Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

Rose often finds life hard. She has autism, or asperger’s, what they call “high functioning autism. She is slightly obsessed with homonyms and with prime numbers. She keeps a list of all the homonyms she herself has discovered. Sure, she could look them up, but where is the fun in that. Her own name is a homonym, Rose and rows. She named her dog Rain because her father found the dog in the rain, and also it is a homonym, Rain (Reign).

Rose gets a lot of comfort from her dog. Her dad isn’t the most patient of men. He drinks and isn’t around a lot. Her mother isn’t around any more. Rose often wishes she knew more about her but her father doesn’t like to talk about her.

She does get on well with her uncle, but there are tensions between the two brothers, her father is determined to raise Rose, not like his own father.

One day, in the middle of the worst storm her father lets Rain out to pee. And Rain gets lost.

I really liked this story. It is simply told, from Rose’s pov, so if you get frustrated with her constantly naming the homonyms she comes across this is not the book for you. You get a real sense of how hard the world can be for her, she can’t understand people breaking the rules, so much so that she is no longer allowed to get the school bus after giving out about the driver, among others, not using their indicators¹ . Rules and routine are what make life easier for Rose.

I liked how the relationship between Rose and her father was described. Yes, he is a jerk who drinks too much and loses his temper far too often, but at the same time, he is trying. Or some times he tries. Which isn’t to excuse him for his actions. He is in the wrong far too many times.

I don’t think this is a book that will particularly stick with me, but I’m glad I read it.

1. directional is that really what you call them in the states? How odd ↩