Rain Rising

In Courtne Comrie’s verse novel, Rain Rising, 13-year-old Rain Washington’s world, which, until now, has revolved around her brother, her mother and Nara, her friend since pre-kindergarten, is changing.

It’s her last year of middle school, her brother’s last year of high school, and the beginning of the end of her friendship with Nara.

Xander

aka X

aka Xceptional X

aka Xcellent X

the best X-ample

who’s low-key hero in my City.

Taller than Mom and Dad,

though I sometimes forget how tall Dad is.

Xander has always been her rock. Her protector. The person who was there when their dad left the family when Rain was six. She thinks of him as her little dad. The person who is most often there when their mother, who works two jobs, isn’t. Even though X sometimes isn’t there either because he’s an excellent athlete on the football team at Elite Prep, a school his mother pays big fees for him to attend so he’ll get into the university of his choice, and workouts and the time it takes for him to travel to and from his school keep him away from home until late.

Rain loves him unconditionally and is genuinely happy for him for all his accomplishments. She shares his excitement about a trip he’ll soon be taking to the university he’ll be attending next fall to check it out.

She and X share a lot. But what she hides from him, from everyone, is what she actually feels every day of her life.

You’re ugly.

You’re not good enough.

You’re worthless.

Nobody likes you.

Only bad things will happen.

No matter her mood or sadness, if anyone asks her how it’s going with her, her standard reply is “I’m good.” Until now it seems to have worked. Until now, she has convinced everyone, even X, she’s coping with her life.

Then, disaster strikes. At a frat party during his visit to Smith University, Xander is beaten almost to death by a group of white boys. And much more is shattered than his bones. Including his relationship with Rain. He is broken; her mother sinks into a pattern of escape through sleep that Rain has seen before, and she is entirely on her own. Now, she and her family must learn to survive another way, or they will all drown.

In her debut novel, Comrie delves into life as it exists for many who live at or below the poverty line, systemic racism, family ties, love—for others and for self, friendship, support systems, genetics, and progressive learning. The subjects are tough, and the voice is authentic. The main characters are whole people with real problems, real pain, real successes and real joys. Readers will cry a lot, occasionally laugh, and hope with all their might that Rain (and her family) will not only survive, but rise.

Two things bothered me about this book. The structure of free verse is often designed to make the reader sit up and take notice, and the format used by the author is complex. However, with its variety of spacing, it’s also off-putting and confusing at times, particularly when single words are pushed to the extreme right-hand margin. Secondly, and more importantly, the revelation that triggers change in the Washingtons’ home isn’t credible regarding when Rain’s painful secret is discovered. Even if her mother and brother are absent much of the time and exhausted when they’re home, her clothing or bedding would have shown some sign, if for no other reasons than that she’s been doing it since she was six and there weren’t the supplies in the house for her to successfully hide it for all those years.

That said, although Rain Rising is being marketed as a novel for 10-14 year-olds, this book crosses age lines. Adult readers will get as much, or more, out of it as young readers will. It’s a heart-wrenching read that sheds needed light on things that are too often left buried in darkness.