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Are you looking for a captivating, imaginative series with a rich and mysterious world that blends fantasy, time, and emotional depth in a way that’s truly unique and compelling for teen and young adult readers?
With a fresh and lyrical storytelling voice the symbolism woven throughout the narrative gives the book a rare literary dimension. Readers are not just entertained, they’re invited to reflect, dream, and connect deeply with characters who face challenges far beyond the ordinary.
FOUR FRIENDS. A SECRET THAT WILL HAUNT THEM FOR LIFE
GOODBYE prog rock, flairs and mullets. Hello punk, ripped jeans and Mohicans. Yes, it’s the late 1970s but for pals Fred, Trish, Greg and Ricky, some things about growing up never change as they plunge into a whirlwind of outrageous antics. Together with their gang in a Scottish new town, they laugh, cry, booze, battle and obsess about sex as they discover the power of friendship and, for Fred and Trish, true love. But the bond is ripped apart when a drunken prank goes tragically wrong. Twenty-five years on, all roads lead home as teenage demons – and passions – are resurrected amidst ugly threats and shocking revelations that turn old beliefs on their heads. The lives the four have led couldn’t be more different but as showdowns loom, they all face the same question… Will confronting the dark secrets of the past redeem them or destroy them?
This is book 2 in the Shelter Gang series. I loved book one The Fenian, wrote a review, the review quote: “Pure dead brilliant, a delightful read,” which was included in Stopping To Rain’s front pages!
So… what do I think of book two?
What a title, what a book! Stopping To Rain is about the pauses in life, the what ifs, what could have beens, and perhaps what will be’s for the 1970’s kids of the Scottish new town of Cumbride.
Whilst reading I was drawn to the depth of the characters, so real, with individual personas. The wonderful detail in the descriptive scenes which really locate you immersively in the story. The humour and Scottish banter which had me chortling along at times. The playlist popular music titles of the time mentioned at the beginning of each chapter.
Given that I grew up in Scotland, I related to this so much. Every minute of this wonderful book took me back in time. The characters are so vividly drawn and the plot line flows with humourous laugh out loud moments. What’s not to love?
From despicable Ricky the sex mad new kid to Greg on his money making trails, (which are largely successful but when they are not… oh dear… he does get himself in trouble,) and Patti wee patti I loved her! I think we all remember a wee Patti from school. Who may be small, unattractive but can surprise us with her hidden depths. Then there’s a pecking order of fanciablility from Gloria that everyone fancies. And Trish.
Of the characters, it was Trish who my heart went out to the most. And Fred too, who feels the weight of his past making him commit to a lifelong penance for his one wrongdoing.
Not all the shelter gang are alike, some are only out for themselves, like money making Greg. But, with Ricky, the sex mad teen there is a glimmer of transformation as he grows older and finds his unexpected soul mate! And Sandra, Trish’s friend… what a godsend that lass is! No one is going to mess with her!
Fast forward twenty five years…
There is a sense of retribution, hope, change and forgiveness after the disturbing abuse revelations in Stopping To Rain.
A real belter of a story. Heartfelt. Highly recommended. Just like The Fenian which I loved too.
5 🌟 stars highly recommended.
About the author
As Mike Kernan learned from his years in newspapers, the best tales are always the human interest ones. He believes there are no more fascinating subjects than folk and, as a result, his stories are rich in character and bursting with the courageous, bizarre, dramatic, heroic, tragic, poignant and downright daft stuff that people get up to and talk about.
That shines through in his latest novel, Stopping To Rain, as well as in his previous books, The Fenian, and non-fiction Fishing In The Sun.
Mike might be a late starter as an author but he has been writing for a living since he was 17, as an award-winning journalist on a range of publications from local papers to national dailies.
Since taking early retirement in 2017, he has been making up for lost time by completing the books that have been in his head and in various scattered notes for years.
Stopping To Rain is the sequel to The Fenian and is a coming of age story packed with drama, romance, tears and laughter. The action switches between Scotland of the 1970s and the turn of the millennium. It tells how the past never really leaves us as the dark secrets of youth come back to bite a group of pals later in life.
Non-fiction book Fishing In The Sun is a collection of quirky, thought-provoking, funny and always entertaining stories on Mike’s other great passion, angling, which he writes about in a national newspaper column.
Mike, who lectured in journalism after taking early retirement from newspapers, has three grown-up children and lives on the west coast of Scotland with wife Margaret. Oh, and he’s also enjoying the role he reckons he was born for – as “Big Man” to grandson and best pal Jimmy.
You can’t stop the future.
You can’t rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah’s voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out why.
Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah’s pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.
My review:
This is a difficult book to review not because of the writing brilliance or lack of, more because suicide is such an emotive and difficult subject to deal with sensitively. It’s one of those books that definitely fits in the unputdownable category. Curiosity carries you forward, and keeps you turning the pages… but, for me the tapes were a device, a method that the author used to convey the suicide’s victims feelings beyond the grave to the people who had hurt her. Wait a minute, I have an issue with this. Suicides don’t do this. This involves planning, and people considering ending their lives are unlikely to write a note, family and friends are left wondering – Why? But, I reckon Jay Asher meant well. I believe her intention was to explain that even the smallest hurt can attach to a larger hurt to grow into a huge hurt ball of pain. I get that, and it sounds plausible, but the upshot of this is the main protagonist starts of sounding whiny, and distances the reader somewhat. I didn’t find the main protagonist Hannah a likeable character, but perhaps that’s the point? The act of suicide means that you don’t dwell on who you might hurt by your actions – you are too immersed in your own pain – hence the significance of the rape scene. I’m not going into details in this review, no spoilers, read this yourself and make up your own mind.
Ultimately, suicide is the most terribly sad act of self destruction committed by a person who has mental health issues, or is suffering with unbearable pain. Mental health, bullying and depression are major reasons why people commit suicide and these issues should be discussed openly and with a caring attitude, particularly as they are a rising problem in our young people.
Thirteen Reasons Why isn’t a perfect book, but it does provokes discussion. It makes you consider what damage people do to each other and acknowledges that we don’t really know what is going on in other people’s lives.
Of course this debut has been an enormous success with a TV series on Netflix. Both of my daughters have watched the series.)
Rating: A very difficult one to rate, I spent a lot of time deliberating about this one. I’d say it is sitting on a 4 star read.
DISCLAIMER: “As of 13th September 2017 we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”
My opinions are my own and any reviews on this site have not been swayed or altered in any way by monetary compensation, or by the offer of a free book in exchange for a review.
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The school captain: Ryan has it all … or at least he did, until an accident snatched his dreams away. How will he rebuild his life and what does the future hold for him now?
The newcomer: Charlie’s just moved interstate and she’s determined not to fit in. She’s just biding her time until Year 12 is over and she can head back to her real life and her real friends …
The loner: At school, nobody really notices Matty. But at home, Matty is everything. He’s been single-handedly holding things together since his mum’s breakdown, and he’s never felt so alone.
The popular girl: Well, the popular girl’s best friend … cool by association. Tammi’s always bowed to peer pressure, but when the expectations become too much to handle, will she finally stand up for herself?
The politician’s daughter: Gillian’s dad is one of the most recognisable people in the state and she’s learning the hard way that life in the spotlight comes at a very heavy price.
Five unlikely teammates thrust together against their will. Can they find a way to make their final year a memorable one or will their differences tear their world apart?
First of all before I begin my review I’d like to say a big thank you to Jade at Scatterbooker for sending me my giveaway prize all the way from Australia! Miraculously it arrived the very morning that I was going to Brighton for a family get together for my mum’s birthday! Quite extraordinary… Anyway it was lovely to bring it along with me for a weekend away. In fact I took a photo of it for Instagram along with a beautifully folded towel and some toiletries.
My Review:
The main characters in Sarah Ayoub’s The Yearbook Committee are Matty, Charlie, Ryan, Tammi, and Gillian. The story revolves around the five teammates who are drawn together to create a Yearbook of their final year at school. All of them are reluctant, (expect Gillian,) to get involved in this activity. In fact the five would most probably never have been friends if it wasn’t for their involvement in the Committee. As the Yearbook develops so do their friendships. In fact these new relationships make the Yearbookers’ question some of their existing friendships, and an unlikely but strong bond is formed.
I must admit that I found The Yearbook Committee a little slow to get into at first, but maybe I’m showing my age! Ha ha!! The chapters are set out in alternating Pov’s of the five characters, so perhaps it takes a while for the reader, (particularly oldies like me!) to engage with each individual character. Nevertheless I enjoyed The Yearbook Committee. I’d say that its strongest characteristic by far is its exceptionally well written and believable dialogue. Though, I didn’t get much of a sense of place. Of course we know the novel is set in Australia but there’s very little descriptive language. So perhaps not a recommendation for readers who enjoy a lot of descriptive language…
The Yearbook Committee will definitely appeal to those who enjoy YA, teen books, character led stories with tons of engaging dialogue, an emphasis on the wide ranging difficulties and peer pressures of growing up. The novel highlights a wide range of diverse issues: cyber bullying, having a sibling with Downs, coping with a parent with severe depression, non-nuclear families, moving to a new school, distracted and disinterested parents, lost dreams, pressure to have sex, to do well, to be popular, to take drugs..
The characters are:
Charlie’s just moved from Melbourne with her mum and stepdad to Sydney. She didn’t want to move and is determined not to fit in. She’s the bright spark and feminist of the group.
Ryan is the clever, athletic, popular but nice guy whose dreams are smashed by an injury.
Matty is the scholarship kid who has a tough time of it working two jobs to try to help and support his depressed mother who can’t even get herself together to go to parent’s meetings.
Tammi is to some degree defined by others. She is best friends with the popular but meanest girl going. Tammi finds it hard to convince her parents that she’d like to be a police officer.
Gillian is the only one of the five who volunteered to be on the Yearbook Committee. She’s a politician’s daughter and the target of cyber bullies, and constantly in the media spotlight.
The key words: Revelations, Relationships, Frustrations, Explorations, Decisions, Unlikely Friendships, Unfortunate, Sad, Tragic, Thoughtful (Ryan’s final chapter,) Teen, YA, Social Media, Current, are the key words I would use to describe The Yearbook Committee.
If these appeal to you then I’d recommend that you pick up a copy!
The ending really smashed it for me, very moving and emotional, making up for the slow start.
Goodreads Synopsis:
M J Mallon YA Author and Poet 