Kissing the Rain

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Overview

From the acclaimed author of MARTYN PIG and LUCAS comes another compelling, edgy thriller about love, loss, and pivotal decisions. Now in a dynamic new Kevin Brooks repackaging!

Moo Nelson likes to be alone. Overweight and shy, Moo is constantly mocked and bullied by his cruel classmates. He's happiest spending time on a secluded bridge above the highway, watching the cars go by. One day, from his special spot, Moo witnesses a crime that changes his life forever. He sees a car chase and a murder--and suddenly Moo's a celebrity of sorts. The police, the lawyers, and even the bullies are now really interested in Moo. But so is one shady character who seems intent on tracking Moo down. Now all Moo has to do is find out the truth behind the crime...before it's too late.

Fifteen-year-old Moo Nelson, shy, overweight, and bullied by his classmates, finds his life spinning out of control after he witnesses a car chase and a fight that results in a murder.

Editorial Reviews

Washington Post Book World

Brooks, a British writer who made a huge splash with his first novel Martyn Pig, returns with a perfect ten-point dive in Kissing the Rain...Brooks has created a compelling narrator who is humorous, compassionate and possesses a genuine desire to be heard....Though readers may be unsettled by its ending, Kissing the Rain will certainly provide great fodder for discussion.
—Deb Vanasse

Publishers Weekly

Brooks's gritty and gripping third novel shares the noir style of his first book, Martyn Pig and also demonstrates the author's range. Here the attention-grabbing first- person narrative unspools as a funky, impressionistic hybrid of stream-of-consciousness and instant-messaging slang ("I dunno what it is-hate, monsterosity, badness-but whatever it is, whatever he's got, he wants to take it out on me"). The style may not be to everyone's taste, but it allows readers to get inside the head of 15-year-old narrator Mike "Moo" Nelson. The book opens on the night before Moo is due to perform a mysterious deed (which is revealed only at the novel's end) as he whiles away the hours by recalling the complicated chain of events that has led him to this moment. Overweight and nearly friendless, the teen has always sought solace on a bridge overlooking the local motorway. Then one night Moo witnesses what seems to be a road-rage incident, culminating in murder. The good news is that being a key witness in a police investigation earns Moo a respite from his classmates' bullying. The bad news is it places him dead center between two powerful forces: a police detective with a shady agenda and a hardened criminal who will do whatever it takes to avoid prison. To his credit, Brooks provides no quick and easy answers here, no sudden character transformations, and no miraculous weight-loss makeovers. But some readers will be disappointed by an ending that leaves to readers' imaginations just how far Moo has evolved. The book's ambiguous conclusion does leave open, however, the possibility that-for better or for worse-Moo may be ready to stop simply enduring events and take an active hand in them instead. Ages 12-up. (Mar.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

More Reviews (6) Fewer Reviews

From The Critics

Kissing the Rain thrills the reader by retelling a story told through the eyes of its protagonist, Michael "Moo" Nelson. From its opening lines, Moo's narration leaps from the pages, grabs you by the collar, and dares you to finish the novel. Riddled with angst and inner turmoil, Moo shows the reader just how it feels to live in his world. Michael earns the nickname "Moo" because he is overweight, and his peers ridicule him at every turn. The rain in this novel is not the meteorological kind, but rather the metaphorical variety. Moo calls the constant harassment and bullying that he receives from his classmates "the Rain." Moo's only refuge is his bridge—the footbridge overlooking the A12 bridge to be exact. Moo's sanctuary, however, quickly becomes his largest source of stress, as Moo witnesses an incident of road rage, which results in a man's death. Moo gives his eyewitness account of the events and realizes he has stumbled into the middle of a conspiracy to frame a local gangster. Moo is forced to grapple with questions of truth while searching deep within himself for answers. 2004, Chicken House, 336 pp., Ages young adult.
—Jason Corbett

Children's Literature

In this disappointing novel from the promising author of Martyn Pig and Lucas, Brooks presents a confusing and tiresome stream of consciousness narrative punctuated by incessant use of "I dunno," over the top angst, and all-caps. Even the story and ensuing moral dilemma falls flat. Overweight "Moo" is teased at school and finds solace counting cars from "his" bridge overlooking the highway. One night, he witnesses a road rage incident in which a local gangster—innocent in this case—is being framed by the police. If Moo lies and supports the corrupt police, the gangster will go to jail. However, the gangster will make sure his thugs destroy Moo and his family. So, what is the point of lying? The police inspector has threatened to book Moo's dad for welfare fraud if Moo does not cooperate. However—and here's the rub—the gangster assures Moo that he will get a lawyer to spring his dad. Therefore, if Moo tells the truth, the gangster is happy and his dad is safe. What, exactly, is the dilemma? True, the gangster is an evil person who put Moo's friend in the hospital and the gangster's lawyer is smarmy, but the corrupt police inspector does not exactly give one the warm fuzzies. In the end, Moo comes up with another choice, naïve and ill-conceived . . . he could murder the gangster. The book ends with "WHAT YOU GONNA DO?" It feels like a cheap trick to complete the burden of 320 pages. 2004, Scholastic, Ages 12 up.
—Kathryn Erskine

KLIATT

British teenager Michael Nelson, cruelly nicknamed "Moo" because he is overweight, finds sanctuary from the teasing and bullying at school—he calls it "the rain"—in peacefully watching the traffic go by from a bridge over the local expressway. That is, until the day he is the sole witness to a car chase and a murder, and any semblance of peace in his life abruptly comes to an end. Nasty gangster Keith Vine is being framed for the crime, and Michael knows that he is innocent. In fact, if he doesn't testify that Vine is innocent, Vine has promised frightening consequences, and indeed a friend of Michael's who stupidly gets involved ends up badly beaten. But a determined police detective, the father of one of Michael's bullying classmates, wants to put Vine away, and he's also threatening Michael—if he does tell the truth, Michael's father's legal transgressions will be prosecuted and he'll be jailed, the cop warns. Caught between a rock and a hard place, afraid to tell the truth or to lie, Michael comes up with a dangerous plan to solve his problems. This thought-provoking novel ends just as Michael is about to put his plan into effect, which may satisfy some readers but frustrate others. While at first Michael is a rather unappealing protagonist and narrator, by the end he wins sympathy for his plight and admiration for finally taking action to deal with it. Michael's interior monologue (with a few swear words here and there) is slangy and convincing, and the characters are well drawn. Brooks, the author of Martyn Pig and Lucas, offers yet another well-written, morally challenging tale for readers who like to think. KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for juniorand senior high school students. 2004, Scholastic, The Chicken House, 336p., Ages 12 to 18.
—Paula Rohrlick

VOYA

I loved this novel! Too many books have weak, unrealistic plots, uncharacteristic dialogue, and flawless characters, but Brooks gets real in this one. Moo calls the teasing RAIN—RAIN of words, of cruelty, of hate—all of which Brooks uses to paint a vividly realistic portrait of Moo's life. Also, Brady's character is so undeniably real that I have begun looking for him in the halls! The book leaves you hanging, dying for an ending, dying to know more. Moo's speech, with slurs and phrases, adds to the novel. It feels as if Moo comes over for tea and tells, firsthand, what happened. VOYA Codes: 5Q 4P J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2004, The Chicken House/Scholastic, 336p., Ages 12 to 18.
—Mandi Levendowski, Teen Reviewer

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-Michael "Moo" Nelson is an uncouth, overweight, working-class 15-year-old who escapes the daily harassment-the "rain" as he calls it-he faces at school by riding his bike to a bridge, climbing to a familiar vantage point, and losing himself in the Zen of watching the endless flow of traffic. His life is changed when he witnesses a murder from the bridge. The alleged killer is a notoriously ruthless organized-crime figure and Michael is the only one who knows that the man is innocent of this particular crime, but is being framed by the police, who are eager to see him behind bars. Michael quickly becomes the recipient of bribes and threats from parties on both sides of the high-profile case, and his knowledge unwittingly translates to power at school where his former tormentors, aware of his potent connections, are suddenly reluctant to mess with him. Ultimately, he faces a dilemma: he can tell the truth and allow a nefarious thug to remain free, in which case the police have made it clear they'll pursue welfare-fraud charges against the teen's freeloading father, or he can lie and send the gang boss to prison, in which case he seems bound to be targeted for retribution. Brooks abruptly finishes the novel with Moo considering a third, violent alternative-one that, while risky and rash, would clearly demonstrate his growth as a character. Unfortunately, readers are left to guess how things turn out, and that is likely to infuriate those who've hung with Moo till the end.-Jeffrey Hastings, Highlander Way Middle School, Howell, MI Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Despite too many CAPITALIZED WORDS, this Catcher in the Rye-style narrative told by an English teenager pulled into a murder trial is successfully disquieting. Moo, named by the peers who torment and pummel him for his fatness, spends his time on a highway bridge because the speeding traffic distracts him from his own life. One day, road-rage leads to murder, and then a frame-up involving an all-powerful mobster. Moo's truthful testimony would free the mobster, who threatens him fiercely toward that end; but corrupt, coercive cops want Moo to lie. What should he do? How will his decisions affect his punching-bag status and that of his Little Person semi-friend? Moo's working-class voice will speak to reluctant readers. George Orwell's 1984 is an ancestor ("Good = bad. TRUTH = lies"); the hopeless situation and closure-less ending recall Francine Prose's After (2003). Less of an actual mystery than it first seems, but effectively oppressive. (Fiction. YA)

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780439577427
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date: 3/1/2004
Pages: 336
Sales rank: 1,199,412
Age range: 12 - 17 Years
Lexile: 640L (what's this?)
Product dimensions: 5.90 (w) x 8.55 (h) x 1.00 (d)

Meet the Author

Kevin Brooks

Kevin Brooks is the groundbreaking author of the internationally acclaimed novels DAWN; BLACK RABBIT SUMMER; BEING; THE ROAD OF THE DEAD, a Mystery Writers of America \u201cEdgar\u201d nominee; CANDY; KISSING THE RAIN; LUCAS; and MARTYN PIG, which received England's Branford Boase Award for Best First Novel. Brooks lives in Yorkshire, England.

Good To Know

In our interview, Brooks shared some interesting facts about himself with us:

"I used to work in a crematorium."

"When I was young, I fell out of a window and landed on my head. B-b-b-b-but I'm all right now...."

"I have six guitars and a banjo."

"I like: reading, walking on the beach with my wife and our dog, losing at chess, playing guitar, sleeping, thinking, wearing hats, watching TV crime dramas and The Simpsons, feeding my goldfish, eating sandwiches, making funny noises, and much, much more. Most of all, though, I love writing: it's what I do, and I adore every minute of it."

"I dislike: worms, mustard, and anything that hurts."

1. Date of Birth:
  
  March 30, 1959
2. Place of Birth:
  
  Exeter, Devon, England
1. Education:
  
  B.A. in Cultural Studies, Aston University, 1983

1	The Start of the TRUTH	1
2	The TRUTH of the Start	27
3	The RAIN	32
4	The Wiggies	39
5	Brady	60
6	Callan	78
7	Back on the Bridge	87
8	The Volve Guy	101
9	Donut	114
10	Jumbe Stalleney	133
11	Stuck in a Hole	155
12	Getting Difficult with Donut	164
13	Slices of Night	175
14	Mr. Keith Vine	182
15	Pictures of Brady	202
16	ANSWER ME U BASTAD!!!! I NEED YOU	227
17	Sweating by Almighty GCD	243
18	A Wall of Tears	263
19	Kissing the RAIN	291
20	It's Gonna Be Fine	302
21	The End of the TRUTH	310

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Anonymous

Posted December 6, 2011

Wow

Wow this is a great book you should read it!
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Anonymous

Posted December 6, 2011

Kissing the Rain Review

Kissing the Rain. Kevin Brooks. United Kingdom: Chicken House, 2004. 320 pages.Kissing the Rain, a story by Kevin Brooks, tells the intricate tale of a 235-pound fifteen year-old boy who witnesses one car crash that changes the course of his whole life. Meet Michael Nelson, called "Moo" because of his body weight. Moo talks about the dreaded RAIN, which is, in his case, not a storm of water, but a storm of bullying. Brooks sends out a million messages with his title, Kissing the Rain. Purpose? To show readers how one small thing can make a HUGE difference in a person's life. I, on one hand, feel the novel to be an overly-repeating and confusing tale. Many questions are left hanging, things the reader may never be able to answer.Now, we see that everyone thinks that Moo is a "nobody" who gets shoved, teased, and beat up. Moo finds only one place where he can get away from it all: the bridge. The ol' A12. Moo states, "Just me and the bridge. Me and the road. MY bridge. MY road" (3). You can obviously tell that this huge chunk of concrete holds a special place in his heart. Moo feels he really belongs there. He can be himself and watch the world pass by. Then, one day, he witnesses a car crash and a murder. All of a sudden, people who have teased and bullied Moo, or never even paid him any attention want to know the TRUTH. The TRUTH of what happened on the road. The TRUTH that only Moo saw. Moo goes the blackmail and bribery of it all, not to mention the endless fear and confusion that is a part of the choice of believing in the real TRUTH, and not the TRUTH that others want him to believe in. Moo must remember the real TRUTH and stand by it. It all depends on not just him, but the whole, real TRUTH.Moo states, "What's the bridge for? For ME" (3). He loves going there because it takes him away from the real world and into the world of cars, trucks, and lorries. Then, on one day, he sees a car crash, plus not to mention, a murder. DS Bowker and DC Dorudi, two policemen, come over to ask him questions about what he saw. Moo gives them the information they need to make his statement and the information about the crime. Once he goes back to school, everyone wants to know what happened. But Moo says, "I can't. I ain't allowed to say nothing" (64), so you see how it is crucial that he keeps this case a secret. He doesn't tell his sort-of-but-not-quite friend Brady anything either. After getting beaten up, we see that DI Callan comes to Moo's house to ask some questions and get some info on the crime case. Callan supports the side of Lee Burke, the man who was stabbed and killed, and is against the side of Keith Vine, who is supposedly the man who stabbed him. A bit more into the story, we see that an older man with a Volvo seems to be following Moo around. Very mysterious indeed. Then, some time later, he's gone. We never do know who he is. Moo also goes to see JD McDonald, or, as Moo calls him, "Donut", the man defending Vine. Here's Moo, on the feel of being in Donut's office, "It's the kinda place that makes you feel uncomfortable, if you know what I mean" (119). You can tell that just sitting in Donut's office makes Moo uneasy. Afterwards, a couple of chapters later, a MAJOR thing happens. Moo meets Mr. Keith Vine, a threatening, blackmailing monster with a tan. Because he was stupid enough to getting into a car with a killer and then making that killer mad, he got a big punch to the stomach. Hasn't his mother taught him to NEVER get into cars with strangers, especially one that with a criminal record that would make Darth Vader go crying home to his mommy? Brady gets beaten up by some of Vine's men, no doubt, because he couldn't keep his mouth shut and shortly afterwards, Moo goes to the courtroom case and gives evidence towards Vine, sort of defending him and lying to a lawyer. But Hey, can you blame him for being scared? He says, "All this- it's just a game to these guys, the whole bloody thing" (273). At the end, we see that he talks to Brady about his plan of "Kissing the rain", which means killing Vine by pushing him off the A12 Bridge. We never do know what happens because the book ends with Moo contemplating what he should do.This book did not achieve its goal. It did not inform the readers of what happened at the end. The book left out many things, like the most important fact: Moo killing Vine. That is a key part of the book. We, as readers, cannot infer that on our own. There are an infinite amount of possibilities of what happened. There are no possibilities suggested either. Anything could have happened at the end, we do not know. What is not convincing, only of the fact that it is very confusing, is the part about the car crash that Moo describes. There is no natural flow of his thoughts; they are just thrown out at you in a big jumble of information. Moo jumps from one small detail to another big one. It is like saying that you love pandas then saying that the sky is blue. Where is the connection? The information should have been more flowing. I have not read many books like this one, but I've related my life to the story. Getting braces and glasses were sudden things that just happened in my life and they changed the way I looked and were something sudden that I didn't expect. Moo witnessing the car crash was similar to what happened to me: something sudden that you would never expect. But Hey, that's life.Booklover DK
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Anonymous

Posted December 6, 2011

Okkkkkk

Kissing the Rain. Kevin Brooks. UK: PUSH, 2004. 320 pagesWith this thrilling and heart pounding book you don't know what to expect. Kissing the Rain written by Kevin Brook will make you want to read on and on even to its final page #320. The theme of this story is expect the unexpected because a lot of the times you can't do anything about it. This is for readers that like thrilling and nonfiction stories. There are something's you should know about the author, he likes to bold and capitalize words which can sometimes be confusing. I loved the main story part of this book, but I didn't like his organization. There really was none.The main character of this story is named Michael Nelson. Kids in school gave him the nickname "moo" because he had no real friend and didn't take care of himself. (pg19) He is an overweight kid that only has real friend, the bridge. His parents don't really care about him they like to go to bars by themselves and drink. In this story you will meet lots of people such as his friend Brady, detectives, and people that don't really like him. He even gets threatened by a detective in the following excerpt, pg (179) "if you carry on you can wave goodbye to your dad.In the beginning of this story it started out like just some other boring old story, but then wow. Moo was coming home from school, but stopped at the bridge on top of the high way. This is he would always come and relax and think of the day. A couple of second later he sees a car chase and then a murder. This one little event soon leads into a big one which will affect his life forever. Later he is being investigated by detectives on what he saw and what happened. Moo thought it wasn't going to be a big deal, but it turned in to a big one with a murder. For a couple of days detectives come over his house to see what the truth really was. At the end of the book they go to court to find that out. In the end all he really wants is to kill Vine, a person who harasses him threatens him throughout the story.I personally did not like this story. I read this in class and thought it was going to be interesting, but it turned out to be a big waste of time. The ending really didn't say anything; it only said he wanted to kill someone Vine which didn't say anything. "I mean, what is there? I can't just sit here forever ever, can I? That'd be stupid. I'd end up thinking myself to death" (pg320) in the end Moo really has no clue what he is doing with himself. The author doesn't say a word about the future.If you're into something new and something thrilling this is the book for you. I personally wouldn't recommend this to anyone because I hate cliffhangers, but it's not my choice is yours.
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Anonymous

Posted November 2, 2010

an alright book

Who knew that a simple item as a bridge could be an escape for one's thoughts and feelings. But as for Moo Nelson a main character in the book Kissing The Rain it's not just an item it's apart of him. It's a place where his life changes forever and he becomes a witness to a major crime scene. He faces threats and beatings and is torn between choosing to tell the truth or lie and keep his father from prison. He gets bullied everyday and he calls it the "rain" but most of the time the only way for him to deal with it is to "umbrella" himself and stay dry. Brady Moo's poor excuse for a friend is the only one who can truly comprehend what he's going through. But he pays by trying to get to involved. Moo comes up with a plan that he got from a game two girls used to play. But this time it's not a game it's a reality they call it kissing the rain. It would stop the threats, even if it means having murder on their conscious, but Moo comes up with another alternative that would easily end it all even for him.
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sderoin

Posted October 31, 2010

Not What I Was Hoping For

Kissing the Rain by Kevin Brooks tells the story of a teen who is picked on everyday of his life. He is called Moo by everyone (including his parents) because of his large size. He has only one friend, Brady. They really aren't all that close, they only hang out because they both aren't popular. Moo goes to the bridge everyday after school because it is his escape, his sanctuary. He always come to here to get away from what he calls the rain, or getting picked on. This only lasts until the day Moo witnesses a murder from the bridge. When I first picked up this book, I thought it looked really good. I was completely wrong. It started off ok. It talked about him not belonging, then about the car chase and murder. Then it just sort of rambled on about how terrible his life was for the rest of the book. The end goes nowhere. I thought it would end with some lesson about how you should always believe yourself and don't let anyone make you do something you don't want to do. Wrong again. All in all, this book taught me nothing. There was no clear ending and I still have no idea what message Mr. Brooks was trying to send
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croerer

Posted October 30, 2010

An okay book, wouldn't read it again.

Kissing the Rain shows a realistic perspective, but was not terribly enjoyable. The book contained very poor grammar and didn't move very quickly. The "intense" moments of the book were made dull by Moo Nelsons constant over analysis of everything. The ending was good, but the first 3/4 of the novel was not. Overall I was disappointed as it seemed like it would be a very interesting book but isn't.
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Griffith22

Posted October 16, 2010

=)

This book is very realistic. Kevin Brooks makes you feel as though you are in the story. He makes the main character, Moo Nelson, explain his struggles with being over weight and the drama of being in the middle of a major murder case. Kissing the Rain is in the first-person point of view, this point of view is what makes the book so great. You know exactly what Moo is thinking but the book keeps you wondering what the other characters in the book are thinking and doing. I recommend this book to the teenage population because it uses slang terms a good bit and also it has to do with the drama of pressure; which teenagers often have to deal with. This book makes me feel pity for Moo and for the others around him. I choose this book off the shelf because when I read the back, I thought it would have a very dramatic story line and I wouldn't get bored if I read it. When I started reading it, I found it entertaining, but I did get bored sometimes. I didn't stay bored for longs though becau8se then the suspense started to pick right back up again. So, overall I think this is a great book with good story line. -SG
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Danielle_Caruso

Posted March 8, 2010

Fair, but boring and repetitive.

Kissing the Rain. Kevin Brooks. United Kingdom: Scholastic, 2004. 320 pp.

Michael Nelson, better known as "Moo," is a fifteen year old teen who weighs 240 pounds and lives with his Mum and Dad. All Moo wants to do is live a "RAIN-free" life as possible. Students always making fun of him, calling him names, and teasing him. That's exactly why Moo needs to get out, go to the bridge, and just think. All goes as planned, until he witnesses a murder scene that would soon lead him and his family into nothing but drama and confusion.

The author, Kevin Brooks, wrote this book with British terms, such as "arse" and "bastad." Although he clarifies each character with a unique appearance, Brooks made Moo a very repetitive person. He's always saying the same thing throughout the book. Brooks also uses much capitalization in his writing, like "FAT," "REALLY," and "OK."

After Moo witnessed the crime scene, everyone is out to get answers. Who stabbed who? When did this happen? How many guys were in the BMW? Cops, such as DS Bowker, DC Dorudi, and John Callan, all looking for an explanation from Moo. More trouble comes into place, when Keith Vine shows up. "Keith Vine, aged 51...a multimillionaire whose empire is founded on an elaborate network of crime, including fraud, drug smuggling, and extortion. in 1988, Vine received a 12-year prison sentence for his part in an armed robbery in which a security guard lost his life."(57) Sounds dangerous, right? To make things worse, Moo's "friend" Brady, isn't speaking to him anymore, thanks to Dec Bowker (school bully) picking on Brady. Will Moo ever sort all of his problems out? Or will the RAIN drive him insane, insane enough to turn himself into a culprit?

My overall opinion on this book was simply dull. I didn't like how the author capitalized specific words. i thought i was pointless. "LOOK AT ME. I'M FAT, OK? I EAT A LOT. I LIKE FOOD. IT TASTES GOOD!"(34) Okay Moo, we get the point, you're fat. You don't have yell it to the world! He probably stated how he's so fat, in about 100 other pages of the book. I don't get why he doesn't do anything about it though.

Another part of this novel that annoyed me was the ending. You never find out if Moo goes back to court. the author never says if Moo went on with his diabolical plan. It was just a doltish ending.

Although this book was not my best choice, i did indeed like some sections of the story. Like, when Vine said "'Don't worry, kid-you ain't getting popped. S***-look at you. What d'you weigh? 300 pounds? Christ-I ain't burying that. I'd be digging for Days.'"(193) I personally thought that was a very funny quote from the book. The only parts I liked was the sarcasm, and there wasn't too much of that in the book. The author should have definitely added more comedy, instead of what he wrote fifty pages ago.

All in all, this book wasn't the greatest. It was boring and didn't explain the whole situation with the murder. The ending was atrocious, because it just ended. Moo just says "End of story," and talks aimlessly on about nothing for the rest of the page. If you are a reader, and you were planning on choosing this book, i would advise you to pick something else. Even though this book wasn't the worse, it still had its downs, and not too many ups.
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ahana_english

Posted March 6, 2010

Book Review - English Class

Kissing the Rain
By: Kevin Brooks
United Kingdom: Chicken House, 2004.
Pages: 320
To be 240 pounds when you are fifteen years old isn't an easy job. Especially for Michael Nelson, who is called by the name 'Moo': (pg: 19) "it's just what they call me.you know-fat, cow, moo."Moo is constantly "rained on" by Dec Bowker, the school bully. Moo feels that the bridge is the only place where he can relax. Where he can just be himself without getting called names, or having fear of getting beat up. How was he to know that this same bridge is going to be his worst enemy?
Like every other day, Moo goes straight to the bridge: (pg: 34) "I'm smiling inside cos it's nearly time for the bridge. I'll get to it soon." And like every other day, Moo sits and watches the cars speed past. Until, of course, Moo witnesses a car chase involving a dangerous criminal named Keith Vine, and then.a murder.
Suddenly, Moo's life completely changes. Police men are always at his door step, a dangerous criminal is after him, and he is constantly bribed and threatened, (pg: 179), "If you carry on, you can wave your dad goodbye." Moo really wants his life to be normal again; (Pg: 1) "I wish I'd never been there.never got involved." He wants his life to be like it was before he witnessed the murder. But, will that ever be possible?
Kevin Brooks, the noted author of Martyn Pig and shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, describes how it's like to be different from others in Kissing the Rain. It is a book that all teens can relate to, whether it's the bullying or the feeling of belonging. I personally can relate to Moo, because I was called names in fifth grade. Of course, it is a bit different because Moo is in high school, and I was in elementary school; but the feeling is the same. It's not pleasant to be called names, and like Moo, I never told anybody. Now that I look back, I regret not telling anyone, because the issue could have been easily resolved if I did.

The one thing that disappointed me was that I couldn't find the author's main goal. As I read more and more pages of the book, I found it harder and harder to understand the author's purpose. If the book was about belonging, how is it related to a murder case? Why did the author want to add a murder case into the plot? I am not sure that it was supposed to be a plot twist or not, but it sure ruined the book. Also, the book was very repetitive; I don't understand why Moo had to repeat everything he thought. For example, Moo would talk about how he loved eating food; this topic would continue for about three more pages. I mean I get the point-you love to eat. Can we move on now? It really made the book boring for me.
It was also frustrating how the book left out so many details. In the middle of the book, Moo found that there was a man following him in a Volvo, and the readers never got to know who the man is. Also, the author never even told the readers if Moo got thinner in the future. The ending of this book was a cliff hanger, which frustrated me even more. How could you let your readers decide Moo's fate? I felt that the ending of this book was outrageous.
However, the reader can learn a lot from this book, I know I did. Kevin Brooks clearly described the trial procedures. It was surprising to know that Brooks actually did a little research himself to find details about witness procedures, court procedures, and police investigations. He even did a background research about some criminals. Br
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Anonymous

Posted June 14, 2008

GREAT BOOK

I duno abt anyone else but I LOVED this book. I liked the complicated charcter of Moo, so intense and I found it very refershing. The ending was abrupt but it kept me wondering wat wud've happened. I think that was Mr. Brook's intention...GREAT BOOK...CONTINUE 2 WRITE MR BROOKS!!!
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Anonymous

Posted February 16, 2008

ughhhh.

When I first chose this book for a book report I expected an intense storyline and alot of drama. (as it seems everyone else did.)But opening the book and reading it was diffrent. The bad spelling and the incesant use of capitalaztion drove me crazy. I have to admit though the whole car chase and murder part was intresting, but Moo as a character was extremely dull. I wouldn't suggest this book but you might like it, so I guess if you don't mind some spelling mistakes and 300 pages worth of it then, read it.
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Anonymous

Posted January 6, 2008

Not my cup of tea...

It was an alright book. i enjoyed how it was written differently from most styles but that probably doesn't appeal to everyone. the main character was astonishingly dim sometimes. the ending was atrocious. it was one of the lamest endings i've ever read. moo was slightly likable but lacked any warmth or depth.
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Anonymous

Posted May 6, 2007

Ugh.... this book gave me a headache

I really thought from reading the summary about this book that it would be a good story, but there is absolutely no plot and I don't like the way it's written at all. The caps and bad grammar and spelling got on my nerves. I honestly just read the first couple of chapters and then skipped to the end to see if the ending was worth reading to, but the ending is horrible and anti-climactic. I suppose the way it's written does get you to know just who Moo is, but it's boring. I was very disappointed with this book.
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Anonymous

Posted June 25, 2007

No Words-Simply Amazing

This cannot be described by words. Just know, despite the title including the word 'kissing' this book is the furthest from a romance as you can get. If you like things that end in a way you would not expect and scare you a little bit (or a lot) then this book is for you.
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Anonymous

Posted May 7, 2007

A reviewer

The message base on the book is to never give up and be who you are no matter what. Also childhood could be old memories of your past or present .Its like part of your life. This story about a boy name Micheal Nelson. Everybody taunts him by calling him fat boy or moo nelson or any other kind of bad nicknames they can think of. HE also has a friend name Brady who¿s like a mitchet and he was wondering why Michael didn¿t tell him but Michael saw the accident occur the bridge and then he confess to everybody what happen because at the begging he started out saying stuff he couldn¿t remember then he told the truth.
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Anonymous

Posted May 7, 2007

A reviewer

Kissing the Rain is a good book. It wasn¿t my type of book but if you¿re like Moo being teas a lot you should read it. It¿s a great book but sometimes he loves talking about him being in the bridge. And plus this book is about making choices. Read it and see what choices those Moo make!!
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Anonymous

Posted April 16, 2006

WARNING

i cant even believe i wasted my time with this book. the whole thing is just about a fat kid who likes to talk about nothing. the least the author could have done is spell things write and try not to make it so confusing!!!! DONT WASTE YOUR TIME!!!!!
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Anonymous

Posted September 25, 2005

Realistic, but a horrible read

The reality of this book was spot-on, but it was just so boring and incoherent. The whole book builds up to one huge climax, and it doesn't ever conclude the climax! If he expects me to make something up, he can bark up another tree 'cause I read books to be entertained. I wasn't entertained.
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Anonymous

Posted June 15, 2005

Big Decisions

Kevin Brooks did an excellent job making people see that you don't have to be the best looking or be the most popular to witness something life-changing. This novel shows how confusion can really mess things up in ones life and really resembles decision-making and how one must deal with it. Moo had a huge decision to make that was going to wind up hurting someone in the end no matter what he decided on. Although sometimes this story was hard to follow and understand, over all, Kevin Brooks expresses the reality of mystery, family, and even karma in this witty and thrilling adventure to find the truth.
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Anonymous

Posted May 15, 2005

My kind of book

After reading Martyn Pig by Kevin Brooks, I thought this book was great. If you have trouble with the bad spelling, don't get frustrated and don't stop reading it. This book is suspenseful and talks about a kid's way of brushing away harassment and at the same time, it focused on peer pressure and fitting in. An all around great book I would recommend for kids in 7th to 8th grade.
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Kissing the Rain

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Wow

Kissing the Rain Review

Okkkkkk

an alright book

Not What I Was Hoping For

An okay book, wouldn't read it again.

=)

Fair, but boring and repetitive.

Book Review - English Class

GREAT BOOK

ughhhh.

Not my cup of tea...

Ugh.... this book gave me a headache

No Words-Simply Amazing

A reviewer

A reviewer

WARNING

Realistic, but a horrible read

Big Decisions

My kind of book