Come Down Somewhere by Jennifer L. Wright: Book Review

 **I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own. 

For fans of WWII fiction comes a powerful novel by Jennifer L. Wright about two young women coming of age during the Trinity nuclear bomb test in 1945.

Sixteen-year-old Olive Alexander has lived on a ranch in the Jornada del Muerto region of southern New Mexico her entire life. But when World War II begins, the government seizes her family’s land for the construction of a new, top secret Army post.

While her mother remains behind, Olive is forced to live in nearby Alamogordo with her grandmother and find a place in a new school. When Jo Hawthorne crosses her path, Olive sees a chance for friendship―until she learns that Jo’s father is the Army sergeant who now occupies her beloved ranch. Already angry about her new reality, Olive pushes Jo away. But as she struggles to make sense of her grandmother’s lapses into the past and increasingly unsettling hints about what’s happening at the ranch, she slowly warms to Jo’s winsome faith and steady attempts at friendship . . . until one devastating day when the sky explodes around them and their lives are torn apart.

Seven years later, Jo returns to Alamogordo, still angry and wounded by the betrayals of that fateful day. Determined to put the past behind her once and for all, Jo hunts for answers and begins to realize the truth may be far more complicated than she believed, leading her on a desperate search to find her friend before it’s too late.

Jennifer Wright has been writing since middle school, eventually earning a Master’s degree in Journalism at Indiana University. However, it took only a few short months of covering the local news for her to realize that writing fiction is much better for the soul and definitely way more fun. A born and bred Hoosier, she was plucked from the Heartland after being swept off her feet by an Air Force pilot and has spent the past decade traveling the world and, and every few years, attempting to make old curtains fit in the windows of a new home.

She currently resides in New Mexico with her husband, two children, one grumpy dachshund, and an overly demanding guinea pig.

"If It Rains" is her first novel and is available from Tyndale House Publishers wherever books are sold.

She is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers Association), and can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and sometimes (but very rarely) on Twitter. She also blogs at www.jennwrightwrites.com  

When it comes to historical reads, stories set during or around the time of WWII tend to be my favorites. As such, I really had high expectations for this story. Unfortunately though, for whatever reason I really had a difficult time connecting with this story. Honestly, I couldn't say that there was any particular reason for that... sometimes that simply happens. The writing was fantastic and certainly did a great job of bringing the characters to life. I felt like the characters were full of depth and done very well... so again, it didn't seem like it was anything about the writing at all that caused the disconnect for me. 

Though I might have connected with this particular story myself, that doesn't mean other readers will not. I think those who enjoy WWII fiction should definitely read it and decide for themselves. I will personally still be looking forward to trying out more from the author!