Review of Hard Rain

[Julie Basil]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Hard Rain" by David Brown MIC.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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Do you believe that there are two sides to every story? Are you interested in the recent history of Ireland and learning more about the conflict between Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants during The Troubles? Do you enjoy reading stories that are centered around those in military service? If you answered yes to these questions, then you should read Hard Rain by David Brown.

This story is told from the perspective of a man with the nickname “Bomber” who, despite his young age of 23 years old, has seen and done a lot during his military service with the British Armed Forces. As a Color Sergeant, he is in charge of his own platoon, and he is frequently faced with challenging situations as a member of the military trying to keep unrest under control. The Irish Republican Army (IRA), the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA), as well as local Protestant and Catholic civilians all resent the presence of British military forces in Northern Ireland, so Bomber and his fellow soldiers are not appreciated or respected for the work they are doing. Throughout this story, we hear stories of Bomber’s assignments in towns with his regiment and even on special missions, which he is selected to complete alone and in secret. Can Bomber complete his assignments without being hardened by them? Will he crack under the pressure of the voices in his head that question his motives and whether he is fighting for a worthwhile cause? Read this book to find out.

Overall, I rate this story a 3 out of 5. I enjoyed the action and suspense throughout the story and I feel like the story really made me think about what the right thing to do is in difficult situations. I took off stars from my rating due to some grammar issues and due to feeling like there were some issues with the plot. There were a number of grammar issues, and these were distracting throughout the story. Additionally, there were many instances where abbreviations were used in an awkward manner, most notably with the repeated abbreviations “C/Sgt,” “L/Cpl,” and “2i/c.” Military lingo that readers might be unfamiliar with was generally explained, which was helpful, but some abbreviations, including the ones listed, didn’t seem necessary and were a distraction. I believe the flow of the book would be improved by writing out more of the military abbreviations instead of using this shorthand. An example would be to write out “Lieutenant Corporal” instead of “L/Cpl.” This story was action-packed, but it didn’t feel like it had a strong resolution or storyline. It felt like more of a chronicle of Bomber’s life in the British Armed Forces over a period of time than a story with a clear dilemma, climax, and resolution. There are plenty of dilemmas and scenes with lots of tension that leave readers on the edge of their seats, but it did not feel like there was a clear climax or resolution to the story. This could be due to the fact that the story ends while The Troubles are still taking place in Northern Ireland.

This book does contain a fair amount of profanity and descriptions of violence, so readers who are sensitive to these should proceed with caution if they choose to pick up this book.

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Hard Rain
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[Baitshepi Mojela]

Its definitely stole my interest when it touches military stories.

[Arshadq]

I love books that focus on war, fighting and action! And reading about one that takes place during historic times is also great. I am disappointed that the book failed to deliver a clear and well written climax. And the grammatical errors are also a downside. I will pass on it for now, but thanks for the honest review!