“atmospheric . . . realistic . . . slow-burning” – Kirkus ReviewsGlobal warming has divided the continent. In the drought-stricken South where the populace is as barren as the land, an authoritarian government promises comfort if not freedom. To the north is anarchy. Devastated again and again by hurricanes and tremors, wildfires and flooding, everything is broken and nothing is ever rebuilt.… rebuilt.
Samarra, a southern soldier, has fled to the Barrow, a northern city where the only things growing faster than the city’s piles of garbage are extremist cults and violent gangs. Her sole objective is survival: to stay hidden and stay safe.
With jobs in short supply, Samarra counts herself lucky to find work with the Vauns, one of the Barrow’s most powerful and dangerous families. As she learns to navigate the beauty, the horror, and the magic of the lawless city, she finds herself living in the shadow of a missing woman—the beautiful and mysterious Raina, who worked for the Vauns before her. When the trail, long thought cold, heats up, Samarra must decide whether her newly gained chance at freedom is worth sacrificing for a ghost.
“Rich, evocative and compelling, with subtle humor and dynamic strong female characters to root for. For fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent, this richly layered page-turner hits all the right notes and then some” – Kristen Conrad, #1 bestselling author of This is Devin Jones
Check out advanced reviews on NeGalley (https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/143779)
PLEASE NOTE: This work contains mature themes and is not intended for young readers.
Edited by Melissa Frain
Cover design by Dan Van Oss
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This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: The Wolf and the Rain
Author: Tanya Lee
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 20
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 20 readers:
20 would read another book by this author.
20 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
20 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 12 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 8 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
19 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
20 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘This is the best dystopian book ever, and I have read a lot of them. Sort of dark and gritty with lots of cool, odd characters. A little difficult to follow though.’ Girl, aged 15
‘I like the city. It’s so well described – and very dirty. This novel shows the reader a scary future if we don’t stop global warming. The story arc of Samarra is amazing. She’s very brave and resourceful. Cool book.’ Boy, aged 16
‘I love strong female characters in books. This was even better than The Hunger Games.’ Girl, aged 15
‘I loved this story. I liked how she escaped the south to live in the north and how different the two parts were. That was super clever. I also liked how climate change had caused the dystopian world she lived in. The whole plot of trying to find out what happened to the woman was intriguing and well-written. Sort of bugging that I now have to find the next book to find out what happens. But I will anyway!’ Boy, aged 15
To Sum It Up:
‘A gripping dystopian adventure for teenagers. A BRONZE MEDAL WINNER and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
The Wolf and the Rain is set in a dystopian era. The North and the South are kept separate and have formed their own ways of social structure and staying alive. It took me a few chapters to actually get into the story but once I did, it made for a good read. The chapters are all based on either the North or the South and the two separate stories and switching back and forth threw me off until I figured out that’s how it was set up. The North chapters is set in 3rd person while the South chapters is set in 1st person, so a lot of switching back and forth but was still pretty well done.
There were some confusing elements for me, mostly based around the main character for the South, I was halfway through the book when I realized that character is male and not female like I thought.
The writing is well done and the author does a good job throwing the reader straight into the heart of the created world. The ending is really good though and makes me want to pick up the sequel when it comes out.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.