I've got to be honest with you - there's been a dearth of post-apocalyptic novels of late, and I've stayed away for good reason. After the Red Rain might be the one to get me to pick up more.

The story starts out as one we've heard: after some unnamed environmental disaster (or more), the world is shattered and largely dead and polluted. Deedra goes about her life day to day, does her job, gets her allotment of what seems to be synthetic or genetically modified/lab grown food, resigned to her existence - until she meets Rose.

I love that Deedra is a normal person. No charismatic leader, no brooding heroine - just a smart, ordinary girl trying to get through life when she meets the unusual boy named Rose. He is unlike anyone she has met

The character of Rose is a bit of an enigma - who is he? (WHAT is he?) Where did he come from? While I am left with far to many unanswered questions (and really, I could have used a BIT more information), it is Rose who kept me hanging in there, waiting for the answers to all my questions.

Instead, I'm left waiting for the next novel.

Yes, some of the storyline is over the top, and the writing is awkward at times, and we, the readers, are thrown into the story with little explanation of why things are the way they are. My feeling are mixed and if I could give a half star, this would be 3-1/2 stars. The story is visually descriptive, but that should not be a surprise with an actor and producer assisting a YA author.

Overall, I think this book is worth taking a chance on, and I'm looking forward to the next novel - because there just HAS to be one.

Thanks to NetGalley who provided me with an Advanced Reader Copy. ( )

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. She had run out of copies at a conference and offered to send them out to us at a later date.

I'm not actually sure how I feel about this book. It's either the most ingenious thing ever or completely ridiculous, and unfortunately discussing what makes it that way is to give away a huge portion of the plot. The world building is interesting and I think it has some intelligent things to say about power so I gave it a positive rating for that alone. ( )

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. She had run out of copies at a conference and offered to send them out to us at a later date.

I'm not actually sure how I feel about this book. It's either the most ingenious thing ever or completely ridiculous, and unfortunately discussing what makes it that way is to give away a huge portion of the plot. The world building is interesting and I think it has some intelligent things to say about power so I gave it a positive rating for that alone. ( )

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. She had run out of copies at a conference and offered to send them out to us at a later date.

I'm not actually sure how I feel about this book. It's either the most ingenious thing ever or completely ridiculous, and unfortunately discussing what makes it that way is to give away a huge portion of the plot. The world building is interesting and I think it has some intelligent things to say about power so I gave it a positive rating for that alone. ( )

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. She had run out of copies at a conference and offered to send them out to us at a later date.

I'm not actually sure how I feel about this book. It's either the most ingenious thing ever or completely ridiculous, and unfortunately discussing what makes it that way is to give away a huge portion of the plot. The world building is interesting and I think it has some intelligent things to say about power so I gave it a positive rating for that alone. ( )