The Taste of Rain by Monique Polak - Bookin' It With Jen

I am a huge fan of WWII era fiction and nonfiction, but surprisingly I had never read much of anything about the Asian continent during the war. I was really surprised to learn about the internment camps and look forward to reading more about them. 

This book is mid-grade historic fiction told from the perspective of Gwen, the 13 year old daughter of an American missionary, who has been interned since the Japanese took over her school upon invading China. She and her classmates are under the watchful eye of their teacher and Girl Guide Leader, Miss E, who encourages them to follow by the Guide Law in order to keep their spirits high. Miss E. reminded me a bit of Mary Poppins, unerringly positive and practically perfect in every way. About halfway in we start to see some cracks in this facade which shows us just how strong of a woman she really is to have hidden so well for so long.
  
I really liked the idea of this book but overall it felt a bit rushed and incomplete. Some might chock that up to being for younger readers but to me it felt like maybe the author was in a rush to meet her deadline. I would have liked more closure in regard to Matthew as well as what happened after the Americans liberated the camp. The story hinted at some discord or disconnect with Gwen’s parents so I would have loved to see them reunite before the finish of the book. A good effort but it needs more. It felt like there should be a sequel but to my knowledge this is a standalone.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.