When the rain stops by John Callas is the emotional journey of a young man trying to deal with his depression to fully appreciate life and overcome any obstacle or difficult moment in his life. John’s misfortunes first came to him when he was only three years old, distorting his vision of reality and relationship with other people. When the little boy is sent away from home to a military school, rain starts pouring on him, symbolizing depression, and it gets the best out of him until he starts to fight it. However, this time he is not alone in this fight and he looks forward to the moment when the rain will stop.

Callas guides readers through a heartwarming adventure, making us feel both melancholy and happy at the same time, getting us to root for the misunderstood boy, who’s trying to find his own place in the world. Where some authors might want to make their character look like a hero, hiding their suffering; Callas tells us the story of a boy anyone can understand, if not relate to.

As a reader particularly keen on details, I noticed that Callas focuses only on important ones. We don’t get a detailed description of the settings in the book, whereas we get a precise description of the character’s feelings whenever turmoil comes in sight or a merry event takes place, we get to share those emotions with John and improve our empathy towards others. Furthermore, this memoir feels grounded because of the realistic conversations, including slang and swearing when needed.

This deeply moving memoir will send readers on an emotionally charged and spiritual journey. John’s story leads us through the emotions of a teenager and the thoughts of a young adult, making us feel like we are a part of his journey. I recommend this impassioned memoir to teen and adult readers, or anyone looking for an inspiring story or someone who struggles with depression. You never know when someone is suffering from depression and as Callas wrote: “If I save one life then I will consider this book a best seller.”

Pages: 223 | ASIN: B093F73G7H