When the effects of a hypnosis inducing drug fade, April slowly begins a conscious awakening. Memories of her past are unclear and she has no recollection of her identity or her whereabouts.As the days slip by, April realizes there is more to life than existing when she is introduced to an occupant who does just that—her sister. The more she learns about her environment the more she wants to … wants to escape.
Will April remember her past, her sister? Will she have the courage to leave? And if she does, where will she go?
Experience through April’s eyes her struggle to remember and her determination to escape in this sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, suspense story.
more
‘Playing in the Rain: When All That Matters is Freedom’ is the first book in the ‘Escape Series’ written by Sandra J. Jackson in 2018. This is the second book I’ve read by the author, and I’m sure I will read more in the future. To start with, the cover is beautiful. It’s magical and mysterious, yet comforting and alluring all at once. I wasn’t sure whether I’d be dropped into a fantasy world or a science-fiction drama, and perhaps, it has just a little bit of both. Let’s get into the details.
A young girl is in a medical facility. We’re not sure if she’s dangerous or simply sick. Something has happened to the outside world, and we’re unsure exactly when and where this takes place. As the first few chapters unfold, we realize she’s being held prisoner for some reason. From there, the story takes off as readers watch her try to escape. The girl learns her name is April, and a nurse or doctor is trying to help her. She gets a roommate, who turns out to be someone she actually knows and begins to remember. What has happened to these girls? When April finally escapes, she’s actually not really free (no spoilers, you must read for yourself). By the end of the book, we’re set on a course for the second in the series, and it will definitely draw in your attention.
Jackson created an easy-to-read page-turner. It’s not a mega-thriller where the action is constant and tense. It’s more subtle, yet you feel a passion to help April succeed. Through repetition and failed attempts, our hearts break when we learn she hasn’t achieved her goal of being free. From daily work to pry open a window, to discovering someone near death in an adjoining room, April is a strong protagonist who we quickly want to follow. I enjoyed how Jackson creates the story, leaving readers in suspense about what’s happened to the outside world. We don’t really know what happened to her family either (she’s right at the cusp of exiting her teenage years).
I saw similarities in the writing style and tone to the previous book I read — in positive ways. Jackson has a bit of an ethereal tone to her prose. She paints a vivid picture but it’s murky in all the right areas. There’s a budding sense of hope, then it’s pulled away and readers are smacked back into reality. Life isn’t always perfect, and there will be pain and sadness. Then again, the ending leaves us with a promise for a better future. I look forward to finding out if/how it will happen.
Nail Biting Tension
From inception, Playing in the Rain, by Sandra J. Jackson, gave me the feeling of being a prisoner. The character, April, slowly recovers from a drug induced state. What she begins to learn about her plight is frightening. At first she can’t believe what is happening and how her mind had been programmed. Beginning to understand, she must escape, but needs more of her memory, strength and capabilities to return before she completely understands her dilemma and what to do about it. She is not without help, but even that is questionable. She doesn’t know whom to trust. Then someone is brought in to share her room; her sister, whom she doesn’t know or remember. She also learns about a brother, whom she doesn’t believe exists.
The author takes us on a nail-biting psychological horror ride as April sorts out what has happened to her and her sister. And if there is a brother, had he met a similar fate. Some did not survive what they endured. She tries to understand why her first escape attempt failed and how it got her into another catastrophic dilemma.
The author does a great job of taking the reader through the psychological shocks as April slowly regains more and more of her memory. She arrives at the point of feeling strong enough to make another attempt to escape – and maybe her last if caught – with her sister. She finds the graves of those who had not survived. Could their brother be among the buried? If you love psychological thrillers, let this series give your mind a turn.
Playing in the rain by Sandra J. Jackson
This futuristic audio book tells the story of A2, a girl who wakes up with virtually no memory and finds herself in some sort of experimental study run by `Cecil´, who we find out is both the person behind this strange facility and also an acronym for the name of the centre.
As she slowly recover her memory, thanks to a white suited, masked worker and sort of friend called J, she begins to remember snippets of her life before her incarceration.
However, things are careering out of control and A2 needs to escape. Will she find her salvation, or will she be plunged into another prisonlike existence. This is the first book in a series and therefore there are some unanswered questions by the end of the story. This only impels the reader/listener to want to buy the second novel.
This is a thought provoking book.
I’ve read Sandra’s first novel and that one was excellent. So, when I saw that she had written a second novel I jumped at the chance to read it, not knowing what it was about and I was not disappointed. Just like her first novel this story is well written, with attention to details which makes all the difference. “Playing in the rain” is thought provoking, and captivating the whole way through. I’ll be honest, this type of story is not my usual cup of tea as I tend to shy away from the dystopian stuff a bit but this story became the exception to that rule from the opening pages right to the very end. I wanted to punch that Cecile in the face, and you will end up with a lot of questions at the end which leads me to believe that there may be another story in the works here?? I’m hoping my theory is correct, Sandra is an excellent author and has quickly become one of my favorites. You have found your calling!
I really enjoyed Playing in the Rain (Escape Series Book 1) by Sandra J. Jackson. The story draws you right in, the mundane routine of waking up and eating breakfast and brushing teeth has a surreal vibe. The character – April – has no idea who she is and neither does the reader unless they read the cover blurb. But her awareness is returning. Her senses come back. She becomes responsive. And she starts to think through her situation. Question where she is and why she’s there. What she does know is there’s danger – although isn’t sure what that danger is, at first – and she’s trapped.
The language is economical and action-driven. The plot unravels slowly in carefully measured steps. The mood is intense and that intensity is unrelenting. The use of deep point of view works really well and is sustained throughout. I don’t generally read post-apocalyptic or sci-fi, but I found that it was very hard to stop reading this book.