| Title | : | Rainbringer |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1954615981 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781954615984 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 264 |
| Publication | : | First published January 20, 2021 |
Rainbringer Reviews
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Very fun read that easily sweeps you along! Every time I’d pick a point to take a break, something new would keep me excited to read on. The mysteries and shifting narratives (I especially love the mechanism of the journal entries) keep it fast-paced—and while the story isn’t illustrated, there’s definitely a quality of action that feels highly visual. Anyone who enjoys works like Avatar: The Last Airbender or Legends of the Condor Heroes will find something to love in this book!
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Content warning; violence, suicide, self harm, intentional starvation
Copied from my insta cause I'm too lazy to write 2 reviews:
Y'all need to sit down and let me tell you how awesome this book is and why you should read it:
- It's a super original story about two kickbutt girls working together to save their island from malevolent rain spirits before one of them starves to death in a ritual
- Did I mention epic female protagonists??? Also one of them is very snarky, which I love.
- I love romance, but it's nice to have a YA novel that doesn't focus on it. And this one barely hints at it. The characters really don't have time, what with the huge water spirits and trying not to starve and kicking butt and all.
- The characters are well-rounded and experienced without being mary sues.
- It's the first novel written by @heyadamberg, one of my favorite people
- The GORGEOUS cover is done by @tordipants, another one of my favorite people
- The plot ropes you in super quickly and builds steadily throughout the entire novel. Seriously, there wasn't a single moment where the writing dragged. I had a really hard time staying away from it because I was dying to know what happened next.
- I tend to predict spoilers, but had a really hard time seeing the TONS of twists and turns that kept on coming. It wasn't until the last few pages till I understood all the secrets and it was great.
- Basically, RAINBRINGER IS AMAZING AND YOU SHOULD BUY IT ON AMAZON RIGHT NOW.
#newbook #rainbringer #studioc #novel #bookhaul
In addition, my only complaint would be that I wished there was a bit more world building since you're dropped right into the story without a lot of background and learn things on the way, but I still give it 5 stars since that's easily chalked up to personal preference. -
This is the story of two friends, Yara and Nika, who are trying to discover the truth surrounding the traditions of their island village. It has, to me, kind of a mix of Oriental and Polynesian flavor to it. I thought it was very unique and creative.
Mystery can be a difficult genre to pull off. One must strike the right balance between building the mystery with all its questions and giving enough clues to keep the reader interested and wanting to find out more. I’m happy to report that this does a fantastic job at maintaining this balance. I like how the questions built up. But the pacing is solid, and it really keeps the reader turning pages.
There’s not much by way of world building or character development. You do get a sense of personality, but the focus is really on the mystery. The reader is thrown right into the midst of it. It’s one of those stories where you just hop on and enjoy the ride.
There’s some juvenility to the humor as one might expect from a novel aimed at middle-grade readers. I didn’t feel it was excessive and was easily able to ignore it. Toward the end it gets a little gory. Again, I didn’t feel it was excessively so.
Overall I think this is a great YA fantasy. I can see my teenagers enjoying this and will be passing it along to them.
3.5 stars -
I didn't have super high expectations for this book if I'm being completely honest- I just love Studio C and wanted to support Adam so I figured I'd read his first novel- and I'm pleasantly surprised at how good it was! A unique story, and one that I didn't want to put down- lots of twists and I was sucked in trying to figure out how it all came together. I liked the story being told from different perspectives, and I always love journal entries :).
The character development was a little weak in my opinion, but I just generally prefer books that have a strong character development. A couple other things I would have changed, but overall a fun and interesting read, and one I would recommend. I debated between 3 and 4 stars, and decided to go with 4 since it's a first novel. I look forward to future books from Adam. -
I'll be honest, I picked this book up, purely because I like Studio C and JK Studios. But I was enormously pleased and very pleasantly surprised. This is a really fun book, and can easily be enjoyed by all ages.
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I really enjoyed this book. Like I couldn't put it down. I often read at wee hours at night while feeling my little one and I would get sucked into the story, my daughter would have fallen back to sleep and I had to tell myself to stop and go back to bed. It gave me something to look forward to when I got up multiple times a night.
This book isn't perfect. The dialogue needs work in some spots and such but I think Adam did a really great job with his first publishing. Also having watched all the Studio C and JK Studio sketches, I can recognize Adam's humor and style and that part was extra fun for me. -
Interesting page turner with a fun twist. Some of the character development felt a little loose and wobbly, for lack of a better description. But I’m being picky. It was still a good read.
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Took me a minute to get into the bluntness of this book, but it was an AMAZING ride and this is definitely a new favorite. Would reccomend to anyone, unless your name is Rajani. These characters are now my friends. 12/10 passionfruits.
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Teenaged Yara has been selected as this year’s rainbringer, a role that will soon fall to her best friend, Nika. Each year, the rainbringer starves alone in a bamboo hut, and in return the island receives rainfall which protects it from monsters. However, both Yara and Nika refuse to let tradition simply be. They want what’s best for their community but they also want answers. It quickly becomes clear that the rainbringer tradition has been built on lies and in order to truly save their community, these girls are going to have to break some rules.
The Rainbringer is built around an interesting premise and enjoyable characters. The story hits a good stride in pacing for its mysteries and reveals. This is a quick book that should keep readers engaged throughout.
The two main characters are likable but they also come off as the teenagers that they are. Clashing with the more archaic setting is their very modern behavior and dialogue. They rush of jokes and flippantness, even in the face of high stakes, can feel odd, however, it also reads somewhat true to the ridiculousness of actual teenagers who truly don’t understand the world around them. Readers’ mileage may vary on their acceptance of Nika and Yara’s voices.
Where The Rainbringer truly stumbles a bit is in its polish. Sometimes the revealed truths and other actions can come off as a bit muddled or unclear. When a lot of the story hinges on both character development and the revelation of ancient secrets, it’s not great when the reveals don’t make the most sense and the character growth feels a bit forced.
The Rainbringer isn’t a perfect book, but it’s enjoyable and unique. Berg shows off a decent debut novel that shows promise for future projects. This book is best for those -
Mind Blown
1st- Wasn't expecting to get past the 2nd chapter. I've known Adam's comedy work since BYU and didn't think he could write such a serious/complex/tension filled full length novel.
2nd- i couldn't figure out the mystery the entire time. I usually can, I read a TON, but still I failed.
3rd- he wrote from the viewpoint of two teenaged girls. Pretty accurate. Very believable. He deserves at least 5$ for that.
I really enjoyed this book. Enjoyed it enough that I was reading during my shift when that is not allowed, but hey. Sacrifices have to be made sometimes.
Read this. Definitely going to try and get my boss to buy this for our library system. -
I loved this book!
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I only bought this because I was a fan of Adam Berg, the comedian. Now I'm an even bigger fan of Adam Berg the author. Wow!
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Thanks for putting another great story into the world.
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Love the mystery mixed with humor
Intriguing story that pulls you in to try to figure out exactly what is happening along with the characters. An excellent debut novel. -
Wow. There's a lot to unpack here. Let's just start at the beginning.
The second I saw this book I knew I had to get it, and I am SO glad I did.
In the very beginning of this book we meet Yara, one of the main protagonists of the story, who was exhiled to a bamboo hut in their village on the island of Asa'hali. A year ago, she was chosen to be the next rainbringer in a ceremony to protect Ma'ha'lenti AKA the great rain spirit. Every year a new person is selected to carry on the island tradition of dying of starvation while the shamans (island leaders) bring in food to the hut every morning to temp the victim, I mean chosen one.
The chosen one lives a full year of comfort before being dumped into the hut to die after they are selected, and Yara, being the smart person that she is, uses this time to put on weight so she can survive lovger in the hut.
Next up we meet Nika, Yara's best friend who was almost chosen to be rainbringer last year, but was disqualified because she was sick. Now that Yara is the rainbringer, there is no one to save her when their age group is called and she is the only one left.
Yeah, I think we all saw that one coming.
So Nika, being chosen as next year's victim -- I mean chosen one -- needs to climb up a big mountain with a sacred cup and pray to the rain spirit. So, naturally, she does what any rebelious teenager would do and . . . doesn't do it?
Nika decides to take this time to communicate with Yara. After all, she could just hide for the five days it would take her to clime the mountain, and no one would be the wiser. That is until she finally talks to Yara who tells her that a shaman is waiting at the top of the mountain for her and everyone would soon know that she isn't following tradition.
With that information Nika races to climb the mountain so she won't get caught trying to skip.
Yara, on the other hand starts to hear breathing and shuffling around at night. Now Yara, being alone in the hut, is understandably scared and confused.
After being scared of the breathing thing, they begin conversing in a journal that Yara snuck in. And how, you might ask, did she sneak in the journal? She worked with a coroner and that gave her access to the hut when they removed the bodies of her dead rainbringer predecessors.
The breathing thing, who she later names Rajani, tells her that the only names he knows are Yara and Nika (the latter one only known because he reads her journal enteries.) and that he's all alone.
The breathing thing, who she later names Rajani, tries to convince her to eat the food left for her.
And Yara denies.
The book is a mystery book, so I think I'll end my review there so you can experience the magic of the book yourself. Overall it was funny, well thought through, and something that was hard not to stay up late into the night to finish because it was so hard to put down. I'm officially adding Adam Berg to my favorite authors list and will buy all of his future book. And that isn't just because I love Studio C and JK Studios. I wholeheartedly loved this story.
5 solid stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ -
Was definitely impressed by this debut from Adam Berg of Studio C and Freelancers! The storyline was original and interesting. The characters were funny and caring. My honest review is I wanted to know a little bit about the world and at times the writing lacked a tiny bit of polish, which made the plot specifics harder to follow. Overall a very good debut with an original story (which is unique in a genre saturated with reused plots). Keep it up Adam!! Looking forward to your next book. Pretty soon you'll be the next JK...Rowling!!!
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As a huge Studio C fan, Rylan wanted to support Adam Berg by reading this book. The pacing and mystery kept me wanting to find out how it would end, but ultimately the concept got so complicated that it didn't make sense. Plus, the characterization is basically nonexistent- Yara and Kira have the same personality with different names - and the world building is so vague that it's hard to imagine. Is it set in the past? Modern times? Is it a completely made up place, or is it supposed to resemble real Pacific Island communities? Rylan keeps saying, "It was pretty good for his first try," and I do always like to read the books my kids like.
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This book is intresting and pretty captivating. It’s dark and misterious and keeps me engaged. The book confuses me a little bit with how they got there but overall great book so far.
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I'll be honest, I was super excited when I heard that Adam Berg (one of our favorites from Studio C) had written a book. I didn't allow myself to expect too much -- you never know with a new author -- but I was so NOT disappointed!
I loved the character development, humor, intensity, and plot movement. (The only reason I didn't binge-read the book in one sitting is because I have responsibilities -- like feeding my children. 😆) I would let my 8yo read this, except that it gets a little scary/intense near the end. Perfect for teens and up, though!
Language: zero profanity/swearing, occasional crude remarks (very mild)
Sensuality: none
Mature themes: death, mild violence (no real gore other than mention of the color red), spirits/ghosts, dangerous community traditions -
Exciting, Unique, Funny, and so Adam Berg
This was a great book and worth much more than I paid. If you are familiar with the author from his acting on Studio C, then you will recognize his humor and find some of his personality in the protagonist (even though she is his antithesis in every physical sense). You wouldn't know this is the author's first published book and it fits nicely on the shelf with the big names like Mull and Sanderson and Collins.
The only point of criticism is in the ending, the antagonist went from winning to game over too quickly. It took some of the force out of the victory. -
I had pretty mild expectations going into this, but was so pleasantly surprised! The writing and plot got my attention right away and held it all the way through the book. There are twists and revelations and just really suspenseful, enjoyable writing overall. Yara's journal entries were my favorite part.
My one complaint is that the ending of the book felt a bit of a let down. After so much build-up, I just wanted more from the final confrontation and resolution. I didn't fully understand some of the explanations behind how things were resolved, either. But I still had a blast reading this book and am excited to read more from Adam! -
Being a fan of Studio C and Adam, I purchased this book as soon as it came out, but after reading a few pages, I didn't think I was gonna like it as it was a YA and I am most assuredly older than that designation. However when I needed a break from the book I've been reading and turned back to this, I got sucked in. The plot was intriguing; I enjoyed learning the twists and turns with the characters. The characters and especially the dialog are simplistic - juvenile - but the energy is great, the storyline was inventive. Overall I enjoyed it very much!
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Great first book from Adam. My teen picked this up being a fan of Adam from Studio C and JK studios, but quickly fell in love with the book. When he was done reading it, it was my turn and now other family members are waiting their turn. It’s for a good reason. Adam did a great job creating an new unique world, and a lot of what happened kept me guessing. I love a book where I don’t see the “solution” early on. I actually wish this was not a stand alone.
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Fun read
I thoroughly enjoyed this thrilling and humorous novel. The characters were fun and the plot kept me turning the pages. I loved the interactions between the best friends and how their friendship grew, it was just such a compelling narrative. The imagery and setting were strong and exciting to be in.I did sometimes get a bit confused with the history and details of the rainbringer custom and how exactly the system worked. But that didn’t detract from this great read! -
I am so glad I picked this to read on a long car trip because if I had been forced to put the book down I would have gone insane.
The book keeps you twisting and turning and every time I thought "oh I can take a break after this chapter" something would amp up the plot and I would be (delightfully) forced to keep reading.
The book isn't dreadfully long but it is so well written you feel like you've been on the journey with the characters. -
It is marked as a 'teen' (YA) book but is not enjoyable for me at all even though I am a teen. My reading level has however always been above average but I just don't feel this is a book anyone my age would like. I'm not saying it's horrible for all reading groups, but it is more for like 3rd graders than teens
