The Rains

The Rains by Gregg Hurwitz is a YA horror story that is a master class in chaos, danger and survival. It’s a fun action-packed adventure that sees all adults being overtaken by alien seeds and becoming zombie like – except these adults seem to have a purpose and that purpose is rounding up all the children to be used in a particularly horrifying way.

Orphaned brothers, Patrick and Chance Rain live with their uncle and aunt in a close knit farming community. No one seems particularly concerned when a meteorite strikes a nearby farm and strange plants start to grow. But on one horror filled night the pods on the plants open and spread their infection over the valley and children find themselves desperately trying to protect themselves show more from their parents. Eventually a group of survivors hold up in the local high school but the situation is dire.

There are a number of plot points that I could quibble about but I try to remember that this a YA story and I am not the target audience. I did enjoy this fast moving alien-zombie mashup but was a little disappointed when the book ended with very little resolved. Obviously there is a sequel and hopefully the author will wrap the story up and not drag it out in an endless series of books. The author did however plant some very interesting seeds to encourage his readers to continue on and I intend to do just that. show less

Gregg Hurwitz
THE RAINS
Tor Books
YA / Apocalypse / Science Fiction

I have read many thrillers by best seller, Gregg Hurwitz. Tight chapters packed with intense action, crisp dialogue, and characters that you give a damn about. When I saw that Hurwitz was taking a swing at something in the Young Adult field, I was anxious to see what he'd do.

And what he did was, THE RAINS. It is NOT just another zombie book. Trust me.

The plot focuses primarily on three kids. Chance and Patrick Rain, and Patrick's girlfriend Alex. On a midwest farm in Creek's Cause, Somewhere USA the two brothers, raised by their aunt and uncle, realize something is wrong.

After a meteor crash . . . they call it the Dusting. Spores filled the air. Those over eighteen were show more immediately affected. Their appearance altered. Holes bore through the center of their heads. If only that was the worst of it. The people infected became crazed. Violent. And they wanted one thing . . . to gather up all of the kids eighteen and under.

Chance has always looked up to his big brother Patrick, and for so many good reasons. But when the three of them hole up in the high school with a group of survivors, a small group of kids who were able to escape the clutches of the things outside locked doors, he knows it is time for him to grow up and get things done.

The creatures that once were neighbors of the Rains are walking every inch of the land, as if mapping the terrain. Others gather any and all weapons only to destroy them. And then, even more of these mind-controlled beings concentrate on the crating and hauling away all of the children.

When Patrick is near death, and Alex is taken by the invaders, Chance steps up his game. Bites back his fear, and sets out to rescue his brother's girlfriend. Chance knows he has a responsibility to those inside the high school, and an obligation to his brother. He vows to bring Alex back.

Doing his best to remain undetected, but having to fight off hordes of drones to stay alive, Chance learns a truth about the aliens that is more than he can stomach.

They have a leader. A Queen. And the Queen has grotesque plans for the bodies of the kids.

Thump. Squelch.

Is there any way Chance, Patrick, and Alex can save themselves? What about saving Creek's Cause? How about saving earth? It just can't be possible. There isn't a chance . . . or is there?

You have to love Hurwitz. The writing is taut. No words wasted. He grabs readers at page one. He holds their attention, grows their interest, and promises an extraordinary journey. And then he delivers. So what's not to love? Best I can tell from the last page of the book --there may be another in the works. LAST CHANCE? One can only hope!

Phillip Tomasso
Author of The Severed Empire Series,
and the Vaccination Trilogy show less

Full disclosure - I love all “adults are gone, dead, zombies, insane, paralyzed or in any way taken out of the equation” kind of stories. I also love books that take the scientific organization of a non human organism and impose it on said affected adults. I also like, when possible, a little bit of believable science to explain any anomalies such as why the adult science teacher isn’t affected by the Dusting. So, as you can imagine, I liked this book a lot. It’s a fast read and I’m certain that fans of the walking dead would enjoy this book although these hosts (zombies) are fast and much smarter than walking dead zombies. Don’t want to say too much more. I did enjoy this - a fun (albeit grisly) read, like inhaling a bag of show more chips. show less

I love Hurwitz so I figured he wrote a YA book what the heck: I'd try it. It turns out it might about about "the Z word". I'm skeptical as I've yet to find any reason to foray into the Zombie craze, but I keep reading. And I find that I'm actually really enjoying this book, and that's the mastery of Hurwitz. His characters, the Rain brothers, and supporting cast are people I would love to know. His storyline kept me going and guessing on a topic I don't care for. The vivid descriptions made me cringe. My biggest issue is that this book didn't even try and tie things up at the end and now I have to wait for the next one.

Quite a few of my favourite adult authors have started writing young adult books - many of them series.

Gregg Hurwitz has just released The Rains - the first in his new young adult series. And though it's marketed to teens, this adult reader quite enjoyed The Rains.

That ominous cover would lead you to believe weather is the inspiration for the book title. Well, something does fall from the sky, but it's not rain. Instead it's some sort of parasitic spore that infects anyone over eighteen, turning them into some sort of zombie. The driving force behind this attack may be an alien race. So, who are the Rains? Fifteen year old Chance Rain and his seventeen year old brother Patrick Rain. And the third person on the cover is Patrick's show more girlfriend Alex. Together, they're leading force behind the battle for survival for the rest of the under eighteens kids.

Chance is our narrator - indeed it is his journal we are reading. "If you're reading this, your life is at risk. Maybe, just maybe these pages will give you a chance."

Hurwitz has plotted an inventive mashup between aliens and zombies and added lots of action and nail biting scenarios. But he has also developed his lead characters well. They have depth and feeling and the reader will immediately be drawn to them., especially Chance. Chance does a lot of growing up as the book progresses. There is also a romantic thread running through the book between Patrick and Alex, but it too is portrayed realistically. Alex is just as strong a lead as the boys. The relationship between the brothers is well drawn, believable and heartstring tugging. And with every story there has to be a negative character. Readers will love to hate Ben, who is the antithesis of the boys. Hurwitz himself is the owner of a number of Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs. In the book, Chance also raises Ridgebacks. They too endear themselves to the reader as part of the 'good guys' team. (But I have to say, there's one chapter where I yelled No, no, no!)

I liked the rural setting - our heroes are a little more down to earth and pragmatic than some of the zombie novels set in cityscapes. A few of the plot devices are a bit too pat - but this is the adult mystery reader in me speaking. Just go with the flow and enjoy The Rains. It's a great addition to the teen fiction scene and would appeal to both male and female readers. And keep your eyes peeled for the next book - Last Chance. show less

I don't like SyFy... at all and the only reason I even picked up this book was because I thought it was about zombies. Yeah, no. I was wrong. I admit that.

But...

I'm so glad I read this book. It started out really slow and actually, pretty annoying. But there was something about this book that just kept me hooked. I can't say it was the writing. The writing was actually really choppy through a lot of the book. But maybe it was the mystery of the story line of wondering what was going to happen.

The characters only accomplished one thing and that was - piss me off. The main character is so whiny and is his big brother's shadow - not that he minds in the slightest - he depends a lot on his brother. But the MC was just so weak it made me show more want to rip my hair out and scream grow a backbone! If you can force yourself through that, around 80% he actually hits a breaking point and starts to develop a backbone - not completely formed by the end of the book sadly, but still in the make, imo.

His brother was exactly what you expect. Popular, built - typical macho-hero type. The kind you really tend to hate. But... with this book, you can't hate him. It's not possible. He is perfect. The perfect boyfriend, perfect brother, and perfect shot to blow your head away. LOL!

If there was ever a character you wish you could set on fire, it would be without a doubt - Ben. I honestly do NOT understand how NO ONE stood up against him. I don't get how they didn't attempt to exile him or something.... Okay, maybe I go. Exile the little turd and I am sure he would lead everything from the deepest pit of hell to the front door of the hideout. But still .... he should be shot.

The ending really shocked me. I didn't see that coming at all. Really. If you forget to breathe, while reading it, just know you aren't alone because I know I held my breath to the last page. Lol the ending def sets you up to not want - but NEED to read book two.

Like I said, I am no fan of SyFy books, but this one I'd make an acceptation for. I NEED TO KNOW!! show less

My older kids loved this book. Can't wait for the next!