| Title | : | A Walk Between Raindrops |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0991071395 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780991071395 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 326 |
| Publication | : | Published June 27, 2023 |
One chance to make things right.
Seventeen-year-old Elise and her younger sister Wylla haven’t spoken to one another in almost a year. Wylla refuses to forgive Elise for everything that happened last fall, but when they both win an all-expense paid trip to ten of the best amusement parks in the country to ride rollercoasters, Elise thinks it could be a way for them to finally reconnect.
As the pair set off with a ragtag group of misfits—including a licorice-eating biker, a doe-eyed sorority president, and an Irish guy who’s as sweet as a cinnamon roll—Elise hopes the hours of confinement in the back of a van might finally provide an opportunity to heal her relationship with Wylla. But Elise is struggling to recover from a trauma of her own, and Wylla has a secret that could derail Elise’s plans. As the girls navigate the ups and downs of their long history, will Elise find a way to reconnect with Wylla, or will she lose her sister, and her sanity, forever?
A Walk Between Raindrops Reviews
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Crazy unexpected plot twist towards the end! I did not see it coming
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When I requested this book, I thought it would be a cute story about sisters reconnecting and finding a way to be friends again after a betrayal. The added bonus of a road trip to different amusement parks, including one I grew up going to, was icing on the cake. But this book was so much more. It was a journey into understanding why we feel the way we do and the slow road to recovery, both physical and mental, from a traumatic car accident. The twist at the end caught me by surprise because I wasn’t expecting one. This whole book truly surprised me. Highly recommended!
I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review. -
I enjoyed this emotional story about estranged sisters, with a big twist at the end.
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No one touch me because fuck I’m crying so hard. Thank you to Bermlord for the eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Review for TCG can be read here:
https://twincitiesgeek.com/2023/07/a-... -
Seventeen year old Elise and her fourteen year old sister Wylla, have not spoken in over six months. But Elise believes there might be a solution. How about an all expensive paid trip on the US's top ten amusement parks!'
Nine strangers get in the back of a van, for two weeks. Gives the sister's an opportunity to heal their relationship.
The girl's struggle to reconnect with each other, as they 'haven't willingly hung out together since middle school'. Elise claims that her sister is 'better than me at everythinng'.
Picked as a 'lucky pass holders 'in the running to win an all expenses paid trip around the US to ride some of the fastest, tallest coasters the country has to offer'.
'Wylla never crys' but she finally reaches out to her big sister. There is 'a lot I don't know my sister anymore. 'A bunch of amusement parks will make her few better' her sister proclaims going on to state how her sister has 'always been lucky in love. He'll she's always been lucky in everything'. Wants to get out of town 'but mom says I have to have supervision'.
Elise job is less than glamorous but collage is not going to pay for itself 'and besides, I'm not sure how thrilled my manager would be about me leaving for two weeks' works at flo-yo shop. On the other hand her sister loves teaching swimming. But she but 'needs to get away for a bit'
Still 'some deeper, darker reason for wanting to get away'. Might be the 'last chance to fix everything that's gone wrong between us'.
Elise has PTSD from accident a car crash, and is ment to take medication for it, as she has panic attacks.
Logan BFF lives next door is more her type but she has had a falling out with him as well, but we're not told why, at first.
Ernie is their chauffeur for two weeks. 'Glance at my traversing copanions: Chloe the only other girl, Mikal, Dustin, Travis, Ernie and Seamus'. They are all great individuals characters that add to they story.
While on the bumper car's in an amusement park Elise PTSD is triggerd, she is thrown back to the day of her car crash its overwhelming her.
The ending of this book takes a really unexpected turn. That I would never have guessed. But it is very carefully done. It makes you stop and makes think back over the whole novel, it's really clever. It makes me want to read it again!
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Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a complementary digital copy of this ebook in exchange for a full, frank and honest review. All opinions expressed are completely my own. -
A Walk Between Raindrops is a story about two estranged sisters, told through the perspective of a seventeen-year-old Elise, who decides to join her younger sister Wylla on a two-week scavenger-hunt competition across some of the top amusement parks in the country, in hopes that they’ll be able to rekindle their relationship.
“When I look into her eyes, I see every fight we’ve ever had. Every misunderstanding. Every difference between us – magnified by a hundred – wedging us apart.”
Elise knows she needs to tell the truth about what happened between her and Logan last fall if she wants to make things right with her sister. That’s easier said than done, as Elise is still coping with anxiety, panic attacks, and PTSD due to a recent car accident. Then again, there’s Seamus – the only person who seems to be able to take all of Elise’s troubles away.
“We stand together for a few more seconds soaking each other in. There’s something grounding about being physically tethered to another person when everything going on around you is out of control.”
This is a touching story about grief, friendship, and forgiveness. It’s well-written and addresses sensitive topics such as mental health and grief with grace and empathy. I especially liked how the gentle romance between Elise and Seamus perfectly complements the main themes, without ever overshadowing the primary focus of the story, which is Elise and Wylla's relationship.
“We’ve wandered outside into a courtyard. The brittle corpses of spring blossoms need deadheading – the harsh summer sun and near drought conditions exacerbating their shriveled remains. Weeds and thistles have taken over the once flourishing flower beds, and instead of a place of serenity, the garden is now a depressing reminder of what used to be.”
The ending of the story took me completely by surprise. Then again, looking back, there were many subtle clues leading to it. It’s a clever twist and it made me want to read it again, this time from a completely different perspective, with the ending in mind.
I think that more attention to world-building could have further enriched this already beautiful story, which is my only criticism.
Thank you, NetGalley, the publisher Bermlord, and author Amalie Jahn for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review! My review is based on an uncorrected text. A Walk Between Raindrops by Amalie Jahn is due to be released on July 27, 2023. -
I loved this book. "A Walk Between Raindrops" is a story about the complicated relationship between sisters Wylla and Elise. It's told from Elise's point of view and also examines her struggle to mend things with her sister and to deal with the aftermath of an accident they were both involved in. Amalie Jahn's writing is easy to read and grasp, even when navigating the complicated terrain of a teen's internal conversations about guilt, jealousy, boys, her body and looks, and her relationships with family members. This book also looks at mental illness and all the ways it affects how we see ourselves and how we fear others may see us if they are aware of our mental illness. It's about found family and how we punish ourselves for things others have forgiven us for.
Most of the story takes place during a trip that Wylla and Elise take with several other teens. I enjoyed reading about their trips to various amusement parks and the fun they have on rides and competing against each other to win a contest. And Elise's internal experience throughout kept me engaged from beginning to end.
Throughout the book I tried to figure out what the title "A Walk Between Raindrops" meant. I decided that it referred to what life felt like for Elise - like a constant walk between raindrops, always being afraid she'd do or say the wrong thing and end up hurting herself or someone else. It's a perfect analogy, but rain takes on a whole other meaning toward the end of the book. I did not see the twist coming at all, but it was powerful, and gave even more depth to Elise's struggles.
I recommend this for young adults and adults alike. It's a quick read with messages and descriptions of internal experiences that we all have throughout our lives. -
Elise, and six other people including her sister, won a trip to a bunch of amusement parks by staying on a roller coaster the longest. Elise hopes this trip will help mend the relationship between her and her sister that has been on the fritz for some time now. Elise also had a traumatic event happen recently that is causing her some issues. Along with the other 5 people and the drive, Elise and her sister set out on the journey.
Opinion
I personally have been to a lot of the amusement parks they visited (with Carowinds being my current home park.) I can truly appreciate the amount of effort that went into researching each park so that the scenes based there would be realistic.
At times, I was a bit frustrated with Elise. She was really stuck on being envious of her younger sister and could not see any fault in her actions. It was a bit frustrating. However, as I held out and finished the book, I completely understand why Jahn wrote her that way. It made the ending that much sweeter.
As a parent, I would hesitate before putting this book into the hands of a child. It does mention mental health and alludes to sex. I would warn parents about that and let them make their own decisions. That being said, I thought this was a great book and loved how it wrapped up.
Many thanks to Net Galley and to BooksGoSocial for providing me with an ARC of this book. -
This book is going to be a hit. Elise and Wylla are sisters that are no longer on speaking terms. This books follows them through a trip that last 2 weeks, and Elise hopes that it can heal their fractured relationship. Amalie Jahn wrote an amazing novel. This is a perfect combination of what it is like to be a teenager and experience trauma. Elise and Wylla both have some very large emotions, and are learning to work through them and process them together. It was beautifully written.
Another positive for this book is the mental health rep. I was glad to see the de-stigmatization of mental health in adults as well as teens throughout. It was tastefully written, and not talked down upon by the other characters in the book. The writing style was fluid, and had wonderful pacing.
The ending tool me by complete surprise. I was not expecting it at all, yet, I was not in total belief. I read this book in about a day, and the ending stopped me in my tracks. I had to re read the page a few times, and that means it was well written. I will definitely be reading this book again.
Thank you to Netgalley and Amalie Jahn for the opportunity to read this ARC. This was a honest and thoughtful review, and I thank you. All opinions expressed are my own. -
Thank you NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Amalie Jahn for sending me an arc of this book. All opinions here are mine.
This book is incredible, very well written, the story goes by in the blink of an eye, the narrative conquers us quickly. Wylla and Elise are very well built characters, they manage to convey a lot of feeling to the reader, that's incredible. I really like books with this premise, it's interesting to see the teen dramas, how all this affects their personality and how the family relationship can be troubled. I like traveling a lot too, I think that's why I liked their trip and everything they experienced with adventures in the parks they went to.
It is a simple book, with depth, the author managed to convey to the readers all the dilemmas and fears of the two main characters, which is difficult. Also, I really liked the cover and title of the book! -
I feel a little uncomfortable giving this book three stars because I see a lot of four and five stars, but unfortunately I didn't feel it with this book. There is not much to comment on the writing style or the story (except for a few editing and spelling errors), especially considering that the book is intended for YA readers. While I can normally enjoy a YA story, this time I wasn't in the right state of mind I guess. The book took me a very long time to finish. However, I didn't see the twist at the end coming at all and I liked that there was a lot of focus on mental health, so for that I congratulate the author! I can very well imagine that this book could become very popular with the target audience.
3.5 stars for me!
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with a free advanced reader copy of this book. This did nog affect my review in any way. -
Elise and her younger sister, Wylla, haven't spoken to each other in months, in a silent stand off Elise is finding increasingly painful. When they both win tickets to go on an all expenses paid road trip of ten theme parks in two weeks, Elise hopes it will be the opportunity to clear the air between them.
I really enjoyed how this story explored the often complicated relationship between sisters and how they fit into their family. Both the pressures of being an older sister (from Elise, the narrator's perspective) and what she learns to be the difficulties faced by her younger sister Wylla, felt very familiar and it felt validating to read about them.
The book was best when the relationship between the sisters was front and centre. At times, Elise is slightly dramatic and self-centred, but not more than you can allow a 17 year old to be. Her earnest need to mend her relationship with her sister, while also feeling frustrated with her and jealous of her, was a great reflection of how your relationship with your siblings can be one of unconditional love and also extremely complicated.
I struggled a bit with the pacing. At times, the plot was drawn out unnecessarily. Also, even thought the theme park back drop is sweet, it sometimes dominated the story a bit too much. I think the pacing would have benefitted a bit from an earlier confrontation between the girls. I also didn't find the romance between Elise and Seamus terribly convincing, although all of the other supporting characters are quite sweet (besides the two trouble makers of the group...).
Overall, while at times slow, it was a lovely story and led me to reflect a lot on my own family relationships. -
A Walk Between Raindrops is a heartfelt book I was unable to put down, so it became one of the rare books I dropped everything in my life to read in one sitting. Set against a backdrop of thrilling roller coaster rides with an adventurous group of teens, Elise has two weeks and a road trip to ten amusement parks to make things right with her sister. They haven’t spoken in months, but now they’re together constantly, so it’s the perfect excuse to reconnect.
The author handles family dynamics and mental health with grace and heart. The story is well written and flows so well you feel like you’re a part of it. Highly recommended for teens, adults, and anyone who loves feeling something when they read. -
I have to say, I finished this novel in less than two days. With tears in my eyes. A poignant story of sisters with a complex relationship that I’m sure more of us have experienced than haven’t. It is a heartbreakingly real look at mental health that we all should acknowledge is a prevalent issue in our society today. Thank you for telling this story.
This is a very well crafted read that moves at a quick pace with deftly detailed characters and the relationships they build on a journey through fun locations. If you haven’t read this newest offering by Amalie, please do not wait! -
A beautiful novel that is almost 100% emotions-based conflict, which is amazing to read as the story is always close to the heart of the protagonist. There is also a turn, like the rides in the story themselves, that took my breath away. A Walk Between Raindrops is a masterful work of fiction about sisterhood and its many ups and downs.
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I wrote it so obviously I love it. Five stars. Couldn't be better. But also I wrote this book for every sister who's ever had a complicated relationship with their sister. I hope you see yourself somewhere in these pages.
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#netgalletarc This was such a great read. I didn’t see the twist coming but it was written and handled so well. I’m loving all these books that handle different aspects and types of mental health issues and do it in such an eloquent way.
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~~Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC!~~
Up until the last leg of the book, this was a solid 4 star read for me. I love the reconciliation between Elise and Wylla, delving deep into their relationship and why it's so strained. My heart was going out for Elise, for the most part, but hearing Wylla's side of things revealed how much in her own head Elise was.
The rest of the cast were also pretty good. Mikal and Travis, especially, have a nice side plot where they form a bond in the background of the story and it's really sweet. I also loved how subtle the romance was. At first, Seamus was just some guy to Elise; she even picked through his looks a bit. But it's only after they start spending time together through the scavenger hunt do feelings begin to bloom. It was really cute and, more importantly, it didn't impede on the main conflict between Elise and Wylla. I would dare say it is essential, because it forced Elise to really open her eyes.
Okay, I can't avoid it any longer. I have to talk about the twist because, despite my proudness of my ability to predict pretty accurately, I did not see it coming.
Anyway, this was such a great surprise of a read and I'm so glad I picked the ARC up on a whim. -
Ahhh I loved this book so much. It’s a journey of sisterhood and friendship, forgiveness and self acceptance, and so, SO much more. I felt so drawn to the characters at the start and so incredibly connected to them by the end, Jahn has a wonderful artistic touch that pulls at your very soul. Beautiful and heart wrenching—with a twist to boot. What more can you ask?
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I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A Walk Between Raindrops is a poignant and well-written novel that explores the complexities of sisterhood, grief, and forgiveness. With its relatable characters and compelling storyline, it captures the essence of teenage struggles while resonating with readers of all ages. Despite some minor editing issues, the book succeeds in delivering an emotional and satisfying reading experience, leaving a lasting impression on its readers.
4.7/5 rounded up to 5/5.
For reviews and more check out
https://whatimreading6.wordpress.com/ -
“Sometimes you share blood, like me and Wylla, and sometimes you’re sort of slung together by the whims of the universe…”
It takes some damn good writing to make me gasp, and when I say I gasped at the 88% mark of this book, I. GASPED. Bravo! Still reeling…
Jahn brilliantly wove heartache, humor, and hope throughout this entire story, giving each their rightful time on the page so readers could reflect and empathize with each. Like the loops, dips, and spins of the coasters to which she gave us a front seat, Jahn mirrored those same effects with her character development.
Similarly, I thoroughly enjoyed the budding attraction between Elise and Seamus as much as I did the coasters and adventures in each of the theme parks! Props again to Jahn for writing a romantic relationship built on the importance of honesty, trust, empathy, and acceptance — all of which needs to be more front and center with more YA books. Toxic, misogynistic male love interests are out, y’all!
So here’s to more books like Jahn’s that don’t shy away from topics of PTSD, anxiety, and/or the importance of paying attention to and being mindful of one’s own mental health. I hope this book finds its way into the hands of any reader, teen or otherwise, who feels as though they must have it all figured out.
Just remember Elise’s words of wisdom: “I don’t know if I’ll ever get all my feelings sorted out…but I’ll deal with them on my own terms…” -
This book hit me right in the feels! With unlikely friendships, a rollercoaster road trip, mental health awareness, and a little romance, this sister story was a fun yet emotional read. Highly recommend!
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What can I say about this absolutely brilliant book about sisters, and love, and forgiveness, and wild roller coaster excitement? Buy it and read it!
Amalie Jahn is an skilled crafts(wo)man and has really created this stunning story that will have you thinking about it long after you turn the final page.
