Joint Review: Red Rain by RL Stine

by:  R.L. Stine
published by:  Touchstone
publish date:  October 9, 2012

Travel writer Lea Sutter finds herself on a small island off the coast of South Carolina, the wrong place at the wrong time. A merciless, unanticipated hurricane cuts a path of destruction and Lea barely escapes with her life. In the storm’s aftermath, she discovers orphaned twin boys and impulsively decides to adopt them. The boys, Samuel and Daniel, seem amiable and immensely grateful; Lea’s family back on Long Island—husband Mark and their two children, Ira and Elena—aren’t quite so pleased. But even they can’t anticipate the twins’ true nature—or predict that, within a few weeks’ time, Mark will wind up implicated in two brutal murders, with the police narrowing in.

First up, what's up with all these writers who do perfectly well in their little corner of the writing world moving from YA to Adult or vice-versa?  It confuses people.  I can just see a kid at the library with an unsuspecting parent getting all excited for Red Rain because it's by R.L. Stine or The Casual Vacancy because it's by J.K. Rowling, only to bring it home and it's a grown up book.

In the case of this book, I stand by my thoughts on The Casual Vacancy.  You're a successful YA/MG writer for a reason.  Stick with what you're good at!  Red Rain had a few adult themes going on in the book, but primarily it read like a YA book. 

The story itself was ok.  It was interesting enough that I was able to finish it, so it had that going for it.  It was a little bit gory here and there, but it was never totally creepy.  There was one good twist at the end.  I have to give RL credit for that because I wasn't expecting it. 

I really didn't care for this book.  I found myself skimming it and then, finally, I skipped to the end to see what happens.  I, too, thought it had a YA feel.  But, I also thought it was poorly written.  The idea that a travel writer would go to a secluded island when  hurricane is days away was just not believable   That would never happen.

I also felt like the book was all over that place   It didn't flow well for me.  The  boys' dialogue was uncomfortable.  I didn't really like any of the characters.  I'm disappointed because I love this author.  His Goosebumps series is really good.  Maybe he should just stick to that.