#horror
Blurb
It may be dangerous to go out in the rain…but it may be even more dangerous to stay inside.
Just after noon on a sunny spring day at Friedkin University, a layer of strange clouds smudges across the sky, and a mysterious rain begins to fall. This isn’t just a surprise spell of rain—this substance is slimy and gelatinous… and it’s not letting up any time soon.
The rain spreads across the country, the hemisphere, and the globe, with growing ripples of panic and paranoia gathering behind it. Is it a natural, undocumented phenomenon? A chemical weapon? Some kind of bacterial contagion? As fear turns theories into conspiracies and no clear answers are given, factions start to form between those who have been exposed to the rain and those who stayed dry. Who is safe? Who is marked? Who is dangerous, and who is not?
The rain keeps falling, and at Friedkin University, the sanctuary of the campus bookstore swiftly becomes a dangerous battlefield. Is it man versus nature? Or man versus man?
My Review
Mysterious and thought-provoking horror – 5 stars
This novella, reminiscent of an episode from the Twilight Zone, is a mysterious and addictive read, with a brilliant and surprising twist at the end!
The main focus of the story is the campus bookshop, where a number of patrons have been exposed to the mysterious rain that has started to fall. I enjoyed how fear turns to paranoia when the news stations start to report that the rain is not just confined to the local area but has spread around the globe, and its effects may not be benign… The situation gives rise to increasing panic and a fundamental disagreement about how to deal with those that have been ‘infected’ and could well be a potential danger to others.
I was fascinated by the whole concept of the story and enjoyed how the author used the many characters to explore themes which are topical due given the current global pandemic. The ratcheting up of the suspense and horror of th threat and what it means is particularly well done.
It made me sympathise with some characters and not others and encouraged me to examine how I would react in a similar situation. I found it to be a frightening but sadly realistic read, exploring how humans, given the right encouragement, can easily turn on one another when faced with an unknown threat.
Recommended to lovers of horror but also to those who enjoy a mysterious and thought-provoking read.
Reviewed by Tina Williams
Please note, an ARC of this book was given to me for the purpose of a fair and honest review.