A fun little horror story that reminded me of a modern take on The Mist. Strange rain starts falling around the world - What will happen to the people exposed?

This short novella seemed to be heavily influenced by current world events (pandemics) and an intense view of how different people can react in stressful situations. While this was a fast-paced, tense read, I wasn’t as fully invested as I had hoped based on the description. Due to it being based on the COVID-19 pandemic, and occurring “some time after,” the references to COVID being over pulled me out of the narrative --- no matter that I realized this occurred in the future. Secondly, with these references, the overall concept didn’t seem original.
With that, I realize I may be in the minority with how I felt about this novella, and since it was well written (and fun) to read, I do still suggest this for someone looking for a quick, horror-filled read. The events at the ending really saved this for me!

it's always difficult to write a review of a book like When it rains without giving anything away but I will say it is a great little novella, and I was instantly swept up with the story, I've not read anything from Mark Allan Gunnells before but I thought he wrote his characters very well and quite fitting for today's society. I also liked the way he finished the book.Definitely worth a read.

-Short, Bittersweet, and to the point! #WhenItRains really took me by surprise! I have heard of the actual real story that this book was based on, which I thought gave it a second layer, if you will... even tho it was short, I was really attached to a couple of characters! Mark actually was able to capture human nature! It's so scary to think how this could happen! How common sense and all morals are thrown out the window when one or two LOUD people make all others quiet in comparison... How we as humans most likely always lean towards or will follow someone who is louder than the rest!!! In the end tho, I didn't see coming! I think the ending couldn't have ended any other way! I will most definitely be thinking about the novella for a long time ...

Thank you to NetGalley, Marc Allen Gunnells, and BooksGoSocial for the arc of When It Rains.

I thought the concept of this book was interesting. The similarities between the Deluge and the Coronavirus pandemic were very interesting. This novel also reminded me of The Mist by Stephen King and is even mentioned in the book. I feel like I would have given this book a higher rating if there was an explanation for the events that occurred in the book, but we are left hanging.

I feel like I expected this book to be more than it was, the twist although unpredictable was not very thrill worthy. I also don’t think I have much interest in thrillers involving things like illness and plague, just not in my interest group. I would highly suggest this book to individuals who enjoy thrillers relating to wide spread illness.

I enjoyed the comparisons between the Deluge and the Coronavirus pandemic, and how the book showed how misinformation in the media can cause an uproar of panic and cause divide between people.

Thank you again to the authors and publishers for this copy!

✨Book Review✨⭐️⭐️⭐️
When it Rains, by Mark Allan Gunnels.

This little novella was a quick read with a bit of a twist at the end!

Thank you to @netgalley & @crystal_lake_publishing for the chance to read this #ARC as a READ NOW edition for free in exchange for an honest review.

I thought the premise of the book was quite interesting, as the marketing description, title, and cover image all suggest Steven King ‘The Mist’ & James Herbert ‘The Fog’ vibes. However, the focus here was more on exploring the human psyche and human behaviour, along with how quickly things break down to mob-think when panic & fear strikes. The novella also critiques the irresponsibility of the 24-hrs news cycle in spreading misinformation and panic by reporting anything & everything that happens asap (as they jockey position to be the first to report something) without all the facts first.

It was a good read. I really enjoyed meeting some of the characters. I guess my only critique is that I found myself wishing it were a full-length novel so that I could spend more time in the FU Campus Bookstore with these characters.

#Bookstagrammer #IAmReading #Books #Bookshelf #LiveToRead #LoveToRead #ReadRightNow #Bibliophile #BibliophileLife #Reader #ReadersOfInstagram #Bookish #BooksOfInstagram #Booklover #Bookworm #BookNerd #BookAddict #ILikeBigBooksAndICannotLie #FictionBooks #BooksAreMagic #Bookstagram

The story is told via the points of view of many characters, interspersed with excerpts from a fictional history book. There are a –lot– of round characters but it doesn’t feel overwhelming. This is definitely a character driven piece, and it’s interesting to see how The Deluge changes people, for better or for worse.

Gunnells builds the intensity with a skilled hand. Many times I found myself leaning forward towards my tablet, and I felt ridiculously cranky anytime someone interrupted me. I couldn’t put it down.

QUOTES:
- Given enough time, mankind will once more resort to rancor and trifling grudges.

(I received a free copy of this through NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review)

This social horror materialises in a cafe where a mysteries globulous rain, holds everyone hostage indoors. There are the usual protagonist and do-gooders. But everyone's decision's on how to deal with what they think are life/death threatening scenario's, carries heavy weight and judgment of other people and their needs to survive. The classic breakdown of society when threatened by the unknown. What's interesting about some of the decisions made is that they held a double edged sword which in the end determined whether they lived or died. The twist at the end, I didn't see coming.

For a novella I liked the obvious nod to "The Mist", I thought this book was well written and different enough to hold it's own. I read the book in one sitting not only because it was a quick read, but because it held my attention and I couldn't wait to find out what happens in the end.

I would also highly recommend Gunnells other book "Before He Wakes".

“They had the choice between caring for those who they thought might have been infected with something or turning their backs on those people. They had chosen wrong”. – Mark Allan Gunnells

I truly enjoyed this novella! I couldn’t stop reading and I finished it right away. I love the story and the execution. Fear mongering, Ignorance, and Selfishness of some people are much scarier than the rain itself. At the same time, you also have these people who would sacrifice themselves for their loved ones and people who show compassion to strangers. What makes this scarier for me is the fact that this is our reality, this is human nature but, at the same time, it also makes us see that we can always choose kindness every time.
This is my first book from the author, and I know I will be coming back for more. Thank you Netgalley and Author for providing me with the ARC.

Who will survive ‘the Deluge’?

If you are seeking a fast-paced and short read then look no further than When it Rains by Mark Allen Gunnells. This was one of those random books I picked up on spec for potential review, had limited expectations for, but quickly found myself being pleasantly surprised by a story which jogged along at speed and before long this easy read novella was done and dusted.

Interestingly, there were a number of Covid-19 references, with the author making clear that the action takes a few years after the ongoing Pandemic. However, the behaviour of the characters the story focuses upon, could well have been influenced by how many of us reacted to Covid. As the plot develops an ‘us’ and ‘them’ theme bubbles in the background which was not a million miles away from to ‘masks’ or ‘no masks’ or even ‘vaccine’ or ‘no vaccine’. The author does not make any clear political statement or judgements however, but the similarities are striking and are nicely handled without ever getting preachy.

When it Rains has a terrific introduction which nicely lays its cards on the table for what lies ahead with an extract from the text ‘The Day the Rain Came: An Annotated Timeline of the Deluge’ which foreshadows the direction of the plot. On the 24th of April 20- (in Greenville, South Carolina) there was an incredible and unexplained metrological phenomenon which was later named ‘The Deluge’ where a slimy type of rain started steadily falling (firstly in Greenville) and then fanning out across the world. As this town, with a population of 58,000, was the ground zero epicentre scientists and historians took a special interest in these local events, a snapshot covered by the plot of When it Rains.

Like with George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead we do not really find out what is going on elsewhere in the world instead Mark Allen Gunnells sets all the action in the Friedkin University bookstore and coffeeshop which is based on the university campus. All other news and tip-bits comes via television rumours of ‘outbreaks’ which only heighten the tension, paranoia and anxiety of those stuck in the coffeeshop when the rain begins to hammer down. Keeping the story very localised was extraordinarily effective and the lack of available information played a big part in the friction between those stranded in the shop. I found this to be all very believable (think of Covid-19 again) and you might ask yourself what you might have done if your friend or family member had been hit by the rain and might therefore be contaminated or contagious.

The non-fiction Annotated Timeline aspect of the story gave proceedings a slight World War Z whiff but if you are expecting zombies here you might be disappointed, it is significantly more subtle and is topped by an excellent ending I did not see coming but did think was very cool. It is not a particularly violent or gory book and is more interested in exploring the varying motivations of the characters, which are not so straightforward, when they are stuck in the shop. Once the group get stranded in the coffeeshop, rather than World War Z, I started drifting towards The Mist as a point of reference where a similar bunch are isolated inside a building and within a few pages Gunnells makes his own referential Mist references, which was a nice touch.

When it Rains is set over a relatively short period of time, kicking off shortly before the rain begins, at 11.35am with Pamela Weston overworked and flying solo in the coffeeshop, getting stressed by the elongating queue. It is just like any normal day. From that moment on the action, written in the third person, jumps from character to character taking in a very diverse bunch, including a gay couple whose personal problems spill onto the shop floor. Also featured was a teenage girl visiting the campus with the parents and later hoping to attend the university, other shop workers, a university lecturer, students and baristas. I enjoyed the fact that when the plot jumped from character to character, due to the fact the majority did not know each other, they were portrayed from alternative points of view, but with the reader being able to pick up on who they were through description, dress, and mannerisms. Considering the short page length and the number of characters covered the author did a fine job of easily bringing them to life.

I enjoyed the manner in which the rain was portrayed, unpleasantly clinging to the skin making it very difficult to wash off, quickly causing the division in the Friedkin University bookstore after rumours spread that it may contain a toxin which could potentially make everybody sick. As the overall edginess increases with unreliable news reports various moral dilemmas surface, none more important than bathroom breaks! I don’t recall ever recall anybody in The Walking Dead ever needing the toilet, but it becomes an issue in When it Rains, what if a potential infection could be passed on via the toilet? Should those who have been ‘slimed’ alternatively use buckets? All interesting questions!

When it Rains was entertaining company for a couple of hours which skilfully sidestepped most of the features you might expect to see in this type of fiction and instead keeps things nicely restrained and both character and emotional centred. It’s also worth noting that I can think of many worse places to be stranded that a coffee/bookshop!

I really enjoyed this story about a mysterious global rain event that is more than it seems. Ultimately it’s about the nature of humanity as we see a small group of people on a college campus experience the ‘rain’. Some immediately fall into conspiracy and mistrust while others try to support each other. It makes the reader think about which side they would fall on. It’s a very tense situation and the author does a wonderful job of giving us both sides of this response. This was well written and really captured the emotions of the characters dealing with such an odd event. The ending was so unexpected! Highly recommend this one.

I truly enjoyed this horror Novella! I was able to finish it in just over one day when I had time off work, I devoured it so quickly that I couldn’t stop turning the pages.

I love a book that has a weather type horror aspect to it(?) it gets you thinking anything could happen when the rain falls.. you could be anywhere at any given moment when it falls and there is nothing you could do.

A very good horror and tension filled read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my arc!

The synopsis really had me interested in the story, but unfortunately the execution was not that great in my opinion.

The whole thing was really slow and it only became intriguing at the last 15-20%. I understand that it is hard to build up a story in a somewhat short book, but it is not impossible and I think if we would have got the same energy most of the book as we had in the end it would have been much more interesting.

I saw that there was an attempt at building tension and uncertainty, but it is really hard to feel nervous or scared for the characters, when they are either flat or unlikeable. And here is the thing, I hated everyone in this book except Dana and Tony.

I also didn't understand the point in the weird student — professor relationship? It was not relevant and didn't add anything to the story or the characters.

Anyways, I'm not sure who to recommend this book, I guess maybe to people who want something quick to read, but it's hard for me to pinpoint a target audience.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest opinion.

OK, so… I absolutely loved this apocalyptic, horror novella!! It was brilliant!

'When It Rains' by Mark Allan Gunnells was scary, intense & an absolute page turner that I could not put down. Not only that, it was also emotional & deep with aspects that really made me think, like it's interesting take on how humanity react to an unknown phenomenon & the extents at which people will go to survive. Having the story told from different characters' POV, as well having the 'then and now' parts, was great too; it helped to make the story move quickly, as well as, more believable & a novel to connect with.

But best of all... The plot itself (a strange viscous rain that arrived out of nowhere, that fell everywhere around the world all at the same time which may or may not be dangerous) was original, refreshing & not one to miss!

I, for one, know that It'll also have me inspecting each patch of rainfall for the foreseeable future!

Thank you to Netgalley, Mark Allan Gunnells & Books Go Social for allowing me to review the ARC of 'When It Rains'.

I honestly don’t know where to start with this novella. First off, easy 5 ⭐️. I devoured this book in 1 sitting. The uneasiness I felt while reading this, the subject hitting maybe a little too close to the current climate, but amazing in every way. I will definitely be reading more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, just, wow. I literally finished the book a few minutes ago and I am just amazed.

Anytime mystery rain, mystery substance rains down, anything like that, I am all there for that book. It is such a horrifying idea that we could be attacked by the clouds. You may not be home. You may not be able to shelter yourself from it. You may even be a curious person who decides to go outside and check it out. I'd like to say I would be a person who would hide inside and take all precautions, but after reading this, I have to reconsider that.

Now I went into this with an idea in my head of what this was, or more of what I really wished it was. I am not at all disappointed in the direction it ended up going but I am disappointed that it wasn't until the very end that the direction abruptly changed. I would have liked a longer scene of what I'll call the repercussions of people's choices. I also would have liked more detail about the entire aftermath of the event. It was wrapped up so quickly that I did feel a tad let down because I'm sitting here with so many questions and no answers.

Back to the positive though, because I truly did enjoy this book.

The horror in this is deeper than you would think. It isn't just about the rain, it's about people, and how they act in emergencies. If you haven't learned anything about humans by just watching media, reading media, I'll let you in on a secret, we are selfish, and most of us are heartless in emergency situations. Let's be honest, most of us are heartless in normal situations. That is horrifying in itself.

I'll leave this on a really good note, I really LOVED what Mark Allan Gunnells did with the rain. I loved how that all played out. It feels fresh, it feels good, and when I read books like this, I like to ask myself, would I or would I not survive this? I am going to go out on a limb and say I would probably be dead. So, thanks for killing me off, no hard feelings, and thanks for giving me such a satisfying new version of what has been done before.

This was a decent story, just a little too short. The ending felt abrupt. This is exactly what happens when any kind of pandemic or break out happens. You would think after centuries of people behaving this way, something would change.

I didn't expect much from this, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was a real peek into how people react in frightening situations, and it was nice and short.

Just a fantastic book about strange rain that happens and the mass hysteria that even the unwilling can succumb to. The characters were kind of stereotypical but that’s what made them so believable. I was constantly thinking yes that’s exactly how that type of person might behave. To me the best part of the book is the way it looked at these flaws in human beings froM a neutral standpoint. There was no ideology pushed and that was great. The ending was sad and interesting this is just a great read and it won’t take up much of your time.

WHEN IT RAINS by Mark Allen Gunnells is the story of a small aspect of what became known as The Deluge, where it rained across the entire world at the same time on April 24, 20__. This however, was no ordinary rain, nor was the paranoia and fear mongering that came down with the rain. Were you caught outside when that…stuff fell from the sky?
This was written with excepts from a textbook interspersed with what was happening inside a bookstore in South Carolina and it made for great reading, adding tension and information that those in the store couldn’t know. Gunnells created real characters and left me with so many questions about humanity and the world after The Deluge.
What will you do when the rains come down? Clearly it is not raining on me today so I don’t have to worry.
@crystal_lake_publishing is one of my favorite indie publishers because I feel like they care about the author and the horror community. I know if I grab a book put out by CLP that it will be quality in material and content.