The Boy Who Loved Rain

This is not a light and fluffy novel, but sometimes I don't want that. I want a book that gives me depth, makes me feel, challenges me and tests me. This I got from The Boy Who Loved Rain.

A book essentially about the damage that secrets can be done to a family, how toxic deception can make or break years of creating a life together. It's painful to read in places, it made me feel a lot of emotions ranging from happiness to anger.

It's a book to sink into and lose yourself, but don't expect a marshmallow book, it's more like chewy toffee that gets stuck on your teeth and is hard to get off.

Colom is the teenage son, and Fiona the wife, of David Dryden, pastor of a high profile church in London, who is admired for his emphasis on the Christian family. But all is not well. Colom’s erratic behaviour causes a great deal of family stress. When a commitment to die is discovered in Colom's room after the suicide of a school friend, David finds himself out of his depth - and Fiona, in panic, takes Colom and flees.

Some reviewers have said that there is a LOT of Christian aspects to this book, I disagree. I mean one of the characters is the Pastor of a high profile church and this has had impact on the family and the entire story so it's got as much element of church and God in it as the book should to enhance the plot.

Colom, ah Colom, when we meet him he is of grave concern to all, acting dangerously, acting out of character, depressed, angry, much more than your average teen angst. One of Colom's friends commits suicide and leave a note behind showing that he decided to die before his sixteenth birthday and was active on many suicide websites. Fiona, Colom's mother finds a similar commitment note in Colom's room and slowly for Fiona it feels like everything is unravelling.

I have a son who is 15, like Colom and I was imagining how I would feel if I knew my son was planning to kill himself. Horrific and terrifying.

She takes off with Colom to find some space to think and to find time to connect with Colom. The plot in this book is sublime, it has surprises and teases you along the way, just as you think you know what's happening it switches direction and you might have as many jaw opening moments as what I did.

As Colom is encouraged to open up more, Fiona is thinking on her marriage, her husband David is back home, protesting he has to keep things going at the church and his image is critical. Needless to say, Fiona feels pretty much alone.

I thought the book was great up to this point, then the secrets start to come through the cracks, the toxic lies are revealed and I began to totally love this book and raced to the end.

Highly recommended for those that like some depth in their reading, enjoy tackling complexities in human relationships and dysfunctional family dynamics. Also recommended for those that like to dig deep to try to guess the secrets and love to be wrong. A unique and solid read.