I have been a fan of Tashie’s since her debut and Right as Rain is my favorite. I loved this one and it made me cry! Talk about an emotional story about depression, love, and friendship. Keep reading this book review of Right as Rain for my full thoughts.
Summary
Recent high-school graduate Megh Rashid has plans to escape to the other side of the country for college and leave behind the stormy household she’s been trapped in for years. But things are complicated when she gets struck by lightning right before the start of a prestigious summer internship that’s key to her getting accepted to her dream university, and she wakes up to a storm cloud that follows her everywhere, seemingly attuned to her every emotion.
Megh’s struggles with depression, fear of leaving her home and loved ones, and uncertainty about her future cause the cloud to act up, creating rainstorms that dampen her spirits and her hopes of making an impact at her internship. With the help of fellow intern Lev Osman, a boy whose warmth makes her feel less alone, Megh has to find a way to control her feelings and decide what she’s willing to sacrifice in order to secure her desired future.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Right as Rain stole my heart. It’s this tender and vulnerable story about depression, friendship, and love. Bhuiyan explores parental abuse, finding our own voice, and learning to accept help. With this speculative lens, Right as Rain is a story not about trying to dispel the clouds forever, but about learning to know the sun is behind the clouds. Megh is living with parents who feed into this cyclical thought patterns of negativity, insecurity and doubts, and feelings of worthlessness. It’s about survival instincts and managing the emotions and thunderstorms around her. She’s focused on escape while trying not to get sucked into these whirlpools.
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Right as Rain will captivate you. It will make you cry, laugh, and throw your fits into the air. It feels deeply vulnerable as we see Megh’s thoughts and her emotions reflected in the weather. We can be so afraid of happiness, of wondering what will happen when we get it, that we can sometimes not see a path forward. And the difference between wanting happiness, versus wanting the depression to go away is so crucial. Right as Rain is one of my favorite books of 2026 so far and the year has just begun. It’s a standout from one of my favorite contemporary authors and is a must read. Find Right as Rain on Goodreads, Storygraph, Bookshop. org, & Blackwells.