The Scent of Rain

April 1, 2017

Gr 10 Up-Rose lives in rural Arizona, in a fundamentalist Mormon community where daily beatings, stringent regulations, and the promise of becoming a child bride and a sister wife are the norm for a teenage girl. Adan, recently placed in the foster care system, is on the run from the dangerous group home where he'd been living. Multiple events bring the two teenagers closer together until their paths converge in a life-and-death escape. Each must decide whom to trust: each other or the many adults who block the door to safety. Tackling the brutalities of the foster system, the limitations of Child Protective Services, and the horrors of child abuse, this work aims high but ultimately falls short. The descriptions of those with physical and mental disabilities feel awkward and stiff and play into existing negative stereotypes. Sincere, well-meaning adult characters often break the flow of the narrative to hammer readers with preachiness. The issue of deportation is raised at the end in a big reveal but is tidily resolved, dismissing the emotional weight of its reality. While the brief, cliff-hanger chapters might appeal to reluctant readers, the points of view shift so often that they create a confusing patchwork of story lines. At times, it isn't clear exactly who the protagonists really are: the two teens on the run or the well-intentioned adults trying to help them. VERDICT An additional purchase where realistic survival stories are needed.-Leighanne Law, Scriber Lake High School, WA

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