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Naked in the Rain
LOVE. SEX. POWER.
They seem like opposites: River's a troubled teen who loves to fight; Brian is a piano prodigy who attempted suicide. But together they forge a bond beyond anything they imagined.
River and Brian run away with dreams of escaping their abusive homes and exploring the world. But reality hits as they wander the streets of Los Angeles: no money, no food, nowhere to go. Until they meet a stranger who will change their lives forever . . . .
Lured into a world of drugs, sex and power; a world of seductive beauty and terrible secrets. Can they escape? Do they want to?
They seem like opposites: River's a troubled teen who loves to fight; Brian is a piano prodigy who attempted suicide. But together they forge a bond beyond anything they imagined.
River and Brian run away with dreams of escaping their abusive homes and exploring the world. But reality hits as they wander the streets of Los Angeles: no money, no food, nowhere to go. Until they meet a stranger who will change their lives forever . . . .
Lured into a world of drugs, sex and power; a world of seductive beauty and terrible secrets. Can they escape? Do they want to?
469 pages, Perfect Paperback
First published January 15, 2007
5 people are currently reading
491 people want to read
About the author
Eowyn Wood
2 books51 followers"Afterglow" -- the sequel to "Naked in the Rain" -- is now available! "Afterglow" was named as a Finalist in USA Book News Best Books 2010 (Gay/Lesbian category). More info at www.eowynwood.com.
"Naked in the Rain" is the award-winning debut novel from Eowyn Wood. In addition to her work as an author, she performs editing for Crooked Hills Publishing and works at a non-profit AIDS organization. She has lived in many areas of the United States. After five years in Los Angeles–-where much of "Naked in the Rain" takes place-–Wood relocated to Portland, Oregon, where she has now resided happily for over ten years.
"Naked in the Rain" has won several awards, including the international 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (Winner, GLBT); Best Books 2007, USA Book News (Winner, Gay/Lesbian fiction); and ForeWord Magazine’s 2007 Book of the Year Awards (Silver, Gay/Lesbian fiction).
"Naked in the Rain" is the award-winning debut novel from Eowyn Wood. In addition to her work as an author, she performs editing for Crooked Hills Publishing and works at a non-profit AIDS organization. She has lived in many areas of the United States. After five years in Los Angeles–-where much of "Naked in the Rain" takes place-–Wood relocated to Portland, Oregon, where she has now resided happily for over ten years.
"Naked in the Rain" has won several awards, including the international 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (Winner, GLBT); Best Books 2007, USA Book News (Winner, Gay/Lesbian fiction); and ForeWord Magazine’s 2007 Book of the Year Awards (Silver, Gay/Lesbian fiction).
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 24, 2017
Cross-posted at Outlaw Reviews and at Shelf Inflicted
I loved this story, even though my mind was in a whirlpool, my heart broken, and my stomach all in knots. Child prostitution is a very heavy subject to explore in fiction. No child should endure what Brian and River have gone through. The two boys meet in a mental institution, forge a bond, and rather than return home to severely dysfunctional families, they take to the streets and make their way to L.A. where a wealthy older man, Grant Nesbit, picks them up, feeds, clothes and shelters them while he gradually introduces them to the world of prostitution.
This book was disturbing, sensual, seductive and brutal, and I had a difficult time putting it down. Brian and River have gone through experiences no child should go through, yet I can't totally hate Grant Nesbit. I believe Grant cares for the boys in his own way and the boys care for him. His relationship with Brian is fatherly in some ways, possessive and controlling in others.
Yet there is lots of beauty as well. The love River and Brian share, the relationship between Brian and his sister, the friendships Brian develops outside the House, and the fact that Brian and River still retain some of the innocence of children despite their exposure to adult sexual situations. They love music, care for animals, and enjoy childish pastimes.
I liked how the story jumps from the perspectives of different characters. While Brian and River make their world seem seductive, sensual and pleasurable, outside observers such as Brian's music teacher and new friends he's made on the outside notice his unusual behavior and inability to fit in with others.
This is normally not the kind of subject I care to explore in fiction, but I found myself so attached to the characters that I'm looking forward to the sequel which starts the next stage of their lives.
I loved this story, even though my mind was in a whirlpool, my heart broken, and my stomach all in knots. Child prostitution is a very heavy subject to explore in fiction. No child should endure what Brian and River have gone through. The two boys meet in a mental institution, forge a bond, and rather than return home to severely dysfunctional families, they take to the streets and make their way to L.A. where a wealthy older man, Grant Nesbit, picks them up, feeds, clothes and shelters them while he gradually introduces them to the world of prostitution.
This book was disturbing, sensual, seductive and brutal, and I had a difficult time putting it down. Brian and River have gone through experiences no child should go through, yet I can't totally hate Grant Nesbit. I believe Grant cares for the boys in his own way and the boys care for him. His relationship with Brian is fatherly in some ways, possessive and controlling in others.
Yet there is lots of beauty as well. The love River and Brian share, the relationship between Brian and his sister, the friendships Brian develops outside the House, and the fact that Brian and River still retain some of the innocence of children despite their exposure to adult sexual situations. They love music, care for animals, and enjoy childish pastimes.
I liked how the story jumps from the perspectives of different characters. While Brian and River make their world seem seductive, sensual and pleasurable, outside observers such as Brian's music teacher and new friends he's made on the outside notice his unusual behavior and inability to fit in with others.
This is normally not the kind of subject I care to explore in fiction, but I found myself so attached to the characters that I'm looking forward to the sequel which starts the next stage of their lives.
August 15, 2009
I had mix feelings about this book. The characters were very real and likeable or hateable. Yet, the subject of the book was very hard to handle.
The story followed two young boys, Brian and River. They meet each other in a mental institution and decided to run away together. They went out to Los Angeles together and managed to be discovered by a prostitution house. Brain and River fall in love and they each explore their own sexuality through each other, their clients, other prostitutes and through the owners of the homes.
Although the prose of the book was very good, I found it be very choppy sometimes. It jumped around from one scene to another very quickly in some parts. If you can handle the subject matter I would recommend this book.
The story followed two young boys, Brian and River. They meet each other in a mental institution and decided to run away together. They went out to Los Angeles together and managed to be discovered by a prostitution house. Brain and River fall in love and they each explore their own sexuality through each other, their clients, other prostitutes and through the owners of the homes.
Although the prose of the book was very good, I found it be very choppy sometimes. It jumped around from one scene to another very quickly in some parts. If you can handle the subject matter I would recommend this book.
May 31, 2015
This is such a powerful novel! I'll admit that I was hesitant to read this book at first because the subject
matter is unsettling and makes me queasy. It's a book about the exploitation of the very young thru prostitution, yet it 's more than that. We first meet Brian & River at a mental institution, two young boys with seemingly nothing in common. Brian is a piano prodigy who is highly intelligent and River is a hot-tempered,and always ready to fight. These two boys connect somehow, maybe it's because they both have suffered years of abuse in the hands of guardians that are suppose to love them. The bond between these two boys are unshakeable and they decide before they are released from this institution to meet up and runaway together. The decision to get away from their abusive homes is easy ,though both have a sister that they leave behind, they want to be together. They decide to go to Los Angeles, but there reality sinks in, they are hungry, cold, and homeless and that's when they think is a god-send in a Mercedes. In this car they find an older man who feeds them and later shelters them in a beautiful home and seems like a kindly father figure who only wants to protect these young boys....The seduction by Grant of these boys is frightening and sad. You can see River and Brian slowly seduced by all the things this gentle man gives them and to both of them sex is a small price in a way of repaying him. This book is so heart-pounding good, you see how each sexual act that these boys perform and each drug that they ingest,strips away their youth and innocence.It's a cold, and harsh world and unfortunately the adults that should have protected River and Brian have let them down, and so the vultures have swooped down and exploited them for their own pleasures...In ways, that are also shown the same thing happen to Gramt, so he is following a tradition that has gone on thru the ages.,,,This book touched my heart in ways that a book hasn't in a long time! bravo Eowyn Wood's for writing such a brilliant novel! I will now continue the journey of Brian & River in Afterglow.
matter is unsettling and makes me queasy. It's a book about the exploitation of the very young thru prostitution, yet it 's more than that. We first meet Brian & River at a mental institution, two young boys with seemingly nothing in common. Brian is a piano prodigy who is highly intelligent and River is a hot-tempered,and always ready to fight. These two boys connect somehow, maybe it's because they both have suffered years of abuse in the hands of guardians that are suppose to love them. The bond between these two boys are unshakeable and they decide before they are released from this institution to meet up and runaway together. The decision to get away from their abusive homes is easy ,though both have a sister that they leave behind, they want to be together. They decide to go to Los Angeles, but there reality sinks in, they are hungry, cold, and homeless and that's when they think is a god-send in a Mercedes. In this car they find an older man who feeds them and later shelters them in a beautiful home and seems like a kindly father figure who only wants to protect these young boys....The seduction by Grant of these boys is frightening and sad. You can see River and Brian slowly seduced by all the things this gentle man gives them and to both of them sex is a small price in a way of repaying him. This book is so heart-pounding good, you see how each sexual act that these boys perform and each drug that they ingest,strips away their youth and innocence.It's a cold, and harsh world and unfortunately the adults that should have protected River and Brian have let them down, and so the vultures have swooped down and exploited them for their own pleasures...In ways, that are also shown the same thing happen to Gramt, so he is following a tradition that has gone on thru the ages.,,,This book touched my heart in ways that a book hasn't in a long time! bravo Eowyn Wood's for writing such a brilliant novel! I will now continue the journey of Brian & River in Afterglow.
May 18, 2011
A great book. Not an easy reading, because of the difficult subject. The beginning, first 50 pages, were a bit slow, but once past that, I couldn't put it down. I read it in a few days and loved it. A lot of it is sad and heartbreaking and upsetting, but there is also a lot of beauty in the story, mainly in the 2 young characters and the love they share. I completely fell for them and the bond they have.
The author did an amazing job in portraying the relationship that comes to develop between a kid and the man that is a father to him but also his biggest abuser.
I definitely recommend it.
The author did an amazing job in portraying the relationship that comes to develop between a kid and the man that is a father to him but also his biggest abuser.
I definitely recommend it.
April 4, 2010
First book to Afterglow.
Review in the follow book 'Afterglow'
Review in the follow book 'Afterglow'
September 30, 2010
I couldn't put this book down...I learned a lot from this book...enjoyed the love story and also finding a lot of the story sad, yet very intriguing. I also enjoyed the way that each chapter began with a quote usually from a Cure song...I cannot wait to read the sequel Afterglow when I get a chance to purchase it!!
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May 21, 2010Amazing. Keep writing Eowyn.
September 16, 2013
I love this book so much. I had to read Afterglow after i finished it. Then i made my friends read it. One of my friends said that it changed her life. It's such a powerful book.
March 31, 2024
don’t know if this is considered a spoiler but absolutely did not mind that it left off on a cliff hanger. i spoiled myself with finding out what happens in the second book and after falling to my knees i’m even more happier with the cliff hanger sigh
October 16, 2014
It took some time to reconcile the ages of the main characters [not that it bothered me from a moral perspective, more the fact that they were written much older than they actually were!] but otherwise, a true and honest portrayal of what on the streets, and in the company of the wrong people can turn into. I have just picked up the sequel ..... a whopping seven hundred plus pages! It will be interesting to see where Eowyn takes the boys next!
August 30, 2015
I wanted to give this 5 stars but the pacing was rough in spots and too much repetitiveness. Also much of what went on was softened, and I prefer a more realistic story. If you are going to write about the dark side of life then don't sugar coat it. I think this could have been one of my favorite books of all time had it been tightened up, and 50 pages shorter.
September 3, 2012
a bit graphic and gritty at times but that's life, isn't it?
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews