Down Came the Rain

Mathieu (Bad Girls Never Say Die) delivers a potent meditation on the devastating effects of climate change through the lens of two eco-conscious high school juniors. After Eliza’s home in Houston is flooded during Hurricane Harvey, she and her family are forced to move in with her aunt while their house is repaired. This means losing sleep while sharing a bedroom with her six-month-old cousin Ethan and transferring to a new school; Eliza’s worried that both scenarios will disrupt “the most important year of high school” and jeopardize her chances at being accepted into UT Austin. Being separated from her best friend and harboring silent resentment toward her father, who’s employed by a big oil company, only adds to her frustrations. (The fact that he works for a gas and oil conglomerate “when climate change caused in part by fossil fuels no doubt helped cause our home to flood” is ironic, she asserts.) But when she meets Mexican American classmate Javi, sparks fly, and the two bond over their shared interest in environmental activism. Eliza and Javi’s alternating perspectives—each rendered using insightful and intelligent prose—provide illuminating glimpses of their individual experiences navigating class dynamics and eco-anxiety, culminating in an uplifting read. Ages 12–up. (Sept.)

Update: The text of this review has been adjusted to align with the book's final text.