Because It Was Raining by author Skyler Worley is a story about a young man in the early 1990s, trying to figure out what his place is in the world. In the book we find him making a lot of the same choices that many young people do, indulging in vices such as drugs. He is given the choice of going along on a road trip in the company of an older woman he knows, who has a troubling past of her own, and a young girl, who has a look that says she’s ready to do battle with the entire world. The book is filled with gripping descriptions that take you on a ride of their own. Its tone is deeply intelligent, if not a bit ominous.

I really enjoyed Skyler Worley's Because It Was Raining. There were areas in it that had a telltale heart sort of beating throughout, something that I’ve never quite experienced before. Some of the descriptions were so vivid you felt a bit ill, as if you could smell the objects and the rooms through the pages, again something I’ve never quite experienced ever before in my reading career, which has been long. There were pockets of devastation, hopelessness, and also these shining points that, although small, really lit the story up. It all feels so terribly real. I'm relieved that it is fiction. I would definitely recommend this book if you are in for a trip back into the early '90s.

Because It Was Raining by Skyler Worley lays bares the mindset of a drug-infused brain. Louis, in his high on drugs state, is reflecting on his emotions, fear, and life in general. Against his better judgment, he agrees to accompany his friend, Boobe, and her friend, Nikki, on an unknown venture. Nikki has a very philosophical viewpoint on life. Louis soon finds out why the little voice in his head was telling him to decline Boobe's offer of joining her in her quest. Louis's musings will force readers to question their own unanswered deep questions or feelings. If we are tied too strongly to our past, then it will be near impossible to create a future. Louis, the name by which he introduces himself to Nikki, is sacrificing his future due to certain guilt, fear, shame, and other factors. He has found bliss in his foggy existence and is not willing to move on. When you are too high to care, nothing would/should bother you. However, his brain wanders and, in its wandering, he figures out the real way to live life.

Although it is a short story, the author's skilled writing has brought its characters to life. Without revealing too much about the cast of the story, Skyler Worley managed to make me connect with each person in the plot. I could feel what they were feeling. Their intoxicated state was communicated very clearly, yet their worries did not fail to make the necessary impact. Louis's description of depression touched me and forced me to understand how difficult the life of a depressed person is. I longed to learn as much as I could about the protagonist and that craving remained while reading Because It Was Raining. There is so much to learn in this short read that I could not help but speculate on so many aspects of life. For instance, the fact that we can't wait to reach the end point called death, but what is the guarantee that the life beyond that end point is any less hellish? I would recommend this book to readers who like short stories that impart profound wisdom.

Because It Was Raining by Skyler Worley is a story that explores grief and a man’s journey to find redemption in a broken world. Louis has just suffered a devastating loss and is grief-stricken. Moving to Kansas City with two other troubled souls, he hopes to leave the past behind, but then what awaits him might be more disturbing than what he is running from — they are plunged into a world where despair stares at them. They leave shortly after their arrival. Louis is a sophisticated character and readers will notice how the author makes him a character that readers can’t ignore. He mirrors conflicting emotions — one moment he is high, and the next he is so low that one would think he won’t rise up again. He harbors great pain in his soul and struggles to escape the world of his pain by presenting a jovial and agreeable exterior, by hiding behind the “swirl of a pipe.” If you love three-dimensional characters, then Because It Was Raining will be a delightful read for you.

The characters are infused with a tragic sense of humanity that reflects the depression and the despair that afflict us all once in a while, especially when we lose a loved one. This is a story about dealing with death and handling grief, and Skyler Worley has done a wonderful job in making it feel so real to readers, arousing the finest sentiments in their hearts. I heard and saw so much of myself in the protagonist and I couldn’t help recalling the experience I had when I lost my brother and recently a father-in-law. The writing is beautiful and it captures the part of our humanity that cries out for love and healing, and it does so in a wonderful way.