Speak to the Rain

Janna, 17, and her younger sister Karen have moved with their father to the woods of Washington State. Their father, shattered by the recent death of his wife, is withdrawing into alcoholism, and cannot see that Karen blames herself for the tragedy. Janna tries to hold them all together, but can't shake the notion that there is an evil presence in the woods that threatens her younger sister. Years before, an Indian village was destroyed in a flood, and the 57 souls of the village are crying to be sent into the next world. Brooding and dark as its well-realized setting, this first novel has all the right elements for ghost story or gothic fans, but the telling lacks a spark. The characters seem to simply go through the motions, and Janna's troubles fade as soon as the novel is done. 12-up. (Oct.)