RAIN RISING

An inspiring debut middle grade novel-in-verse about Rain, who must overcome sadness after her all-star brother is badly beaten up at a frat party.

Thirteen-year-old Rain Washington is keeping a big secret from everyone around her: She's sad. All of the time. And she doesn't understand why she's feeling that way or where it came from.

Growing up with her mom and seventeen-year-old brother Xander (a.k.a. X-Man) is all Rain's ever known. Xander is a star student-athlete at Elite Preparatory Academy and a superhero in her city because of it. He's an even bigger superhero to Rain since their dad is not around. But even X-Man can't help Rain with: Hating the way she looks. Feeling inferior to her best friend Nara, who's skinny, got more money, lighter skin, and hair that curls. Her dark thoughts that can't seem to stop. Thoughts that make it hard for her to get up for school in the morning.

But when Xander gets badly beaten up at a frat party on a college trip to a predominately white university, and it makes the national news, things takes a drastic turn for the worse. Xander stops speaking to everyone, including Rain, whose dark thoughts turn into action.

Rain's secret battle puts her life on the line. But when her favorite teacher, Miss Walia, invites her to an after school Circle Group, Rain discovers that she's not the only one in her school with problems. Rain finds friends and the courage to join a STEP group at school, and in doing so she starts the healing process that she, Xander and her mother all so badly need.
Like the rain, she is both gentle and a force, finding strength to rise again.

RAIN RISING is a coming-of-age MG novel-in-verse tackling mental health, race, trauma, adolescent depression and self-acceptance through the lens of a young woman of color.

Courtne Comrie is a poet and writer who prefers tackling heavy topics through simplistic and beautiful verse. Born in Toronto, Canada, but raised in the Bronx and Mount Vernon, New York, she graduated from CUNY Lehman College with a BA in creative writing through TheDream.US scholarship for undocumented students. She is an educator, mentor, and an aunt to three amazing humans.