4.5 stars.

Rules of Rain by Leah Scheier is a heartwarming and poignant young adult novel.

Rain Rosenblatt has always protected and taken care of her twin brother, Ethan, who is autistic. Now sixteen, both siblings find romance which unexpectedly throws their relationship into a bit of turmoil. Rain is surprised to discover that her crush, Liam, returns her feelings and their relationship is off to an awkward but promising start. At the same time, her best friend Hope and Ethan are exploring their feelings for one another and Rain is not exactly on board with their burgeoning romance. As Ethan begins to expand his horizons beyond the safe, comfortable confines of their home, Rain finds herself continually off balance when she discovers she does not know her brother as well as she thought.

Rain is very loyal to Ethan and since her single mom has abdicated his care to her, her life pretty much revolves around her brother's schedule and predictable routines. Always anticipating his needs and certain she knows what is best for him, she bases most of her decisions around him including her plans beyond high school. Rain is definitely not in favor of his relationship with Hope, but once she realizes her opinion is not going to change anything, she tries to push her misgivings aside. However, Rain is also struggling to adjust to the changes in her relationship with Ethan as he continues to be more independent.

Liam is a great character but he comes across as a little too perfect. He is great with Ethan and he treats him just any other kid their age. He is beyond patient with Rain's quirks and he is her biggest cheerleader. Liam's plans for the future are quite different than hers but with so many changes occurring with her brother, she is a bit adrift as she tries to figure out if her dreams are what she truly wants for herself.

Rain and Ethan's family situation is less than ideal. Their parents went through a somewhat acrimonious divorce and they live with their mother in Montana while their dad lives in DC. Rain's mom is one of those parents who becomes fixated on using alternative methods to "fix" Ethan and rejects traditional medical advice when faced with her own health crisis. Rain's dad is making more of an effort to be present in their lives but Rain is struggling with their reconciliation.

Rules of Rain by Leah Scheier is thought-provoking journey of self discovery for both Ethan and Rain. Their relationship is wonderfully depicted and Rain's difficulties with accepting the changes in their relationship are frustrating yet realistic. Ethan's romance with Hope is so incredibly sweet and surprisingly free from drama. Rain's relationship with Liam is also quite endearing but an ill-thought out decision results in unintended consequences. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this captivating young adult novel to readers of all ages. ( )

I have to be honest and say it was a struggle to get through this book. Rain would have to be one of the most frustrating protagonists I've come across since meeting Kat and Meg in "Kat and Meg Conquer the World". She was selfish and self-centred. Her opinions were always right and she felt as though she always knew what was best for her autistic brother, Ethan. She annoyed me from the start and since "Rules of Rain" was told from her point of view, it made it very difficult to enjoy the story.

Hope, Rain's best friend, me at the start, but she was actually a sweetie and I much preferred her to Rain. Ethan was also very easy to like, much more that his twin sister. I admired how he faced his struggles, tried to better himself and how he matured throughout the book. His romance was sweet and his development, for me, was definitely the highlight and I loved the notes from his journal that were scattered throughout the novel. They gave a wonderful insight into his mindset, his dreams and his ambitions. I was cheering for him all the way. Without Ethan, I would have rated "Rules of Rain" only 2 stars. He deserved so much better. ( )