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The Rain #2
The Storm
DEADLY TO THE LAST DROP .
Ninety-seven percent of the population is dead. And the killer rain keeps falling. Ruby's not sure she can make it on her own much longer. So when a chance encounter leads her to a camp with the last boy she may ever kiss (it's not easy to date during an apocalypse), Ruby gratefully accepts the army's protection.
But safety comes with a price: If Ruby wants to stay, she must keep her eyes-and her mouth-shut.
Except Ruby stumbles across a secret she can't possibly keep. Horrified, she flips out and fights back-only to make the most shocking discovery of all...
Praise for H2O:
"Creepy and realistic. H2O left me thirsting for more." -Kristen Simmons, author of Article 5 and Breaking Point
"Ruby's candid, addicting narration brought this terrifying and wholly plausible story to life. This is a book you'll devour all at once-from the safety of your umbrella!" -Jessica Khoury, author of Origin and Vitro
Ninety-seven percent of the population is dead. And the killer rain keeps falling. Ruby's not sure she can make it on her own much longer. So when a chance encounter leads her to a camp with the last boy she may ever kiss (it's not easy to date during an apocalypse), Ruby gratefully accepts the army's protection.
But safety comes with a price: If Ruby wants to stay, she must keep her eyes-and her mouth-shut.
Except Ruby stumbles across a secret she can't possibly keep. Horrified, she flips out and fights back-only to make the most shocking discovery of all...
Praise for H2O:
"Creepy and realistic. H2O left me thirsting for more." -Kristen Simmons, author of Article 5 and Breaking Point
"Ruby's candid, addicting narration brought this terrifying and wholly plausible story to life. This is a book you'll devour all at once-from the safety of your umbrella!" -Jessica Khoury, author of Origin and Vitro
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 29, 2015
216 people are currently reading
4496 people want to read
About the author
Virginia Bergin
4 books341 followersAuthor of the H2O duology (H2O and The Storm) (UK titles: The Rain and The Storm), and The XY (UK title: Who Runs The World?).
Born 1966 in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK. I studied psychology and (briefly) fine art/film and video at university. I have had lots of different jobs – so many I’ve lost count – including writing tv documentaries and online education projects. I live on a council estate in Bristol, UK.
Born 1966 in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK. I studied psychology and (briefly) fine art/film and video at university. I have had lots of different jobs – so many I’ve lost count – including writing tv documentaries and online education projects. I live on a council estate in Bristol, UK.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 466 reviews
March 15, 2015
I enjoyed this so much more than The Rain, mainly because my only issue with The Rain was the main character's lack of self-preservation (like running out into killer rain wearing flip-flops). In book 2 we have a self-awareness of all this risk taking, as well as a far stronger sense of self-preservation (most of the time) and a character who's had to get tough fast, but still has very vulnerable moments.
The story takes a more sinister turn in this second/final instalment, and it's all very believable, scary AND funny. I don't particularly care about any of the science-y bits, so I can't comment on whether it's believable believable, but the society and different ways people react in an end-of-the-world scenario was all believable, as was the army's response.
If you read The Rain and was put off by Ruby's priorities for fake tan and inappropriate fashion, I do recommend giving this a chance. It's turned my feelings for her around :)
The story takes a more sinister turn in this second/final instalment, and it's all very believable, scary AND funny. I don't particularly care about any of the science-y bits, so I can't comment on whether it's believable believable, but the society and different ways people react in an end-of-the-world scenario was all believable, as was the army's response.
If you read The Rain and was put off by Ruby's priorities for fake tan and inappropriate fashion, I do recommend giving this a chance. It's turned my feelings for her around :)
December 25, 2016
3.5 stars
This is really just the second half of the story started in the first book, and reads very similarly. I liked the touches of humour and the way the main character, Ruby, really acted and sounded like a teenager who finds herself in over her head.
However you felt about the first book, you will either like this one or not for mostly the same reasons.
This is really just the second half of the story started in the first book, and reads very similarly. I liked the touches of humour and the way the main character, Ruby, really acted and sounded like a teenager who finds herself in over her head.
However you felt about the first book, you will either like this one or not for mostly the same reasons.
October 5, 2015
“The Storm” is the sequel to “H2O”, the apocalyptic novel about killer rain.
Ruby is the same as she was in “H2O”, complete with microscopic steps toward personal growth. Many of the other eclectic characters also make reappearances, with their stories further expanded upon. This was the best part of “The Storm”.
Unfortunately, the rest of it seemed to lack cohesion. The story was enjoyable, but seemed to skip around, with the most important parts cut short. Some of it made no sense at all. The ending was rushed and felt like it should have been an entirely separate book. Additionally, there was another case of “Emotional Blackmail” present, bringing in something that was wedged into the plot just to force an emotional reaction from the reader.
If you read and enjoyed “H2O”, then I do recommend you read “The Storm” to find out how it all ends, but be prepared for some frustration. I hope there is a third, because I have seen the potential of the story and the author’s talent, and it would be a shame for it to end this way.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Ruby is the same as she was in “H2O”, complete with microscopic steps toward personal growth. Many of the other eclectic characters also make reappearances, with their stories further expanded upon. This was the best part of “The Storm”.
Unfortunately, the rest of it seemed to lack cohesion. The story was enjoyable, but seemed to skip around, with the most important parts cut short. Some of it made no sense at all. The ending was rushed and felt like it should have been an entirely separate book. Additionally, there was another case of “Emotional Blackmail” present, bringing in something that was wedged into the plot just to force an emotional reaction from the reader.
If you read and enjoyed “H2O”, then I do recommend you read “The Storm” to find out how it all ends, but be prepared for some frustration. I hope there is a third, because I have seen the potential of the story and the author’s talent, and it would be a shame for it to end this way.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2017
3,5⭐ +
Hier kommt die Reihenrezension oder eher eine Vorstellung der Bücher, denn viel darf man nicht mehr sagen, ohne dass es spoilert.
http://lovelybooksbytine.blogspot.de/...
Hier kommt die Reihenrezension oder eher eine Vorstellung der Bücher, denn viel darf man nicht mehr sagen, ohne dass es spoilert.
http://lovelybooksbytine.blogspot.de/...
April 21, 2015
3.5
Oh man.
Quite simply put, I'M GOING TO NEED A THIRD BOOK LIKE YESTERDAY.
You see, I thought it was the end. I thought it was over. I thought we'd all go out with a bang, and that I'd have to say goodbye to Ruby and Darius and Princess But no. The way that ended, it cannot be left like that. There needs to be a 3rd book. THERE HAS TO BE. PLEASE LORD PLSSS.
....
Although, I do strongly believe that Bergin really needs to take a couple of writing classes, because sometimes her writing is all over the place. Someone needs to teach her the importance of writing a round character. Because although Ruby Morris is painfully human, she is also extremely superficial at times. In this book, you see her grow more as a person, whereas in the first book, she was flat in every sense of the word. But still, you see her hold on to the some characteristics that you just can't help but go R U SRS. Like, even with all this shit happening, the dummy still wants to look good and do her nails and wear make up (I shit you not, this actually happened).
But on the other hand, you have her relationship with Darius broaden and also , and everything is sort of kind of perfect between the three.
I don't usually like to quote lines from books, but this line was so great I just need a tattoo of it (it was just really great, ok)
"We are the orphaned children of the apocalypse, and we will come home."
I never thought I would have so many feelings over a book that sometimes had poor, messy writing, and that I was on the verge at times to give it 2 stars.
I need the next part of the series soon, k?
********
THERE IS FINALLY A SYNOPSIS.
AND A PUBLICATION DATE.
FEBRUARY. MY BIRTH MONTH.
I NEED THIS BOOK.
Oh man.
Quite simply put, I'M GOING TO NEED A THIRD BOOK LIKE YESTERDAY.
You see, I thought it was the end. I thought it was over. I thought we'd all go out with a bang, and that I'd have to say goodbye to Ruby and Darius and Princess But no. The way that ended, it cannot be left like that. There needs to be a 3rd book. THERE HAS TO BE. PLEASE LORD PLSSS.
....
Although, I do strongly believe that Bergin really needs to take a couple of writing classes, because sometimes her writing is all over the place. Someone needs to teach her the importance of writing a round character. Because although Ruby Morris is painfully human, she is also extremely superficial at times. In this book, you see her grow more as a person, whereas in the first book, she was flat in every sense of the word. But still, you see her hold on to the some characteristics that you just can't help but go R U SRS. Like, even with all this shit happening, the dummy still wants to look good and do her nails and wear make up (I shit you not, this actually happened).
But on the other hand, you have her relationship with Darius broaden and also , and everything is sort of kind of perfect between the three.
I don't usually like to quote lines from books, but this line was so great I just need a tattoo of it (it was just really great, ok)
"We are the orphaned children of the apocalypse, and we will come home."
I never thought I would have so many feelings over a book that sometimes had poor, messy writing, and that I was on the verge at times to give it 2 stars.
I need the next part of the series soon, k?
********
THERE IS FINALLY A SYNOPSIS.
AND A PUBLICATION DATE.
FEBRUARY. MY BIRTH MONTH.
I NEED THIS BOOK.
January 13, 2017
While the story itself was decent, I really did not like the writing style. There were several times I almost DNFd this book because the MC just spewed so much nonsense that made absolutely no sense much too often. I hung in there only because I enjoyed the storyline.
The story is told in a journal type way where Ruby just writes whatever is in her brain at the time. There are a few times where she seems to lose her mind, and that's when the writing almost became unbearable to read.
In the end, I'm glad I stuck around because I did enjoy the ending.
The story is told in a journal type way where Ruby just writes whatever is in her brain at the time. There are a few times where she seems to lose her mind, and that's when the writing almost became unbearable to read.
In the end, I'm glad I stuck around because I did enjoy the ending.
February 11, 2016
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for the free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
I actually started reading this book, then realized part of the way in that it is a sequel. Woops! Normally I wouldn't request a sequel unless I'd already read the first in the series, so I quickly signed out "The Rain" from my library and read that first. And I quite liked it, enough that I was excited to see what would happen to Ruby Morris in "The Storm".
Ruby is...I wasn't sure I was going to like her, to be honest, but over the course of the two books, she really grew on me. She started off as a shallow, self absorbed, sarcastic and impulsive teen. I could always tell she loved her family, even if she rarely got along with them, and she absolutely adored her group of friends, but once they're all dead due to the rain, she only has herself and her own wits to rely on to keep her alive. Scary!
I really liked how the author was able to show Ruby's growth in this second book. Ruby became a lot more mature and even sensible by having nobody to count on. She found out the hard way not to trust anyone, and it was difficult to watch at times. I can't say a lot about what happens, but if you like a lot of plot twists and turns, then you'll be loving this book!
And Darius? What can I say about Darius Spratt? Not your typical love interest, for sure, but he's got his charms. I ended up falling for him almost as hard as Ruby did!
I'm not positive that this is the end of the series, but I'd be happy to read more books by Virginia Bergin either way. I think she has a distinctive and authentic voice. I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a unique, suspenseful, action-packed dystopian. This is one I think my ten year old daughter would love, although I will make her wait to read it due to the violence and gore!
I actually started reading this book, then realized part of the way in that it is a sequel. Woops! Normally I wouldn't request a sequel unless I'd already read the first in the series, so I quickly signed out "The Rain" from my library and read that first. And I quite liked it, enough that I was excited to see what would happen to Ruby Morris in "The Storm".
Ruby is...I wasn't sure I was going to like her, to be honest, but over the course of the two books, she really grew on me. She started off as a shallow, self absorbed, sarcastic and impulsive teen. I could always tell she loved her family, even if she rarely got along with them, and she absolutely adored her group of friends, but once they're all dead due to the rain, she only has herself and her own wits to rely on to keep her alive. Scary!
I really liked how the author was able to show Ruby's growth in this second book. Ruby became a lot more mature and even sensible by having nobody to count on. She found out the hard way not to trust anyone, and it was difficult to watch at times. I can't say a lot about what happens, but if you like a lot of plot twists and turns, then you'll be loving this book!
And Darius? What can I say about Darius Spratt? Not your typical love interest, for sure, but he's got his charms. I ended up falling for him almost as hard as Ruby did!
I'm not positive that this is the end of the series, but I'd be happy to read more books by Virginia Bergin either way. I think she has a distinctive and authentic voice. I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a unique, suspenseful, action-packed dystopian. This is one I think my ten year old daughter would love, although I will make her wait to read it due to the violence and gore!
July 7, 2016
**No spoilers**
I kind of just have the same feelings as I did with The Rain. The story itself was pretty alright but the characters just really irritate me. I wasn't rooting for most of them at all. There was stuff that really just seemed pointless, particularly in regards to Xar. The end events were just kind of confusing for me, but I wasn't so interested that I wanted to reread it to try and figure it out. It was kind of repetitive at times too, like she always going on these missions looking for people.
It was a quick read but I'm glad it was just a duology because I don't think I could be bothered to read a third book in this series.
I kind of just have the same feelings as I did with The Rain. The story itself was pretty alright but the characters just really irritate me. I wasn't rooting for most of them at all. There was stuff that really just seemed pointless, particularly in regards to Xar. The end events were just kind of confusing for me, but I wasn't so interested that I wanted to reread it to try and figure it out. It was kind of repetitive at times too, like she always going on these missions looking for people.
It was a quick read but I'm glad it was just a duology because I don't think I could be bothered to read a third book in this series.
March 19, 2020
3.5*
When I first picked up this series (I don’t know... like 1 or 2 years ago?) I feel completely in love with the first book. The plot was just amazing, the writing was really intriguing, and the story was just incredible. When I recently picked up this book, I honestly had the same expectations that were definitely not met.
I didn’t hate this book, but it just felt so unrealistic and forced. First off, Ruby’s character was starting to really get on my nerves. In the first book she was what I thought to be a typical teenage girl (keep in mind I was a lot younger than her when I first read the series). Now that I am older than her, I find her character so fake. All she did in the first book was care about makeup, and now in the second book she doesn’t care about her appearance at all. I’m pretty sure a typical teenage girl would respect her hygiene, but not care so much about makeup anymore.
Besides Ruby’s character defects, I was just really confused by some points in this book. There were a bunch of scenes where I didn’t understand what was going on. I’m still kind of confused on who the bad a good guys are.
The ending was just so very cliche. I could not.
Anyways...now to the points that I really liked about the book. First off, amid the current pandemic COVID-19, I’m just really in the mood for reading apocalyptic books. I know that seems kind of dark, but you never know what could happen...
Princess was literally a gem in this book, and I just loved her character. She made me feel really emotional throughout the story and she kept me engaged in the story.
**SPOILER**
Ok, let’s just talk about the ending. Darius was about to be killed, right? It was very emotional and just the cutest scene in the entire book. THEN RUBY DID THE SWITCH THING AND DARIUS WAS STILL ALIVE! Ok that was just pure clicheness, I almost chucked my book across the room. I mean I know we all wanted him to live because like happily ever after wooh! But come on. If he died the book would just be so much more emotional and powerful.
When I first picked up this series (I don’t know... like 1 or 2 years ago?) I feel completely in love with the first book. The plot was just amazing, the writing was really intriguing, and the story was just incredible. When I recently picked up this book, I honestly had the same expectations that were definitely not met.
I didn’t hate this book, but it just felt so unrealistic and forced. First off, Ruby’s character was starting to really get on my nerves. In the first book she was what I thought to be a typical teenage girl (keep in mind I was a lot younger than her when I first read the series). Now that I am older than her, I find her character so fake. All she did in the first book was care about makeup, and now in the second book she doesn’t care about her appearance at all. I’m pretty sure a typical teenage girl would respect her hygiene, but not care so much about makeup anymore.
Besides Ruby’s character defects, I was just really confused by some points in this book. There were a bunch of scenes where I didn’t understand what was going on. I’m still kind of confused on who the bad a good guys are.
The ending was just so very cliche. I could not.
Anyways...now to the points that I really liked about the book. First off, amid the current pandemic COVID-19, I’m just really in the mood for reading apocalyptic books. I know that seems kind of dark, but you never know what could happen...
Princess was literally a gem in this book, and I just loved her character. She made me feel really emotional throughout the story and she kept me engaged in the story.
**SPOILER**
Ok, let’s just talk about the ending. Darius was about to be killed, right? It was very emotional and just the cutest scene in the entire book. THEN RUBY DID THE SWITCH THING AND DARIUS WAS STILL ALIVE! Ok that was just pure clicheness, I almost chucked my book across the room. I mean I know we all wanted him to live because like happily ever after wooh! But come on. If he died the book would just be so much more emotional and powerful.
March 14, 2016
So firstly, before I get into why I enjoyed this book, let me address the many bad reviews:
Some people have some negative comments about the character and her view:
she is whiny and annoying (yeah, she can be), she cares more about superficial shit like makeup than about her situation (at times it can seem like that), her priorities are totally out of whack (yes, it can seem like that too).
My issue with all these comments though, is that people forget that he book is written as though it is from the perspective of a TEENAGER IN THE APOCALYPSE.
If you were a mere 16-17 years old, you would be a bit whiny too, period. All teenagers are, and it's because they are going through something that is difficult, adolescence. In retrospect, being a teenager seems easy, but has everyone forgotten what a confusing and difficult tie that was when they were going through it.
Second, she has plenty to whine about, it's a fucking apocalypse.
Next, yeah, she can be a bit superficial, but you don't stop being who you are, just because the apocalypse happened. If you cared about how you looked before, you're still going to. And beyond that, yes, there are entire passages devoted to how she dies her hair, or loots a pharmacy for some nice makeup, but I'll willing to bet that in an apocalypse, there's not a whole lot to do, and I'm also thinking here that if everyone you have EVER KNOWN AND CARED ABOUT is DEAD, that you probably want a distraction or two. Hence the dyeing of hair and the doing of makeup. It's simply something to distract her for maybe ten minutes fro the fact that her parents, brother, and all her friends are DEAD.
And sometimes, yes, I agree, her priorities are out of whack, or that she doesn't do enough to ensure her safety. She goes outside without bothering to look at the sky which is raining KILLER RAIN.
But I'm also going to wager that it would be hard for most of us to adjust from life as we know it to an apocalypse. That takes a little getting used to, and I don't care how quickly people think they would adjust, learning new behaviour like that takes some time. And when she reflects on those behaviours as she is writing all this stuff down (after is happened), she chastises herself for it, and realizes the stupidity of her actions.
More over though, I think it's very easy for us to all sit here from our comfy beds or couches or whatever, sitting on our nice laptops or smartphones, saying that she's stupid, and saying exactly what she should do in an apocalypse. It's easy to think clearly when you're in no immediate danger, when there isn't a constant threat, when you're not wracked with grief and sorrow, when your whole world hasn't collapsed. It is much harder to make the right decision when you're actually IN THAT SITUATION.
That's all. I think people hate this book, mostly because they forget that it's SUPPOSED to be a scared, confused, messed up KID, telling her harrowing tale of survival. And if you take it as that, I think it's great.
I think the idea is fantastic. take a general post-apocalyptic idea, but put a fresh new spin on it, Water is what kills you, even the tiniest amount, that idea feels fresh to me.
I actually liked the way Ruby tried to describe things, they seemed accurate in the sense that a teenager experiencing this madness would surely not be able to find an eloquent way to express it, but would be confused and scared, and would just try to say what it was they saw and felt.
I liked the journey she took us on with her.
I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing.
And as for the ending being kind of open, it definitely was, but I don't think that's bad thing here. The author obviously intended for there to be more to the story, for things to be continued.
i don't feel as though the first book was unfinished at all. I feel that eh first book is a tale of a young girl trying to go from a normal life to living in the most devastating of times, learning to survive and in all of that chaos, learning what still matters to her. It is simply the story of her transition from normal (is maybe a little shallow) teen, to that of a tough survivor. And I loved that story.
The second book, that is the story of her developing into an adult, and learning to fight for what she believes in. I think booth books are wonderful human dramas that a great number of kids could relate to.
ad I think if you're used to the YA genre, and specifically, used to flawed protagonists telling their flawed story (especially if you like the dystopian/post-apocalyptic type books), then this is a story you'll enjoy.
Some people have some negative comments about the character and her view:
she is whiny and annoying (yeah, she can be), she cares more about superficial shit like makeup than about her situation (at times it can seem like that), her priorities are totally out of whack (yes, it can seem like that too).
My issue with all these comments though, is that people forget that he book is written as though it is from the perspective of a TEENAGER IN THE APOCALYPSE.
If you were a mere 16-17 years old, you would be a bit whiny too, period. All teenagers are, and it's because they are going through something that is difficult, adolescence. In retrospect, being a teenager seems easy, but has everyone forgotten what a confusing and difficult tie that was when they were going through it.
Second, she has plenty to whine about, it's a fucking apocalypse.
Next, yeah, she can be a bit superficial, but you don't stop being who you are, just because the apocalypse happened. If you cared about how you looked before, you're still going to. And beyond that, yes, there are entire passages devoted to how she dies her hair, or loots a pharmacy for some nice makeup, but I'll willing to bet that in an apocalypse, there's not a whole lot to do, and I'm also thinking here that if everyone you have EVER KNOWN AND CARED ABOUT is DEAD, that you probably want a distraction or two. Hence the dyeing of hair and the doing of makeup. It's simply something to distract her for maybe ten minutes fro the fact that her parents, brother, and all her friends are DEAD.
And sometimes, yes, I agree, her priorities are out of whack, or that she doesn't do enough to ensure her safety. She goes outside without bothering to look at the sky which is raining KILLER RAIN.
But I'm also going to wager that it would be hard for most of us to adjust from life as we know it to an apocalypse. That takes a little getting used to, and I don't care how quickly people think they would adjust, learning new behaviour like that takes some time. And when she reflects on those behaviours as she is writing all this stuff down (after is happened), she chastises herself for it, and realizes the stupidity of her actions.
More over though, I think it's very easy for us to all sit here from our comfy beds or couches or whatever, sitting on our nice laptops or smartphones, saying that she's stupid, and saying exactly what she should do in an apocalypse. It's easy to think clearly when you're in no immediate danger, when there isn't a constant threat, when you're not wracked with grief and sorrow, when your whole world hasn't collapsed. It is much harder to make the right decision when you're actually IN THAT SITUATION.
That's all. I think people hate this book, mostly because they forget that it's SUPPOSED to be a scared, confused, messed up KID, telling her harrowing tale of survival. And if you take it as that, I think it's great.
I think the idea is fantastic. take a general post-apocalyptic idea, but put a fresh new spin on it, Water is what kills you, even the tiniest amount, that idea feels fresh to me.
I actually liked the way Ruby tried to describe things, they seemed accurate in the sense that a teenager experiencing this madness would surely not be able to find an eloquent way to express it, but would be confused and scared, and would just try to say what it was they saw and felt.
I liked the journey she took us on with her.
I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing.
And as for the ending being kind of open, it definitely was, but I don't think that's bad thing here. The author obviously intended for there to be more to the story, for things to be continued.
i don't feel as though the first book was unfinished at all. I feel that eh first book is a tale of a young girl trying to go from a normal life to living in the most devastating of times, learning to survive and in all of that chaos, learning what still matters to her. It is simply the story of her transition from normal (is maybe a little shallow) teen, to that of a tough survivor. And I loved that story.
The second book, that is the story of her developing into an adult, and learning to fight for what she believes in. I think booth books are wonderful human dramas that a great number of kids could relate to.
ad I think if you're used to the YA genre, and specifically, used to flawed protagonists telling their flawed story (especially if you like the dystopian/post-apocalyptic type books), then this is a story you'll enjoy.
November 24, 2017
BEGINNING- bad: confusing and plotless
MIDDLE- decent
END: bad(again)
The sad thing is, I️ was really looking forward to thins book. I️ mean REALLY looking forward to this book. And it disappointed me on a level I️ can’t explain. Like, I️ still have no idea what happened. Any explanations?
~entry at end of book ;)~
MIDDLE- decent
END: bad(again)
The sad thing is, I️ was really looking forward to thins book. I️ mean REALLY looking forward to this book. And it disappointed me on a level I️ can’t explain. Like, I️ still have no idea what happened. Any explanations?
~entry at end of book ;)~
January 26, 2016
Originally at: Heart Full Of Books
I’d didn’t quite realise that this book was set 3 MONTHS after the first book. Ruby managed to survive on her own for 3 MONTHS? It must be easier than I thought! But, I began to warm up to Ruby. She was more comfortable in her situation and not so whiny. It’s fair to say that she went through some character development for her personality, but her actions sure didn’t change.
First of all, she doesn’t seem to appreciate how much better surviving will be if your with another person. Saskia and Princess both have to struggle to stick by Ruby when they’re travelling about the country in their high-jacked cars. But also, she doesn’t seem to have learnt that in an apocalyptic world, people will do anything to survive, whether that be killing animals, strangers or friends. It’s not a very good idea to run into the hands of an enemy, who has rumours surrounding them of child-murder.
This is a mistake Ruby makes one too many times. The whole plot was based around her running to and from these horrible people in a little triangle of travel. In between this travel, she’d try and get rid of her companions. Overall, the whole book was very VERY repetitive and….wait for it….PREDICTABLE.
I was disappointed, so I’m only going to give this book 2 stars. I’d recommend reading ‘The Rain’, but it ins’t much of a stretch to figure out what happens in the sequel. I guess I haven’t really given overt spoilers, but you can probably guess how the book concluded. In my opinion, not great.
I’d didn’t quite realise that this book was set 3 MONTHS after the first book. Ruby managed to survive on her own for 3 MONTHS? It must be easier than I thought! But, I began to warm up to Ruby. She was more comfortable in her situation and not so whiny. It’s fair to say that she went through some character development for her personality, but her actions sure didn’t change.
First of all, she doesn’t seem to appreciate how much better surviving will be if your with another person. Saskia and Princess both have to struggle to stick by Ruby when they’re travelling about the country in their high-jacked cars. But also, she doesn’t seem to have learnt that in an apocalyptic world, people will do anything to survive, whether that be killing animals, strangers or friends. It’s not a very good idea to run into the hands of an enemy, who has rumours surrounding them of child-murder.
This is a mistake Ruby makes one too many times. The whole plot was based around her running to and from these horrible people in a little triangle of travel. In between this travel, she’d try and get rid of her companions. Overall, the whole book was very VERY repetitive and….wait for it….PREDICTABLE.
I was disappointed, so I’m only going to give this book 2 stars. I’d recommend reading ‘The Rain’, but it ins’t much of a stretch to figure out what happens in the sequel. I guess I haven’t really given overt spoilers, but you can probably guess how the book concluded. In my opinion, not great.
September 24, 2015
4 stars!
I shuddered when I opened my box from BEA/Sourcebooks and this book was in it. I read (tried to) the first in this series and I could not stand the protagonist. In looking over the reviews, I was not the only one. Before settling down to read this one, I read over the reviews again for the second book and saw that a lot of people had said the same thing regarding the first book and that they could tolerate her a lot better in the second book.
Well, I'm here to say, I concord with those reviews. Apparently, she had grown up or been through enough that she realized her complaining was not getting her anywhere. Thank goodness.
I did enjoy this story and my interest was held during this book. I'm sure I missed some pretty important parts, like what happened to her dad and brother and her grandmother, but it's not worth it to me to go back and find out. I realized there was this acid rain stuff falling down and it was killing people and apparently by the second book, there were a lot more people dead. Ruby had learned a lot about survival in the first book and she had become an old pro at it. To only be 15, she knew a lot of stuff. Apparently, a lot more than her dad. And by the way, her brother had really gotten weird, he definitely was not getting any parental advisement. I would definitely recommend the second book in this series and I would be interested in reading the third book in this series.
I would like to thank Sourcebooks for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I shuddered when I opened my box from BEA/Sourcebooks and this book was in it. I read (tried to) the first in this series and I could not stand the protagonist. In looking over the reviews, I was not the only one. Before settling down to read this one, I read over the reviews again for the second book and saw that a lot of people had said the same thing regarding the first book and that they could tolerate her a lot better in the second book.
Well, I'm here to say, I concord with those reviews. Apparently, she had grown up or been through enough that she realized her complaining was not getting her anywhere. Thank goodness.
I did enjoy this story and my interest was held during this book. I'm sure I missed some pretty important parts, like what happened to her dad and brother and her grandmother, but it's not worth it to me to go back and find out. I realized there was this acid rain stuff falling down and it was killing people and apparently by the second book, there were a lot more people dead. Ruby had learned a lot about survival in the first book and she had become an old pro at it. To only be 15, she knew a lot of stuff. Apparently, a lot more than her dad. And by the way, her brother had really gotten weird, he definitely was not getting any parental advisement. I would definitely recommend the second book in this series and I would be interested in reading the third book in this series.
I would like to thank Sourcebooks for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!
April 22, 2015
I'm so torn. On the one hand, it was great and on the other, it was a big disapointment.
But besides all that, these books were really fun and I enjoyed them a lot. I just wasn't happy with the direction of the plot.
But besides all that, these books were really fun and I enjoyed them a lot. I just wasn't happy with the direction of the plot.
March 22, 2017
Een spannend vervolg op The Rain . Opnieuw kom je terecht in een verhaal boordevol actie en met een verslavende schrijfstijl. Als ik niet had moeten werken had ik dit boek in een ruk uitgelezen. Hoofdpersonage Ruby blijft een bitch, al zien we langzaam scheurtjes verschijnen in haar ijzersterke gelaat. Het verhaal neemt een verrassende wending, al vond ik het einde iets te snel gaan.
Mijn complete recensie lees je op Oog op de Toekomst.
Mijn complete recensie lees je op Oog op de Toekomst.
July 30, 2015
Brilliant work. Loved it so freaking much it hurt.
Virginia Bergin remained my favorite author and I'm stoked to be reading more of her works in the future! A book you will not regret reading ♡
Virginia Bergin remained my favorite author and I'm stoked to be reading more of her works in the future! A book you will not regret reading ♡
May 10, 2018
Review to come
August 11, 2015
Source: I own this book.
Cost: £6.99 from Pan Macmillian
Title: The Storm
Series: The Rain #2
Author: Virginia Bergin
Overall Rating: 4 stars
Ruby Morris is waiting. Waiting for her dad to come back to her. Waiting for the rain to stop. Waiting for the apocalypse to end. But the thing about waiting, you give up after a while and in a country where almost everybody is dead, there are no rules. She stole and wrecked a ferrari, broke out of an army base, shaved her head, and went to a party in a mansion. But none of it is really as fun as it sounds when the army is hunting you down and you've fallen in love with Darius Spratt. Also the rain kind of kills people, so that sucks too.
The thing you can always be sure of with a book published by My Kinda Book is that the cover is going to be incredible, and this book is no exception. I'm a person who enjoys a good looking book, I do judge a book by it's cover and this is such a beautiful book in person. I was so excited when my copy finally came, it looks so beautiful with my edition of The Rain.
Virginia Bergin's writing style is really captivating, it reads like a conversation and it holds your attention. There are no words that you'd have to skip because you don't understand them and there's no massive, brooding chapters either.
Ruby is a pretty good female lead in my eyes, sure in the first book she came off as a little vain, but she really developed in this book. She's a lot more open about her flaws but she's also strong enough to survive this situation, hunt down her family and take care of a child that she has no responsibility for. She's pretty rad for a teenager. The character that gave me an issue in this book was her Dad. Not because of the story but because he was just such a *insert little snowflake looking symbol here* father. He didn't care about his kids, all he cared about was that new girlfriend he'd picked up.
As for the ending, I liked it, I did but I also wanted a bit more. That's why it only got 4 stars instead of 5. I wanted like drama, sacrifice, or something like that. I'd love a novella to tell more about their life when they return to England. I just don't want this series to be over to be honest...
Cost: £6.99 from Pan Macmillian
Title: The Storm
Series: The Rain #2
Author: Virginia Bergin
Overall Rating: 4 stars
Ruby Morris is waiting. Waiting for her dad to come back to her. Waiting for the rain to stop. Waiting for the apocalypse to end. But the thing about waiting, you give up after a while and in a country where almost everybody is dead, there are no rules. She stole and wrecked a ferrari, broke out of an army base, shaved her head, and went to a party in a mansion. But none of it is really as fun as it sounds when the army is hunting you down and you've fallen in love with Darius Spratt. Also the rain kind of kills people, so that sucks too.
The thing you can always be sure of with a book published by My Kinda Book is that the cover is going to be incredible, and this book is no exception. I'm a person who enjoys a good looking book, I do judge a book by it's cover and this is such a beautiful book in person. I was so excited when my copy finally came, it looks so beautiful with my edition of The Rain.
Virginia Bergin's writing style is really captivating, it reads like a conversation and it holds your attention. There are no words that you'd have to skip because you don't understand them and there's no massive, brooding chapters either.
Ruby is a pretty good female lead in my eyes, sure in the first book she came off as a little vain, but she really developed in this book. She's a lot more open about her flaws but she's also strong enough to survive this situation, hunt down her family and take care of a child that she has no responsibility for. She's pretty rad for a teenager. The character that gave me an issue in this book was her Dad. Not because of the story but because he was just such a *insert little snowflake looking symbol here* father. He didn't care about his kids, all he cared about was that new girlfriend he'd picked up.
As for the ending, I liked it, I did but I also wanted a bit more. That's why it only got 4 stars instead of 5. I wanted like drama, sacrifice, or something like that. I'd love a novella to tell more about their life when they return to England. I just don't want this series to be over to be honest...
February 22, 2015
I recieved an ARC of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
The Storm by Virginia Bergin is the sequel to The Rain...and it is pretty awesome. I'll definitely be buying a paperback version to go on my shelf because that cover is great..and of course I have to have it match my copy of The Rain!
So in The Rain we saw the rain become lethal to humans, one drop could kill...and it did, it killed many many people. Following the events of this book, The Storm continues to follow fifteen year old Ruby Morris as she lives her new life in this amazingly realistic apocalyptic world. She is clinging to the belief that her dad is still alive, and she is determined to find him, which given the dangerous circumstances would be no easy task.
I loved Ruby in this book...she goes through a lot of traumatic things that have really shaped and developed her as a character; but she is still really funny and likeable. She is really brave too, I don't think I'd be able to deal with even half of the bad things she does, its crazy! And I love her love of pets!
I found the story to be fast paced and quite intense most of the way through which I liked. It kept me flipping through the pages! I spent a lot of the time hoping she'd reunite with Darius Spratt...every time they were separated I was hoping he'd reappear once more! The Storm was much more tense and action packed than the previous book, but it kept you on your toes throughout.
My only disappointment for me was that the ending seemed a little rushed. A lot of the open story lines were quickly tied up in a matter of pages, whereas others were left open leaving me guessing about what had happened. Overall though I really really loved this book!
The Storm by Virginia Bergin is the sequel to The Rain...and it is pretty awesome. I'll definitely be buying a paperback version to go on my shelf because that cover is great..and of course I have to have it match my copy of The Rain!
So in The Rain we saw the rain become lethal to humans, one drop could kill...and it did, it killed many many people. Following the events of this book, The Storm continues to follow fifteen year old Ruby Morris as she lives her new life in this amazingly realistic apocalyptic world. She is clinging to the belief that her dad is still alive, and she is determined to find him, which given the dangerous circumstances would be no easy task.
I loved Ruby in this book...she goes through a lot of traumatic things that have really shaped and developed her as a character; but she is still really funny and likeable. She is really brave too, I don't think I'd be able to deal with even half of the bad things she does, its crazy! And I love her love of pets!
I found the story to be fast paced and quite intense most of the way through which I liked. It kept me flipping through the pages! I spent a lot of the time hoping she'd reunite with Darius Spratt...every time they were separated I was hoping he'd reappear once more! The Storm was much more tense and action packed than the previous book, but it kept you on your toes throughout.
My only disappointment for me was that the ending seemed a little rushed. A lot of the open story lines were quickly tied up in a matter of pages, whereas others were left open leaving me guessing about what had happened. Overall though I really really loved this book!
July 30, 2015
Received as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! And thank you to the author also!
Stop eating the biscuits!
This book was so much more action packed and crazier than the first book! It still terrified me just like the first book did as well! Seriously it was so mysterious and crazy! Great! I loved Ruby's development between the first and the second book and I love her vast knowledge and how strong willed and adult-like she is in this book! Though it is a shame that the situation forced her to grow up xD Loved how Ruby would put in loads of different knowledge and be like (I learnt how to use that word!) and feel proud of herself =]
However, a 3 star rating means I had problems. Firstly the ending, I felt it was really rushed, especially as it felt like it had the atmosphere of 'we're gunna give you a cliff hangar and a third book!'. Also, it ended way too easily and too fast and left me with a lot of questions; But I am glad how anti-insta-love it was =] I did want to see more Ruby/Spratt/Princess moments too =/
Stop eating the biscuits!
This book was so much more action packed and crazier than the first book! It still terrified me just like the first book did as well! Seriously it was so mysterious and crazy! Great! I loved Ruby's development between the first and the second book and I love her vast knowledge and how strong willed and adult-like she is in this book! Though it is a shame that the situation forced her to grow up xD Loved how Ruby would put in loads of different knowledge and be like (I learnt how to use that word!) and feel proud of herself =]
However, a 3 star rating means I had problems. Firstly the ending, I felt it was really rushed, especially as it felt like it had the atmosphere of 'we're gunna give you a cliff hangar and a third book!'. Also, it ended way too easily and too fast and left me with a lot of questions; But I am glad how anti-insta-love it was =] I did want to see more Ruby/Spratt/Princess moments too =/
August 16, 2019
I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this book!! I LOVED the first one so, to no one’s surprise, I adored the second. Just in case you didn’t see the fact that there’s spoilers here, SPOILERS. In any case, WHAT THE HECK RUBY’S NOT ALLERGIC TO THE FREAKING RAIN?! Okay. Thank you. Honestly, the only thing I didn’t like was the fact that Ruby basically ignored Darius the whole time. Maybe it’s just me, but I really like pd their romance so it made me sad when she dumped him off about 5 or 6 times. But oh well. I loved the ending and I NEED a third one!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2019
Don't know why people hate this series, I mean, of course, the writing would be a little lousy, mean it supposed to be written by a teenager after watching her entire world collapse. The writing was great in my opinion, loved the entire thing, the end was amazing, the beginning was amazing, the middle was amazing, this book is amazing.
May 26, 2015
I love this duology. Why don't more people know about it? It's amazing!
March 14, 2015
I really liked this book, though I didn't like what happened half way through, it slightly annoyed me.
But I did see it coming, I just hoped it wouldn't be the case, but either way 4.5 stars :)
But I did see it coming, I just hoped it wouldn't be the case, but either way 4.5 stars :)
February 22, 2015
Both the secret and the keeper of the secret ... Ruby is back. And she's just as cool as she was in The Rain.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
January 23, 2017
I enjoyed this book far more than the first one. The writing was great, the story was interesting and faster ( and a bit predictable) and Ruby didn't annoy me as much.
March 14, 2017
First off....I read this fairly quickly considering I'm a very slow reader. And now...the book. AHHH!! It's such a fun read....you know....despite the whole...death and apocalypse thing... I enjoyed Ruby's journey and while some parts were predictable I wasn't even mad about it. It hurt. ....it hurt to read sometimes and I teared up at the deaths and certain things she went through (not to mention the animals that ripped my heart out). I'm from the States so reading a book based in the UK was pretty cool and I enjoyed reading about the different places she's going throughout the UK. I was able to picture pretty well how the landscape looked and I was glad it wasn't JUST about looking for her dad, you know? It was an emotional read and I would have given this book 4 stars except I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending because of how comedic it was and....it was kind of like a bad action movie ending. Not how I thought it was going to end and not in the best of ways. Also...the cure was found PRETTY fast....just...putting that out there. I'm afraid they were trying to keep it as a duology and as a result they ended up rushing the ending. I felt like it could have been more well thought out and developed....but I also get it. The narrator has always been kind of comedic throughout the books so maybe that's why??
Now....some characters:
Ruby: I wasn't surprised when I found out she was immune to the killer rain. If anything I felt bad for her because she went through thirst and struggled so much to avoid water when she could have bathed and drank water and I'm just like....things could have been better for you. Anyways... I'm not going to lie...Ruby annoyed the shit out of me sometimes and also frustrated the crap out of me at times and she said and did things that made me want to punch her in the face..but I also related to how she spoke (I, too, will sometimes just randomly have wayward thoughts and yell at myself) she was kind of a pretty accurate teenager? She wasn't a badass who could do everything and fought it all out to save the world. She didnt join a secret organization or rebellion (hahaa she was literally stuck in a room when people started fighting back).She made (frustrating) mistakes. She was a teenage girl who lost everything and was devastated and frustrated and ANGRY. She was strong though. Stronger than I would have been that's for damn sure. OH OH OH but the scene where it starts raining and it rained on her (even though I guessed she'd be immune) my heart dropped!! I was like....what...and when she looked at Darius and he was broken up and they all thought she was gonna die ugh....my heart
The Spratt: Oh my lord almighty. Yes. I love him. He was my favorite character and I loved it when he was around. He was cool in book 1 and he was hardly there (in my opinion) in book 2 but I loved every moment of it. He was in my heart all the time. But I hated that I had him for .29682 seconds and then SOMETHING HAPPENED THAT HE WAS GONE AGAIN. But when he thought Ruby was dead and found her with her dad it hurt my soul like no baby child she's alive. He....ugh. I just love that he's happy. Although...the scenes where he falls into water made my heart almost leap out of my chest it was kind of like....how or why is he also magically immune too?
The Princess (aka Priti): SHE SPOKE!! SHE HAS A NAME!! It was magical and I liked that she kind of kept Ruby on her shit, you get me? She's a smart baby child. OH OH OH and when I found out SHE'S IMMUNE??? Mind= Blown. It was awesome. And we got to know more about her which I enjoyed and I'm glad she's with the gang again. But also...coincidentally immune? No way she's going down by the rain?
The rest: I would have cried if my father wasn't through the roof when he found out I WASN'T DEAD. That got me mad. I was like....your daughter...is ALIVE. We spent the whole book looking for you you ass. I will admit though I cried a little when she actually had found him. And oh....Dearest Brother Brat Beloved Dan....my heart. ..my heart.... this was one of the scenes where I cried and I was....hurt. I was happy that Ruby had said she loved him the last time she saw him. It just...hurt so much. I didnt care much for other characters but Xar was a crazy asshole (who for some reason didnt realize Ruby was immune after you know....NOT DYING after Grace gave her INFECTED WATER???), Ms. TVSOYMMSTTVCOMB was an ass, and some of the people thay were with Bridget were seriously stupid and crazy but I try to not think much of them. And okay so I know he wasn't really in this book but I didn't get to grieve in book one as much but SIMON!!!! Oh my goodness SIMON. He still hurts....till this day his death hurts me. He was....ugh he was so good and he did not deserve to go out so suddenly he hurt my heart too much to see him go.
.
.
.
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I'm sure this is super long and people probably won't read it to the end (don't blame ya) but I'm new and this book is still fresh in my mind and my thoughts are everywhere and this review was not well thought out and kind of a mess but I tried.
Now....some characters:
Ruby: I wasn't surprised when I found out she was immune to the killer rain. If anything I felt bad for her because she went through thirst and struggled so much to avoid water when she could have bathed and drank water and I'm just like....things could have been better for you. Anyways... I'm not going to lie...Ruby annoyed the shit out of me sometimes and also frustrated the crap out of me at times and she said and did things that made me want to punch her in the face..but I also related to how she spoke (I, too, will sometimes just randomly have wayward thoughts and yell at myself) she was kind of a pretty accurate teenager? She wasn't a badass who could do everything and fought it all out to save the world. She didnt join a secret organization or rebellion (hahaa she was literally stuck in a room when people started fighting back).She made (frustrating) mistakes. She was a teenage girl who lost everything and was devastated and frustrated and ANGRY. She was strong though. Stronger than I would have been that's for damn sure. OH OH OH but the scene where it starts raining and it rained on her (even though I guessed she'd be immune) my heart dropped!! I was like....what...and when she looked at Darius and he was broken up and they all thought she was gonna die ugh....my heart
The Spratt: Oh my lord almighty. Yes. I love him. He was my favorite character and I loved it when he was around. He was cool in book 1 and he was hardly there (in my opinion) in book 2 but I loved every moment of it. He was in my heart all the time. But I hated that I had him for .29682 seconds and then SOMETHING HAPPENED THAT HE WAS GONE AGAIN. But when he thought Ruby was dead and found her with her dad it hurt my soul like no baby child she's alive. He....ugh. I just love that he's happy. Although...the scenes where he falls into water made my heart almost leap out of my chest it was kind of like....how or why is he also magically immune too?
The Princess (aka Priti): SHE SPOKE!! SHE HAS A NAME!! It was magical and I liked that she kind of kept Ruby on her shit, you get me? She's a smart baby child. OH OH OH and when I found out SHE'S IMMUNE??? Mind= Blown. It was awesome. And we got to know more about her which I enjoyed and I'm glad she's with the gang again. But also...coincidentally immune? No way she's going down by the rain?
The rest: I would have cried if my father wasn't through the roof when he found out I WASN'T DEAD. That got me mad. I was like....your daughter...is ALIVE. We spent the whole book looking for you you ass. I will admit though I cried a little when she actually had found him. And oh....Dearest Brother Brat Beloved Dan....my heart. ..my heart.... this was one of the scenes where I cried and I was....hurt. I was happy that Ruby had said she loved him the last time she saw him. It just...hurt so much. I didnt care much for other characters but Xar was a crazy asshole (who for some reason didnt realize Ruby was immune after you know....NOT DYING after Grace gave her INFECTED WATER???), Ms. TVSOYMMSTTVCOMB was an ass, and some of the people thay were with Bridget were seriously stupid and crazy but I try to not think much of them. And okay so I know he wasn't really in this book but I didn't get to grieve in book one as much but SIMON!!!! Oh my goodness SIMON. He still hurts....till this day his death hurts me. He was....ugh he was so good and he did not deserve to go out so suddenly he hurt my heart too much to see him go.
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.
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I'm sure this is super long and people probably won't read it to the end (don't blame ya) but I'm new and this book is still fresh in my mind and my thoughts are everywhere and this review was not well thought out and kind of a mess but I tried.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2015
Oh wow! brilliant!
INITIAL THOUGHTS
Well after reading The Rain, I couldn't wait to read The Storm, I had so many questions, the main one being Will Ruby ever meet up with her dad? Because surely then all her problems will be over? I actually chose to read this one straight after book one. I usually read at least one different book before continuing a series but felt so invested in & engrossed in the world created by Virginia Bergin, that I picked this one straight up and began reading it late one night.
MY REVIEW
So again I was super lucky and downloaded this one from Netgalley and my daughter also received a paperback copy. So thank you so much to Netgalley and Macmillan.
The cover I have featured above is the UK version which I will base mt review on. So the cover has a female on it standing face upwards allowing the rain to pour down on her, almost embracing the feeling only fresh rain can give you. Who could it be? Doesn't the figure know the Rain is deadly? Could a cure have been found? Also featured on the cover is a tall wire fence with rolls of barbed wire around the top. Is the figure on the outside trying to get in? or on the outside after escaping? Or is the person trapped on the inside trying to get out? I think we can safely say that this book works brilliantly making you curious about who the figure is, why they are in the rain and whether they are in the fencing or outside the fencing. The byline of "The End Of The World Was Just The Beginning" fits this book so well, as The Rain was "just the beginning". . .and The Storm follows on very seamlessly.
So would I pick this book up from a book store shelf purely on how the cover looks? Definitely, and wow I'd just have to buy this one after reading book one anyway!
This book picks up right where we left off in The Rain. It's honestly just as though you have turned just one page! I loved that aspect. I also find the way Ruby talks straight to us the reader and says what we may think if/when we find her journal.
So the book begins with a sort of small not even page long prologue. It's almost like Ruby is in a therapist room saying it or talking directly to us the reader. If the book was a film, the surrounding set would fade into the background and Ruby would look directly down the camera lens and tell us the reader directly.
It is after that small "prologue/therapy" like statement that the book picks up as The Rain left off. Ruby is still waiting for her father Steven Morris and younger half brother Dan to return to her with her Grandma. It has already crossed her mind about what she will or can do if her father and brother etc don't return. . .Ruby has become so desperate and "stir-crazy" that she has taken to visiting Dartbridge Library. Ruby has been reading all she can about various subjects that she thinks she may need to survive. The one most instantly useful to her so far has been her research on clouds. It helps Ruby monitor the clouds in the sky and quite skillfully predict when it will rain and the type of rain it will be such as a real downpour or just a small shower. Ruby has taken to grading the subjects she has been reading up on and how useful she feels they will be.
So Self Help - didn't have anything specific enough about the apocalyptic rain so that subject gets a Ruby rating of 4/10.
Car Maintenance - was not something Ruby read because she wanted to, it was a case of she really needed to . . . but we learn more about that incident in more detail much later in the book. Hence a Ruby Rating 10/10!
Survival Manuals - chose to read these even though the things covered were really similar to the skills she was could have learnt as a girl guide. Though the girl guide badges Ruby chose to pursue pre-apocalypse were to gain the immediate reward & badge for cooking and baking! Ruby Rating 7/10.
I enjoyed this section of the book as even though the book is set during the apocalypse it does have it's lighter funnier moments. Another coping strategy Ruby has come up with is list making! Ruby actually writes down on paper a list of things that will eventually run out and no longer exist like chocolate spread to mobile phones!
Ruby cannot bear to go as far as listing the people she has lost. . . .that would be too emotional to bear. Ruby has also stopped collecting waif and stray animals as she grows too attached like she did with Whitby and then has to let them go, or see the "killer rain, form killer puddles" and take them from her. It was fun to begin with liberating all those animals, but now she realises there is no easier answer to how they can survive. Ruby slowly begins to give up hope and she stays in the house, stops going to the library, doesn't "wash" anymore. Ruby basically does the bare minimum to survive. She looses track of all time, stops writing, stops adding things to her numerous lists, she almost gives up. Ruby could have continued on in this "don't care haze" but she pushes herself too far and ends up crashing a Ferrari. She sort of only chose to drive it so she could add it to one of her lists! So the crash lead to other events that make her snap out of the haze.
It's really difficult to say a great seal more without giving major spoilers! So forgive me from being vague, but if you read The Rain, you just have to read The Storm, it answers all the questions you wanted to ask after finishing The Rain. An unlikely old friend (I know I am using the term friend loosely her, you'll understand when you read the book) is looking for Ruby, wanting to tag along with her. Ruby is suspicious as the "friend looks like they have been living in much better conditions than she has. This friend tries various stages to reveal what went wrong at the place she was at before but circumstances never seem right so Ruby ends up learning for herself the horrors her friend has seen and heard about. They end up at a party house for a while but things end badly with the friend getting wet. That's how Ruby ends up on the other side of the fence and she discovers "Sunnyside". A place with a cute name but not a place you want to see let alone stay! We also meet some newer characters in this book that are very important to Ruby. However it seems these people are as shallow in the apocalypse as they were in the "before". In fact they end up disappointing Ruby in what I would say is a major way. When she really needs them, they have just gone.
I think Ruby is a strong female character, she is much stronger than she realises herself. There are a few emotional moments in the book too. One is where Ruby leaves her house, which also means saying goodbye to room that has become the tomb that contains her mother, step dad Simon (whom she came to rely upon and was increasingly emotionally attached to in The Rain) and of course and perhaps the most difficult to leave her baby brother Henry. Even though Ruby cannot bear to go in the room, she finds leaving the house, their tomb and them behind extremely hard. The most poignant part of farewell is when Ruby kisses their bedroom door and vows to never forget them. This was a real tear jerker section of the book. This author cleverly takes us the reader through a whole range of emotions. I also enjoyed the smaller moments in the book, where when Ruby and her friend are in the party house, the "leader" Xar is watching a programme/dvd of large animals hunting ie the whole "survival of the fittest" scenario. I mean how ironic that Xar wishes to watch this kind of scenario when it is basically happening all around him. Xar is a rather strange man/boy who welcomes the apocalypse, he believes the human race deserves the killer rain, that it is somehow part of a larger plan that so many humans should die in this way.
Ruby also uncovers the possibility that the army knew that the killer rain was coming. She also knows from personal experience that the army are only helping those than have a specific skill they need.
So did I enjoy the book? Yes! I love the character of Ruby, she is a normal girl trying to survive in an increasingly abnormal world. Would I recommend the book? It is a must read if you read and your interest was captured like mine was with The Rain.
Would I want to read another book in this series? How the book ended it could be left there leaving the reader's imagination to fill in any questions left. Or there could be a third novel or novella re-visiting Ruby and updating us on what is happening with "the cure" etc, Would I want to read other titles by this author? I would certainly take a closer look at anything written by this author!
INITIAL THOUGHTS
Well after reading The Rain, I couldn't wait to read The Storm, I had so many questions, the main one being Will Ruby ever meet up with her dad? Because surely then all her problems will be over? I actually chose to read this one straight after book one. I usually read at least one different book before continuing a series but felt so invested in & engrossed in the world created by Virginia Bergin, that I picked this one straight up and began reading it late one night.
MY REVIEW
So again I was super lucky and downloaded this one from Netgalley and my daughter also received a paperback copy. So thank you so much to Netgalley and Macmillan.
The cover I have featured above is the UK version which I will base mt review on. So the cover has a female on it standing face upwards allowing the rain to pour down on her, almost embracing the feeling only fresh rain can give you. Who could it be? Doesn't the figure know the Rain is deadly? Could a cure have been found? Also featured on the cover is a tall wire fence with rolls of barbed wire around the top. Is the figure on the outside trying to get in? or on the outside after escaping? Or is the person trapped on the inside trying to get out? I think we can safely say that this book works brilliantly making you curious about who the figure is, why they are in the rain and whether they are in the fencing or outside the fencing. The byline of "The End Of The World Was Just The Beginning" fits this book so well, as The Rain was "just the beginning". . .and The Storm follows on very seamlessly.
So would I pick this book up from a book store shelf purely on how the cover looks? Definitely, and wow I'd just have to buy this one after reading book one anyway!
This book picks up right where we left off in The Rain. It's honestly just as though you have turned just one page! I loved that aspect. I also find the way Ruby talks straight to us the reader and says what we may think if/when we find her journal.
So the book begins with a sort of small not even page long prologue. It's almost like Ruby is in a therapist room saying it or talking directly to us the reader. If the book was a film, the surrounding set would fade into the background and Ruby would look directly down the camera lens and tell us the reader directly.
It is after that small "prologue/therapy" like statement that the book picks up as The Rain left off. Ruby is still waiting for her father Steven Morris and younger half brother Dan to return to her with her Grandma. It has already crossed her mind about what she will or can do if her father and brother etc don't return. . .Ruby has become so desperate and "stir-crazy" that she has taken to visiting Dartbridge Library. Ruby has been reading all she can about various subjects that she thinks she may need to survive. The one most instantly useful to her so far has been her research on clouds. It helps Ruby monitor the clouds in the sky and quite skillfully predict when it will rain and the type of rain it will be such as a real downpour or just a small shower. Ruby has taken to grading the subjects she has been reading up on and how useful she feels they will be.
So Self Help - didn't have anything specific enough about the apocalyptic rain so that subject gets a Ruby rating of 4/10.
Car Maintenance - was not something Ruby read because she wanted to, it was a case of she really needed to . . . but we learn more about that incident in more detail much later in the book. Hence a Ruby Rating 10/10!
Survival Manuals - chose to read these even though the things covered were really similar to the skills she was could have learnt as a girl guide. Though the girl guide badges Ruby chose to pursue pre-apocalypse were to gain the immediate reward & badge for cooking and baking! Ruby Rating 7/10.
I enjoyed this section of the book as even though the book is set during the apocalypse it does have it's lighter funnier moments. Another coping strategy Ruby has come up with is list making! Ruby actually writes down on paper a list of things that will eventually run out and no longer exist like chocolate spread to mobile phones!
Ruby cannot bear to go as far as listing the people she has lost. . . .that would be too emotional to bear. Ruby has also stopped collecting waif and stray animals as she grows too attached like she did with Whitby and then has to let them go, or see the "killer rain, form killer puddles" and take them from her. It was fun to begin with liberating all those animals, but now she realises there is no easier answer to how they can survive. Ruby slowly begins to give up hope and she stays in the house, stops going to the library, doesn't "wash" anymore. Ruby basically does the bare minimum to survive. She looses track of all time, stops writing, stops adding things to her numerous lists, she almost gives up. Ruby could have continued on in this "don't care haze" but she pushes herself too far and ends up crashing a Ferrari. She sort of only chose to drive it so she could add it to one of her lists! So the crash lead to other events that make her snap out of the haze.
It's really difficult to say a great seal more without giving major spoilers! So forgive me from being vague, but if you read The Rain, you just have to read The Storm, it answers all the questions you wanted to ask after finishing The Rain. An unlikely old friend (I know I am using the term friend loosely her, you'll understand when you read the book) is looking for Ruby, wanting to tag along with her. Ruby is suspicious as the "friend looks like they have been living in much better conditions than she has. This friend tries various stages to reveal what went wrong at the place she was at before but circumstances never seem right so Ruby ends up learning for herself the horrors her friend has seen and heard about. They end up at a party house for a while but things end badly with the friend getting wet. That's how Ruby ends up on the other side of the fence and she discovers "Sunnyside". A place with a cute name but not a place you want to see let alone stay! We also meet some newer characters in this book that are very important to Ruby. However it seems these people are as shallow in the apocalypse as they were in the "before". In fact they end up disappointing Ruby in what I would say is a major way. When she really needs them, they have just gone.
I think Ruby is a strong female character, she is much stronger than she realises herself. There are a few emotional moments in the book too. One is where Ruby leaves her house, which also means saying goodbye to room that has become the tomb that contains her mother, step dad Simon (whom she came to rely upon and was increasingly emotionally attached to in The Rain) and of course and perhaps the most difficult to leave her baby brother Henry. Even though Ruby cannot bear to go in the room, she finds leaving the house, their tomb and them behind extremely hard. The most poignant part of farewell is when Ruby kisses their bedroom door and vows to never forget them. This was a real tear jerker section of the book. This author cleverly takes us the reader through a whole range of emotions. I also enjoyed the smaller moments in the book, where when Ruby and her friend are in the party house, the "leader" Xar is watching a programme/dvd of large animals hunting ie the whole "survival of the fittest" scenario. I mean how ironic that Xar wishes to watch this kind of scenario when it is basically happening all around him. Xar is a rather strange man/boy who welcomes the apocalypse, he believes the human race deserves the killer rain, that it is somehow part of a larger plan that so many humans should die in this way.
Ruby also uncovers the possibility that the army knew that the killer rain was coming. She also knows from personal experience that the army are only helping those than have a specific skill they need.
So did I enjoy the book? Yes! I love the character of Ruby, she is a normal girl trying to survive in an increasingly abnormal world. Would I recommend the book? It is a must read if you read and your interest was captured like mine was with The Rain.
Would I want to read another book in this series? How the book ended it could be left there leaving the reader's imagination to fill in any questions left. Or there could be a third novel or novella re-visiting Ruby and updating us on what is happening with "the cure" etc, Would I want to read other titles by this author? I would certainly take a closer look at anything written by this author!
October 24, 2019
I found that I liked this book slightly less than I did the first one, although I still enjoyed it overall and don’t regret reading this series. I don’t want to say that anything about the writing or the story were bad or not worthy of reading, I guess it just wasn’t what I anticipated for this sequel.
SPOILER FREE SUMMARY
Picking up where we left off with Ruby, we follow as she continues her search for her remaining family members and journeys into new territory. In this book Ruby continues on with her love for fashion and makeup, but the apocalypse has killed her spirit and depression debilitates her day to day. She meets new people who are out surviving on their own as well as encounters the army base where select people are holed up (in seeming luxury) and are working on a cure. We encounter all of our old favorite characters in this sequel, Saskia, Darius, Princess, and Xar’s court of misfits. This book covers the idea of a cure, immunity to the rain, and what would even come next in a world with a cure.
I think what I didn’t like was just characters in this series as well as things that happened. I found it dragged a little bit and it took a while to get to that ending with everything that happened. Some of the events were a little... unbelievable though? Or felt as if they were there to give some sort of happy ending, which I’m okay with, but still, I took notice. Most of this has to do with what happens in the end and in general during some of the army base scenes.
As for the story and how it fits in the genre, it definitely gives me zombie apocalypse vibes but without the threat of zombies. Instead, the rain as the uncontrollable, unpredictable threat. This apocalyptic story is properly anxiety inducing, and Ruby as the narrator is, as always, honest and hilarious. I also enjoyed the idea that there could be a cure and that people could be or become “immune” to the killer rain. It was not a bad book or series overall, this sequel just wasn’t my favorite.
I still give it four stars however, because my dislikes were personal preference, and the story was well written and the events were well explained to satisfy me and give me closure as a reader.
SPOILER FREE SUMMARY
Picking up where we left off with Ruby, we follow as she continues her search for her remaining family members and journeys into new territory. In this book Ruby continues on with her love for fashion and makeup, but the apocalypse has killed her spirit and depression debilitates her day to day. She meets new people who are out surviving on their own as well as encounters the army base where select people are holed up (in seeming luxury) and are working on a cure. We encounter all of our old favorite characters in this sequel, Saskia, Darius, Princess, and Xar’s court of misfits. This book covers the idea of a cure, immunity to the rain, and what would even come next in a world with a cure.
I think what I didn’t like was just characters in this series as well as things that happened. I found it dragged a little bit and it took a while to get to that ending with everything that happened. Some of the events were a little... unbelievable though? Or felt as if they were there to give some sort of happy ending, which I’m okay with, but still, I took notice. Most of this has to do with what happens in the end and in general during some of the army base scenes.
As for the story and how it fits in the genre, it definitely gives me zombie apocalypse vibes but without the threat of zombies. Instead, the rain as the uncontrollable, unpredictable threat. This apocalyptic story is properly anxiety inducing, and Ruby as the narrator is, as always, honest and hilarious. I also enjoyed the idea that there could be a cure and that people could be or become “immune” to the killer rain. It was not a bad book or series overall, this sequel just wasn’t my favorite.
I still give it four stars however, because my dislikes were personal preference, and the story was well written and the events were well explained to satisfy me and give me closure as a reader.
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