When Rain turns to Snow by Jane Godwin is a YA contemporary that revolves around two families that harbours secrets from their children. The story is set in Melbourne which evoked familiarity in me. In an effort to find out the truth, one of the kids, Reed Lister, sets out into the world with no one’s help whatsoever.
On his way, he is held responsible for a baby and he is expected to take care of her. He finds the place he was looking for and takes refuge in the shed of that house. Finding a stranger in the shed, our protagonist, Lissa, freaks out and slowly finds out the truth about him. The story was very engaging to read and it kept me hooked throughout. However, some of the dialogues seemed forced or preachy and so out of context.
I appreciate that the book talks about climate change, however, when Lissa asks Reed about his parents and if they are religious, he says – “Yes. And that’s why they don’t believe in climate change.” Like what? Religion doesn’t make someone ignorant. And the fact that Lissa says she feels sorry for Harry no matter what he had or had not done made me really uncomfortable. I mean, I would expect people to be just as angry over a relative who might be involved in sexual harassment as much as they would be angry at a stranger. The characters were written well but some aspects of the story were problematic. I really loved the relationship between Reed and Mercy. It was very wholesome.
It does involve a gay character but I think the author didn’t elaborate on it because their coming out wasn’t relevant to the story. I liked the plot. The writing is poetic at certain places which made me enjoy it more. It is very easy to read. If you are looking for a light hearted read, you should go for it. Rating: 3⭐/5
________
______
Thank you @hachetteaus for this review copy!
Oliver The Puppet 