Kissing the Rain

From the Publisher

Voice of Youth Advocates
(April 1, 2004; 0-439-57742-X)

Fifteen-year-old Moo Nelson is clever, almost friendless, and finds solace in food. He defies brutal peer bullying for being overweight by discounting it as "the RAIN." His respite from the difficult social world of school and from a mother and father who mean well but who do not quite understand how to be good parents is a nearby bridge spanning a highway. One evening while enjoying his favorite overlook, Moo witnesses seeming road rage resulting in a murder. Moo soon realizes that it was a police setup to nab a dangerous criminal who was released from a previous murder charge because of a technicality. The police try to blackmail Moo into saying that from his vantage point he observed the criminal committing the murder, whereas the criminal and his cohorts pressure Moo to testify to the opposite. Moo finds himself caught in a web of danger, fear, and confusion as he tries to tell the truth. In desperation to free himself, his family, and his friend, Brady, from threats he knows they cannot escape, he develops a treacherous plot to settle the score. Exceptionally vivid characters and events come to life through Moo's first-person standpoint. Violence, terror, and intimidation are strongly depicted. The drama builds almost painfully as Moo's startling dilemma increases, culminating in an abrupt cliffhanger. This is a powerful and unique story with many intriguing elements, leaving behind an immense, multi-faceted question mark. Readers drawn to Gail Giles's Shattering Glass (Roaring Brook, 2002/VOYA June 2002), or Sue Mayfield's Drowning Anna (Hyperion, 2002/VOYA February 2003), will find it just as engrossing, with added layers of depth.-Diane Tuccillo. I loved this novel! Too many books have weak, unrealistic plots, uncharacteristic dialogue, and flawless characters, but Brooks gets real in this one. Moo calls the teasing RAIN-RAIN of words, of cruelty, of hate-all of which Brooks uses to paint a vividly realistic portrait of Moo's life. Also, Brady's character is so undeniably real that I have begun looking for him in the halls! The book leaves you hanging, dying for an ending, dying to know more. Moo's speech, with slurs and phrases, adds to the novel. It feels as if Moo comes over for tea and tells, firsthand, what happened.-Mandi Levendowski, Teen Reviewer.

School Library Journal
(March 1, 2004; 0-439-57742-X)

Gr 9 Up-Michael "Moo" Nelson is an uncouth, overweight, working-class 15-year-old who escapes the daily harassment-the "rain" as he calls it-he faces at school by riding his bike to a bridge, climbing to a familiar vantage point, and losing himself in the Zen of watching the endless flow of traffic. His life is changed when he witnesses a murder from the bridge. The alleged killer is a notoriously ruthless organized-crime figure and Michael is the only one who knows that the man is innocent of this particular crime, but is being framed by the police, who are eager to see him behind bars. Michael quickly becomes the recipient of bribes and threats from parties on both sides of the high-profile case, and his knowledge unwittingly translates to power at school where his former tormentors, aware of his potent connections, are suddenly reluctant to mess with him. Ultimately, he faces a dilemma: he can tell the truth and allow a nefarious thug to remain free, in which case the police have made it clear they'll pursue welfare-fraud charges against the teen's freeloading father, or he can lie and send the gang boss to prison, in which case he seems bound to be targeted for retribution. Brooks abruptly finishes the novel with Moo considering a third, violent alternative-one that, while risky and rash, would clearly demonstrate his growth as a character. Unfortunately, readers are left to guess how things turn out, and that is likely to infuriate those who've hung with Moo till the end

Washington Post Book World

Brooks, a British writer who made a huge splash with his first novel Martyn Pig, returns with a perfect ten-point dive in Kissing the Rain...Brooks has created a compelling narrator who is humorous, compassionate and possesses a genuine desire to be heard....Though readers may be unsettled by its ending, Kissing the Rain will certainly provide great fodder for discussion.
—Deb Vanasse

Publishers Weekly

Brooks's gritty and gripping third novel shares the noir style of his first book, Martyn Pig and also demonstrates the author's range. Here the attention-grabbing first- person narrative unspools as a funky, impressionistic hybrid of stream-of-consciousness and instant-messaging slang ("I dunno what it is-hate, monsterosity, badness-but whatever it is, whatever he's got, he wants to take it out on me"). The style may not be to everyone's taste, but it allows readers to get inside the head of 15-year-old narrator Mike "Moo" Nelson. The book opens on the night before Moo is due to perform a mysterious deed (which is revealed only at the novel's end) as he whiles away the hours by recalling the complicated chain of events that has led him to this moment. Overweight and nearly friendless, the teen has always sought solace on a bridge overlooking the local motorway. Then one night Moo witnesses what seems to be a road-rage incident, culminating in murder. The good news is that being a key witness in a police investigation earns Moo a respite from his classmates' bullying. The bad news is it places him dead center between two powerful forces: a police detective with a shady agenda and a hardened criminal who will do whatever it takes to avoid prison. To his credit, Brooks provides no quick and easy answers here, no sudden character transformations, and no miraculous weight-loss makeovers. But some readers will be disappointed by an ending that leaves to readers' imaginations just how far Moo has evolved. The book's ambiguous conclusion does leave open, however, the possibility that-for better or for worse-Moo may be ready to stop simply enduring events and take an active hand in them instead. Ages 12-up. (Mar.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

KLIATT

British teenager Michael Nelson, cruelly nicknamed "Moo" because he is overweight, finds sanctuary from the teasing and bullying at school—he calls it "the rain"—in peacefully watching the traffic go by from a bridge over the local expressway. That is, until the day he is the sole witness to a car chase and a murder, and any semblance of peace in his life abruptly comes to an end. Nasty gangster Keith Vine is being framed for the crime, and Michael knows that he is innocent. In fact, if he doesn't testify that Vine is innocent, Vine has promised frightening consequences, and indeed a friend of Michael's who stupidly gets involved ends up badly beaten. But a determined police detective, the father of one of Michael's bullying classmates, wants to put Vine away, and he's also threatening Michael—if he does tell the truth, Michael's father's legal transgressions will be prosecuted and he'll be jailed, the cop warns. Caught between a rock and a hard place, afraid to tell the truth or to lie, Michael comes up with a dangerous plan to solve his problems. This thought-provoking novel ends just as Michael is about to put his plan into effect, which may satisfy some readers but frustrate others. While at first Michael is a rather unappealing protagonist and narrator, by the end he wins sympathy for his plight and admiration for finally taking action to deal with it. Michael's interior monologue (with a few swear words here and there) is slangy and convincing, and the characters are well drawn. Brooks, the author of Martyn Pig and Lucas, offers yet another well-written, morally challenging tale for readers who like to think. KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for juniorand senior high school students. 2004, Scholastic, The Chicken House, 336p., Ages 12 to 18.
—Paula Rohrlick

Children's Literature

In this disappointing novel from the promising author of Martyn Pig and Lucas, Brooks presents a confusing and tiresome stream of consciousness narrative punctuated by incessant use of "I dunno," over the top angst, and all-caps. Even the story and ensuing moral dilemma falls flat. Overweight "Moo" is teased at school and finds solace counting cars from "his" bridge overlooking the highway. One night, he witnesses a road rage incident in which a local gangster—innocent in this case—is being framed by the police. If Moo lies and supports the corrupt police, the gangster will go to jail. However, the gangster will make sure his thugs destroy Moo and his family. So, what is the point of lying? The police inspector has threatened to book Moo's dad for welfare fraud if Moo does not cooperate. However—and here's the rub—the gangster assures Moo that he will get a lawyer to spring his dad. Therefore, if Moo tells the truth, the gangster is happy and his dad is safe. What, exactly, is the dilemma? True, the gangster is an evil person who put Moo's friend in the hospital and the gangster's lawyer is smarmy, but the corrupt police inspector does not exactly give one the warm fuzzies. In the end, Moo comes up with another choice, naïve and ill-conceived . . . he could murder the gangster. The book ends with "WHAT YOU GONNA DO?" It feels like a cheap trick to complete the burden of 320 pages. 2004, Scholastic, Ages 12 up.
—Kathryn Erskine

From The Critics

Kissing the Rain thrills the reader by retelling a story told through the eyes of its protagonist, Michael "Moo" Nelson. From its opening lines, Moo's narration leaps from the pages, grabs you by the collar, and dares you to finish the novel. Riddled with angst and inner turmoil, Moo shows the reader just how it feels to live in his world. Michael earns the nickname "Moo" because he is overweight, and his peers ridicule him at every turn. The rain in this novel is not the meteorological kind, but rather the metaphorical variety. Moo calls the constant harassment and bullying that he receives from his classmates "the Rain." Moo's only refuge is his bridge—the footbridge overlooking the A12 bridge to be exact. Moo's sanctuary, however, quickly becomes his largest source of stress, as Moo witnesses an incident of road rage, which results in a man's death. Moo gives his eyewitness account of the events and realizes he has stumbled into the middle of a conspiracy to frame a local gangster. Moo is forced to grapple with questions of truth while searching deep within himself for answers. 2004, Chicken House, 336 pp., Ages young adult.
—Jason Corbett

VOYA

I loved this novel! Too many books have weak, unrealistic plots, uncharacteristic dialogue, and flawless characters, but Brooks gets real in this one. Moo calls the teasing RAIN—RAIN of words, of cruelty, of hate—all of which Brooks uses to paint a vividly realistic portrait of Moo's life. Also, Brady's character is so undeniably real that I have begun looking for him in the halls! The book leaves you hanging, dying for an ending, dying to know more. Moo's speech, with slurs and phrases, adds to the novel. It feels as if Moo comes over for tea and tells, firsthand, what happened. VOYA Codes: 5Q 4P J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2004, The Chicken House/Scholastic, 336p., Ages 12 to 18.
—Mandi Levendowski, Teen Reviewer

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-Michael "Moo" Nelson is an uncouth, overweight, working-class 15-year-old who escapes the daily harassment-the "rain" as he calls it-he faces at school by riding his bike to a bridge, climbing to a familiar vantage point, and losing himself in the Zen of watching the endless flow of traffic. His life is changed when he witnesses a murder from the bridge. The alleged killer is a notoriously ruthless organized-crime figure and Michael is the only one who knows that the man is innocent of this particular crime, but is being framed by the police, who are eager to see him behind bars. Michael quickly becomes the recipient of bribes and threats from parties on both sides of the high-profile case, and his knowledge unwittingly translates to power at school where his former tormentors, aware of his potent connections, are suddenly reluctant to mess with him. Ultimately, he faces a dilemma: he can tell the truth and allow a nefarious thug to remain free, in which case the police have made it clear they'll pursue welfare-fraud charges against the teen's freeloading father, or he can lie and send the gang boss to prison, in which case he seems bound to be targeted for retribution. Brooks abruptly finishes the novel with Moo considering a third, violent alternative-one that, while risky and rash, would clearly demonstrate his growth as a character. Unfortunately, readers are left to guess how things turn out, and that is likely to infuriate those who've hung with Moo till the end.-Jeffrey Hastings, Highlander Way Middle School, Howell, MI Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Despite too many CAPITALIZED WORDS, this Catcher in the Rye-style narrative told by an English teenager pulled into a murder trial is successfully disquieting. Moo, named by the peers who torment and pummel him for his fatness, spends his time on a highway bridge because the speeding traffic distracts him from his own life. One day, road-rage leads to murder, and then a frame-up involving an all-powerful mobster. Moo's truthful testimony would free the mobster, who threatens him fiercely toward that end; but corrupt, coercive cops want Moo to lie. What should he do? How will his decisions affect his punching-bag status and that of his Little Person semi-friend? Moo's working-class voice will speak to reluctant readers. George Orwell's 1984 is an ancestor ("Good = bad. TRUTH = lies"); the hopeless situation and closure-less ending recall Francine Prose's After (2003). Less of an actual mystery than it first seems, but effectively oppressive. (Fiction. YA)