WHEN THE RAIN CAME

Seventeen-year-old Aurora has been in foster care for years—and in eight foster homes (at least, that’s how many she can remember)—but no one has felt like family until Niko and Jada.

Aurora begins to hope that the eccentric doomsday preppers’ mansion could be her forever home, but when the endless rains come, she begins to have doubts. Niko and Jada have BOBs, or “Bug-Out-Backpacks,” stashed in different rooms, and they train Aurora in disaster survival techniques, all while repeatedly moving to higher floors in their home to avoid the rising water. Aurora hopes they’ll take her with them when they finally leave—but one morning, she wakes up alone in the flooded mansion. Violent men break in, but Aurora escapes out a window with her BOB, taking off in a boat. She meets a younger boy, Kota, and the two try to find the rumored safe haven called The Hill. Based on various clues, it might be where Niko and Jada went when they abandoned Aurora. This fast-paced novel with dystopian elements will keep readers invested in its action-packed plot. A reoccurring mystery that’s hinted at throughout the narrative leaves ample room for the sequel that’s sure to be in high demand. Most main characters read white. Pale-skinned Kota, who has “sleek, jet-black hair,” is cued as being of Japanese descent.

A well-plotted survival series opener.