Member Reviews
This was a great read, and I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end! This book walks us into the dystopian world, where we follow along with Willie Taft, who is a celebrated war veteran. Taft and his wife escape from a government forced labor camp where they have been forced to work to assist growing crops for the ongoing war. Unfortunately, Tafts wife doesn't make it out, however, Taft never gives up fighting to get out to save their daughter.
Traveling with Taft on this journey is an exciting and heart-pounding journey, and I'm so glad I went along for the ride!
I easily give this book 3.8 stars, rounding up to an even 4 stars for my review rating!
Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher, and also thank you to the author for the opportunity to review an ARC of this audiobook in return for an honest review.
Different to my usual read, but I'm glad I tried it. I requested the audiobook and the actual book so I could read along, or listen while working sync up later.
Interesting storyline. I've not read anything like it before
I really loved this book. It shows a very possible future and that’s sobering. As you imagine the world that is growing, the author sucks you in to a world that is very possible, from politic gains to the selfishness of some as well as the humanity in others. How desperation can make good people to bad things as well as atrocious acts in the name of good. It shows what can happen when we push nature’s boundaries. Defiantly an enjoyable read
A time where rain became toxic, and people die from contact. War with neighboring sections, corrupt leaders, resistance, ...
An interesting dystopian science fiction. Which I loved.
What I found more intriguing is that the author is a biology professor. But I was disappointed with the end. How from the rain becoming toxic without a direct contact and people dying just from volatile toxicity, to just finding the cure and the toxic rain just gone! Seemed too quick too fast of a solution.
I loved listening to the audiobook.
With Thanks to Matt Ritter for an Advanced Readers copy of this book.
3 1/2*
An enjoyable cautionary tale about the way we treat the world. We follow a society trying to survive in lethal rain, at it's heart this story is a warning, and a story of hardship and the power of human endurance.
A bleak and dystopian novel that gave me vibes of Stephen King, Black Mirror, and flashbacks to Al Gore’s environmental presentations all at once.
Very scarily real and believable.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me listen to an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my feedback.
Rainwalkers is a dystopian novel by Matt Ritter, set in a not so distant future where pollution has made the rain toxic. In a world of forced labor camps, war, and waning resources, we follow Will Taft on his journey back to his hometown, to save the daughter he was taken from. Blurb alone, this is an exciting, unusual take on the dangers of being comfortable while the environment suffers at our hands
The premise was really intriguing even though or maybe because it was very similar to the Danish post-apocalyptic tv series The Rain. But the story turned out to be predictable and unimaginative, the writing was dry, the characters flat, the ending cliché. Overall, sadly, nothing special.
I listened to it as an audiobook, which I also do not recommend. Usually it's great when authors narrate their own books, but in this case it did the book a disservice. The author's intonation was really monotone, all the voices were the same. Bottom line, there is better climate fiction out there.
Thank you so much to net galley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book. The story felt a little incomplete but I still enjoyed it
Willie Taft Has just buried his wife. His daughter is safe at school mikes away and he is trying to get back to her. The rain is deadly, it falls every evening without fail. It kills the humans who get caught out in it, unless they are immune to its danger. Unless you are a rainwalker.
This slow paced climate change disaster tale, is deep and thought provoking.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review
Interesting but not really my cup of tea. Well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. The end of the world as we know it where the rain is toxic and is killing everyone. Everyone except for a small section of children that the government will stop at nothing to capitalize on to figure out how they are immune. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book. Overall I enjoyed it. The concept of a rain that is so toxic that its killing people because it's full of bacteria certainly isn't that far fetched considering the things humans are doing to destroy the earth. Even in this situation where they thought they were doing something good but then it backfired - kind of scary. Matt Ritter narrates his own work, which I didn't hate. I struggle with audiobooks mainly due to narrator choices but not as much with this one. I did feel like there was a lot of build up and then at the end it kind of wrapped up in a nice little bow, which was a little disappointing.
#Rainwalker was a adventurous story about a group of people in a valley. Some couldn’t be out in the poisonous rain and some could walk freely. The army would use the children that could walk freely as soldiers. This audiobook had mystery and some thrills as you went through the story. The main character was a strong lead and I wanted to know what happened to him and his daughter. #MattRitter wrote and narrated this audiobook and did a great job on both. Thank you to #netgalley and #pacificstreetpublishing for giving me this opportunity
This book reminded me why I mainly read novels written by women; it was a total man book. The premise was intriguing: in a near future, the rain has become toxic due to humans polluting everything and constant due to climate change. But beyond this, everything is a car chase, battle, shootout or knife fight, and the characters all brood and act tough and defy human limits and are surviving to save a woman or girl child who needs them. I struggled to get through this because I felt I owed it to Netgalley and the publisher, who kindly let me listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Honestly, I bet there are lots of guys out there who will love it.
3.5 stars audiobook 4 for book. The storyline for this book is brilliant and so realistic. I loved the fact science means this book could actually happen. So its more a realistic dystopia read as the author is a scientist. I listened to the audiobook and the authors voice was very nice but because the author was the narrator and used to writing non fiction this showed on the audiobook. He read very clearly although a little fast for my liking. There seemed to be a lack of rise and fall in his voice and pauses that creates the atmosphere and tension that is within the book. So im more inclined to recommend the actual book and not the audiobook. The range of characters were very good, it was easy to either love or hate them. You could tell from the storyline that the book was exciting and gripping and would be a real page turner and reading the book I would of felt the tension. As the author didn't portray his brilliant work of fiction in the best of lights. However please don't be put off reading this book, just maybe avoid listening to the audiobook if its the atmosphere and tension you love in a book. If you like a fast paced audiobook and concentrate only on the storyline this audiobook is for you. Always try the sample first to see if the audiobook is for you. If not get the book im sure you won't be disappointed.
Many thanks to the author and publishing team a wonderful actual science based believable science fiction dystopia for us all to enjoy.
Above review published on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK under the name ladyreading365 and on my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/rainwalker-s-by-matt-ritter-ibpa-4-stars-book-3-5-stars-audio
Rainwalkers by Matt Ritter
Summary:
A once rich and prosperous agricultural land is now a war-torn nation-state known only as The Valley. To combat chronic droughts, scientists seeded clouds with genetically engineered bacteria that created regular rains but unintentionally made the rains lethal to humans. Anyone caught in the rain dies within seconds, yet there are rumors of people who survive… known as rainwalkers. In a land of forced labor camps and waning oil fields, poverty-stricken agricultural communities support the metropolis of Salinas City and the authoritarian Valley Administration in their unending war against neighboring nations. In desperation, the Valley Administration intensifies their search for rainwalkers, who are believed to be powerful weapons in the border wars, by forcing children housed at Valley schools into the rain to be screened for resistance. War hero Willie Taft lives a quiet agrarian life until the Administration abducts him and his wife, separating them from their daughter. Although his wife is killed during their escape, Willie continues his journey to rescue their daughter. He faces mortal challenges from the Administration military force, the sociopath bounty hunter on his trail, and the ever-present toxic rain. Time is running out as he fights his way through the Valley back to his daughter’s school before she is forcefully screened with other children in the deadly rain.
Review:
Rainwalkers id an amazing book for fans of dystopian fiction. The storyline was really nice. I really like how it warns us that is we don’t take action and change how we behave towards the Earth; we will end up in a similar dystopian world filled with everyone’s worst nightmares. The book was really interesting but also a bit frightening at the same time as I could imagine this actually happening in real life. The one thing that I would say to improve is that after reading a little summary people would think that it is awesome and that it would be a great read, but unfortunately the summary gave false information as it made everyone’s standards so high, whilst the book didn’t live up to most of the standards. But overall, it was a good book to read. 😊
#Rainwalkers #Netgalley
I’m not really sure what to make of this book. Is it a fictional book of survival? A cautionary tale of the breakdown of society and the devastating results of man's abuse of the world's natural resources? I felt like the narrative of some things were unclear and others were too detailed in the overall scope of the book. Honestly, Rainwalkers read like a portion of a much larger (longer) work with important plot points edited out. Author Matt Ritter does have writing skill, though. I just wish there had been more focus, or at least, that this spoke more directly to me.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Very different from my usual reading but soon realised I was enthralled and had to keep going to find out how this story would unravel and I’m so glad I did.
I listened to this audiobook courtesy of NetGalley and Pacific Street Publishing.
It was narrated by the author Matt Ritter who did a great job, very journalistic style narrating and no dramatics!
The story is set in the near future and is a stark reminder of how our climate could go.
We meet Willie Taft who has to surmount all types of difficulties and nasty people to rejoin his young daughter Helen.
I loved this audiobook, I loved the heavy rainfall clips between each chapter.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dystopian books.
This was a really cool book - part environmental disaster, part adventure, part science fiction! The violence was kept to a minimum and the character development was wonderful. Willie’s hunt for his daughter Helen in the backdrop of dystopian Salinas with toxic rain was certainly an adventure.