolers, and the author really captures that middle school feeling of not quite knowing where you fit in the world and trying to figure out how to mold yourself into someone you're happy with.
RAIN RISING deals with some heavy topics that are a reality for a lot of teenagers but in a way that doesn't talk down to them. Rain has depression, but while it's never directly named in the book, Comrie vividly describes Rain's feelings of deep, heavy sadness and inadequacy in a way that is recognizable and could be very relatable to a teenager reading this book if they're feeling the same way.
Rain has to deal with the realities of losing a friend, insecurities about her body, getting through school and also rediscovering her love for old hobbies and love for herself. Her relationship with her older brother Xander was my favorite part of the book. It's a beautifully written book (in verse!) that I couldn't put down, and a book I would not hesitate to give to a middle schooler.