Book Review: Red Rain

Red Rain by Aubrey Hansen

 
Recommended for: 10 and up (scary situations and interest level)

Rating: PG

Government regulations said they had no choice. 17-year-old Philadelphia must stay on Earth in the care of complete strangers while her father is sent against his will to Mars. When a benevolent official allows her to accompany her father, Philadelphia knows she must keep her head down or be sent back to Earth. But when a search for her deceased brother’s Bible leads her into a hallway that isn’t supposed to exist, Philadelphia is faced with a question she doesn’t want to answer—the choice between returning to Earth or destroying it. 

Although I usually prefer fantasy over sci-fi, I enjoyed listening to this book. The story doesn't focus on the science but on the characters and the world they live in, which is something that I prefer in sci-fi. 

Writing: 4/5 

I listened to the audio book, so I know that it is written well for listening. I do have some trouble listening to books but I was able pay attention to this book. I was confused at the beginning at what was going on but other than that, the story was easy to follow.The story doesn't go in depth much, but it is good the way it is. 

Setting: 5/5 

The story starts out on Earth in a camp where all the Christians have been placed until they die or decide to leave their faith. I don't remember there being a lot of background on why they are there. The second place in the story is a base on Mars where scientists are sent to work on different projects for the government. Some of the descriptions of the base were confusing, but I think that they were supposed to be. There weren't a lot of details on the structure of their society but I hope that the sequel will have more. The story wasn't complicated but it was good that way. 

Plot: 4/5 

It is hard to say what the main plot of the story is. It has many different little events that are eventually explained. It was pretty fast paced and interesting and kept me on edge with some of the situations. The main character did go sneaking around where she wasn't supposed to be, which always makes me nervous. Overall, the plot was pretty good with some somewhat surprising twists. 

Characters: 5/5

The characters were really well developed but the most interesting part about them is that their personalities are like the churches that they are named after. For example, Philadelphia's personality is like the description of the church in Revelation. There are several different characters that are named after the churches. The characters do have flaws and none of them are perfect, but I still do like them. 

I enjoyed listening to this book and would recommend it for someone to read, even if they don't like sci-fi.