The Necessity of Rain
by Sarah Chorn
Find it here: Link to Amazon
It swoops you out of reality into something very real that makes you ache and heal.
This was a surprising read for me and good break from my usual epic fantasy picks. I started reading it without knowing what I was getting in to (I really like the cover and title and that's often enough for me to pick up a book), and it ended as being one of the most beautiful things I've read in a long, long time.
Actually, I'm not sure this review will even do it justice.
Granted, it took me a few chapters to figure out what the story really was about and understand the time difference in a story line. Whether this was the book or my thesis-tired-brain I can't say, but the writing was so pretty and the world fascinating so I had to keep reading either way.
The story is about grief, healing, and change (and a whole lot more). It hovers around the three main characters who've all experienced some kind of loss, whether physical or emotional, and their joined journey to accept and overcome it. It's a slow story that dwells on inner monologues, thoughts, and feelings. It's riddled with sorrow and hardship and I was struggling at several places because of the seeping melancholy. But snippets of love and hope keep you turning pages and the fascinating and colorful world won't let you go.
There's no real "Big Bad" or evil monster (except Belladonna's mom. I'm still mad at her) but instead the driving conflict is the adaptation to change and to overcome your inner fears. This is weaved in between a fascinating world of modern science, myth, and utter fantasy where gods walk and create among mortals, some are divine others are not. There are humanoids, humans, animals, and creatures - all in vibrant mix that is described enough to leave you satisfied, but still holds mystery so you're craving for more.
It's also very much a story about love. The romance is subtle and sweet and warms you all the way to your marrow. And it's needed among all of the ache and grief!
Chorn's use of colors and objects to describe emotions, trauma, and progress is stunning, and the way she naturally weaves in disabilities, mental health, and captures so many shades of love was inspiring.
I definitely understand why this book has been nominated (and won if I'm not mistaken) several awards for representing queer, disabilities, and mental health. It's well-earned!
This is one of those books that'll stay with me for a long while, and one that made me thinking about my own writing and use of words.
The story swoops you away from reality and into something very real that makes you ache, love, and heal alongside the characters, and dammit I wish my hair could grow flowers like Rosemary's!
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