Rainsong

by Lila Riesen

In a small town haunted by unsolved disappearances, a teen with a secret ability must unravel a deadly mystery—before she becomes the next victim.

Mendocino is not the quaint coastal California town Zayn Pereira imagined. It's shrouded in a fog that never lets up. Posters of a missing teen girl are plastered everywhere, and just offshore is an island called Rainsong, rumored to be haunted.

At her new school, everyone is tense and suspicious of each other. So when charismastic Ollie takes Zayn under her wing, it's a relief—but is her charm hiding something? People assume brooding Tiago, the missing girl's ex-boyfriend, is responsible for her disappearance... but Zayn can't keep her eyes off him. Is he really who everyone says he is?

Besides, Zayn has a secret of her own. And when Tiago is struck by a car one night, she is forced to reveal it to save him. In doing so, Zayn discovers her connection to a generations-old feud that still rages today. Can she break herself from the grip of Mendocino's past tragedy? Or will she become the next girl on the missing poster?

Filled with angsty romance, supernatural powers, murder, and vengeance, this is a chilling and propulsive listen.

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

336 pages, Hardcover

Published June 23, 2026

About the author

Lila Riesen is the author of Rainsong (2026) and Free Radicals (2023), which Publishers Weekly called “an emphatic and empathetic debut.” The daughter of Afghan and Australian immigrants, she lives in Irvine, California with her husband and son.
https://www.lilariesen.com/

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrifying and beautifully written YA paranormal mystery / Thriller. I loved the narration style right from the start where you are left wondering what is really going on. Zayn is angsty and intriguing as she tries to settle into a town where mystery is rampant due to a missing girl. Fast paced and twisty turning I really enjoyed the super natural bent to this story !!

[Chelsea (gofetchabook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fair warning, just be mentally prepared to ruin your own day with the ending of this book. I was NOT ready for that.

It was creepy and atmospheric and was a nice mix of YA paranormal horror mixed with cult vibe thriller.

It did feel like there was a lot fit into one book and it almost felt like we were getting a quick version of hundreds of years of lore and backstory. I’d read an entire series surrounding this lore, the town and all the players. I found myself so intrigued that I wanted a full book and backstory on each character.

Overall, if you enjoy YA horror, especially the supernatural, you should check this one out.

[Lyndsey thelittlereadingmermaid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one way more than I thought I would.
First of all, it's deeply atmospheric. The author's descriptions are really unique and at first I wasn't sure if I enjoyed her writing style, but I grew to actually love it.
Most of the book honestly gave me Twilight vibes, which I was 100% in support of.
Mania got on my nerves for I would say 75% of the book, but she's 7 so... that's sort of to be expected. Her character arc though was really good.
There were so many twists towards the end that I truthfully never saw coming, and one that absolutely broke my heart (IYKYK).
I'd love to read maybe a prequel to this book, about Zayn's father, uncle, and mother when they lived in Mendocino. I feel like that may help this book make a bit more sense.
Such a cool supernatural/culty mystery that I enjoyed up until the ending.

[Kyla Azer of the hollow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much NetGally and the author of Rainsong for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book!

4.5 stars rounded up!

Review
----------------
Age rating: 14+
Language: 3/10 (present but not frequent)
Romance: 3.5/10
Violence: 4.5/10

Trigger warnings: Missing people, death, cheating

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. THIS BOOK ARE YOU KIDDING ME? AAAAABHABDUEWQFVWVRVYFE

Dude. I did not expect it to be a SAD book. I thought it would be a mystery and no more. I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THE ENDING 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

What's great also is this normally isn't my genre- like, I expected tohis to be 3 stars- but omg was I mistaken.

PLOT:
Imagine you lived in Newport Beach, South California. You move a LOT, and after your uncle dies, you move again to a town called Mendo, California (I was shocked to see this is a real place on earth and not made up). However, the new town is... different. There have been a lot of missing persons reports, and you aren't sure who to trust or what to do. You saw one poster for a missing girl, Charlie. Apparently, a rumor started, and now everyone in the town things that Tiago, an attractive and sad, introverted, devastated student, who may or may not be kind of hot (TRUST ME HES REALLY FREAKING HOT YOU'RE GONNA FALL IN LOVE (😭)) was the person who killed Charlie. AKA his ex-girlfriend. But there's a lot more to the town and the situation that Zayne, our main character, leads on. Everyone has their secrets, and in the town of Mendo, it's important you keep them or it could be your doom.

CHARACTERS:
- Zayne: Our FMC with a deadly secret she's kept hidden for years, trying to figure out the secrets of the new town she lived in and trying to uncover why it feels so off.
- Tiago: My book boyfriend. Guys- AAAAAHHHHHHHHH. From the second I met him, as an alleged murderer, I was in love (what can I say? I've always loved the villains. Besides, he may not be as villainous as everyone thinks... 😭😭😭😭😭😭😥😢😢😢😢😥😥😥😭🙁)
- Mania: Zayne's little sister. I love her so uch. She's seven years old, turning eight, and she's the sweetest little thing and very outspoken. Calls Zayne "Peach" 'because she has a BIG BUTT!' lol
- Charlie: Tiago's missing (presumably dead) ex girlfriend
- Ollie: Frick this byotch. Loved her at first, and- mmh 😡
- Benji: Friends (?) with Ollie. I didn't mind her, but liked her less and less as the story went on.
- Padar: Zayne's dad.I don't like him.
- Jonas: a student at the school. He's... eh. Not horrible but also bleh. Idk. I'm indifferent about him.
- Renato: Jonas' dad. I hated him and then at the ending I hated him a little less but still hated him.

WRITING:
The writing style was good. I'm not gonna lie, the first 25% of it I was bored out of my mind and it took me over a week to get through it, but after that I cruised through the other 75% in one sitting as I sit at home, right now, sick. 😛

OTHER THINGS:
THE ENDING. WAAHAHFBK3QERYICRYTVUYGTFCGVHBYGTFRCVGVRYUGFTWYS NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NO NO NO. GUYS I am literally gaslighting msyelf about how it ended. I won't spoil anything but, be warned, this is a SAD BOOK. Not all books have a happily ever after. THIS ONE DOES NOT HAVE A HAPPY ENDING IN THE SLIGHTEST. Maybe in a global standpoint but YOUR HEART WILL BE RIPPED TO SHREDS. I'm sick and my throat hurts and I did not physically cry, BUT, I did feel like I could cry because NO NO ON. We love gaslighting ourselves that the end of a book was not real right? This ended happily and we'll get a sequel with more romance right? RIGHT? 😭
Oh yeah the other thing is, I usually don't like realistic books with fantasy. I mean... realistic books in general aren't my area, but when you add in monsters and powers and stuff? Usually I hate it. I won't spoil anything, but I will say that this book is REALLY realistic in the modern world, and it does have a fantasy element to it, but... I didn't hate it. Actually, unlike most books under this description, I loved it. So yeah that was cool. A genre/trope I usually hate ended up being not bad and actually really cool.

CONCLUSION:
IF YOU WANT A HAPPY BOOK, DONT READ THIS.
IT
IS
SADDDD. SAD SAD SAD NO NO NOOOOO.
But lowkey overall this book was really really good and I def recommend it to everyone so we can share book trauma together!

Thank you again, NetGally, for the ARC of this book. I loved it! Had low expectations coming in, was heartbroken and loved it coming out. :)

[Arthur Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing me with an eARC of Rainsong in exchange for my honest review!

It doesn't take long for this tale to thicken the atmosphere that it needs to trap me inside of its small-town mystery and get me invested in Zayn's quest to uncover the truth. There's a tension thrumming right beneath the surface in Mendocino, where its residents try to act like everything is flowing along smoothly, but oh dear, we have to deal with hostile forces who are hiding in the shadows. An infection of paranoid discrimination (one which includes misogyny) has taken root in the foundation of this community, making it worrisome to figure out who supports such persecution and murder. Following Zayn's determined POV makes it easy to dive into Mendocino, and it helps that she shares a touching and loyal bond with her kid sister Mania—a sister who really does thrive with a strong spirit of her own, and it's quite endearing to witness. I believe in the heart of this sisterly dynamic. The relationships that Zayn forms with Tiago and Jonas are compelling, too, highlighting the uneasy air of wondering who are our allies and who are our enemies.

It's interesting to see how this book takes some familiar tropes and executes them in a suspenseful fashion that gets me wishing we could dive even more deeply into the lore of this Californian locale. There's a richness to the history that I feel like could lay the groundwork for a whole series if we really wanted to go down that route. But hey, what we get to navigate in Rainsong is worth the official four-star rating that I'm giving it. Once it arrives at a conclusion that weaves in some darkness, I'm able to click with how appropriate it is to make that choice. Considering how grim we'd already gotten before that point, I think it fits for us to wrap up in this manner. Now I'll have to keep an eye out for more of Lila Riesen's work.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

RAINSONG by Lila Riesen (June 23, 2026)

Thank you Netgalley, RHC, Knopf books, and GetUnderlined for the eArc

After Zayn and her family move to Mendocino, she's drawn to Tiago---accused girl-friend killer. When Tiago is hit by a car, Zayn reveals her secret to him. Soon, she discovers that she isn't the only one like that, and that there is a feud among those who are and those who aren't. One that goes back generations, ending in d*ath.
RAINSONG is a YA supernatural thriller with disappearances, mysterious d*aths, and powerful people.
The description was a tad confusing, so all I really gathered was "the m*rder part". Because of that, I wasn't sure what this was going to deliver. What was delivered? A story with so many twists and turns coupled with eeriness and atmosphere.
RAINSONG is different. It was intriguing, gripping, and I had to know what was happening and would happen. And what happened? OMG, those last few chapters...I feel like they took something from me. I was hoping it was a fluke. That there would be something after that would prove what happened wrong. My heart is broken for Zayn, for Mania, and everyone affected by this crazy town.

[Alyson Petrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It can be fun to read a book that will have you actively guessing about who actually did it. However, I also enjoy it when I can shut myself away from the investigating and actually focus more on the characters and the story itself. It wasn't until the climax of the story that I started to think again about how the disappearance could have happened, and everything immediately started clicking into place.

Rainsong was an enjoyable read with excellent characters and a unique setting. Zayn and Tiago had a romantic bond unlike others I have seen in this genre. This is a great addition to the YA genre and should appeal to many high schoolers internationally.

Rainsong has an ending to its story that some may not be pleased with. While it was also tough for me, beyond that, there was an optimistic ending for another character. The ending to Jonas's story, in particular, changed my attitude and put a smile on my face. His story and many of the kids from Rainsong. It explores themes that warrant more frequent discussion surrounding youth adversity.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Haley]

I received an advanced digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 35%/118 pages.

Zayn moves to a new town with her sister and estranged father after her uncle dies. In the first 35% she is a largely just dealing with this readjustment to a new town and school. In the town there is Tiago, whose girlfriend went missing, and everyone assumes he had something to do with it. Zayn upon moving now lives next-door to him in his ex-girlfriend’s house and drives his ex-girlfriend’s car and sits in his ex-girlfriend’s seat in class.

At 35% I’m not entirely sure where the mystery is going because I feel like we haven’t really explored anything to do with it. Additionally, it’s clear some romance is to come with Zayn and Tiago. There are also some supernatural elements that were just introduced that I’m not entirely sure how they fit in.

I kept telling myself to push through and finish, but as the pages went on, I found myself less interested in what was going on.

I think this could be a lot more engaging for a reader that is familiar with the town (Mendocino, California) and who is OK with supernatural elements mixing with their mysteries.

[Nikita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zayn's life has been uprooted, again. Off on another move to yet another new town with her father and little sister. But when they arrive in the small coastal town of Mendocino, it feels... off. Watchful. Haunted. And her next door neighbour might be responsible for a missing girl's disappearance.

Zayn can feel the town in harbouring secrets, but with secrets of her own to guard, something is sure to spill loose from the waves.

Rainsong has such an utterly unique premise! This book sucked me in from the start and I didn't want to put it down. Between the interpersonal dynamics, suspicious townspeople, haunted island, and secrets upon secrets, Rainsong had me hooked!

*Disclaimer: I received a physical ARC from Penguin Teen Canada. All opinions above are my own!

[Alexzandra Stroud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Penguin Randomhouse/ Get Underlined for an early copy of this book!
All opinions are my own


I have not read a lot of supernatural thrillers, but! thoroughly enjoyed this one! The story follows Zayn, a teen with a secret ability, and her journey in unraveling the secrets behind the unexplained disappearances in the small town her family just moved to!

I did not predict the ending of this book at all, and without giving too much away I appreciate how different the ending turned out compared to other YA books also I shed a tear lol
Definitely recommend this for those that enjoy young adult reads, but also anyone looking for a fast paced and fresh book!!

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an intriguing and completely engrossing story set in a somewhat spooky Californian coastal town. The inhabitants have secrets and the new arrivals want the truth. I had a hard time putting the pre-publication copy down and enjoyed trying to figure out what would happen next! It’s choc full of surprises and would appeal not only to the YA (14+) set but the more mature readers as well who enjoy a well-crafted mystery story.
With highly descriptive visual scenes this book certainly lends itself to a film adaptation.

[Kera’s Always Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was full of adventure and romance, weaving crushing secrets into this deep rooted mystery. I loved the setting. I loved the characters. I really enjoyed the way this just wound and wound and wound around the central mystery. It was so well written, gripping me from the very beginning.

This is full of small town insular secrets, unforgiving pasts, and non stop intrigue. Everything is better when you add a level of paranormal and this presents it so well. There are so many layers and I couldn't put it down.

[Shateau · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was an ARC from NetGalley. a genre mixing unique plot, full of secret societies, secret powers, secret past, and secret towns. The opening page was written so beautifully, I was really looking forward to a full novel of that presentation, but it didn't carry through the story, and became more of a traditional murder mystery. This was a quick read, but the ending and reveal seemed a bit rushed. Great potential, more basic execution.

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is unlike anything I've read before and I LOVED it. The characters? 10/10. The setting? 10/10. The plot? 10/10. There wasn't a single thing I didn't enjoy. Reisen has proven herself to be a very capable writer.

[Madelaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read this book before publication. Rainsong got me out of a reading slump because of how unique I found the plot. The way Lila takes us through rainy Mendocino, the characters, and how I never knew what was coming next all kept me from putting this book down!

[Caitie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5 stars. Frankly the main reason I picked this up was because it takes place in Mendocino. The writing was just okay and I found myself not truly caring about what happened—it was almost as if there wasn’t enough and too much going on at the same time.

[Victoria Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book definitely kept me on my toes!!! Scared,Crying, Happy all of it !

[Marina · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 ⭐
The relationships and actions in this book are so under-developed, it's bad. The story is convoluted and honestly it gave me a small headache trying to follow along.

[Paige- TheBookandtheBoston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rainsong was such a perfect example for atmospheric writing. It’s set on a small coastal town in Northern California, where it’s constantly raining. I started reading this on a rainy day, and I could almost feel damp, rain-soaked clothes even while I was tucked up warm and dry inside.
The preface of this book immediately grabbed me and set the perfect stage for the rest of the book. I would have given 5 stars just to the beginning. I did start to get a little impatient, though, somewhere around 50% of the way in, as I wanted to start getting answers. The mystery of the town itself was very interesting, and I would have loved to get to know the town and its history more while reading. The ending kind of shocked me, but overall, it was a fun YA thriller (maybe slightly on the horror side- with paranormal aspects). I think the right crowd would really enjoy it!

𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝑰'𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐:
Fans of YA mysteries and paranormal stories with slightly gothic feels and atmospheric writing.

[PickyPages · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a unique, YA paranormal mystery/thriller... please pick this one up! I need everyone to read it so we can all talk about it. This author truley is a gem im so glad to have found. The writing style is beautifully descriptive without being too much. She reveals the right amount of information at the right time to have you second-guess everything you know so far and feverishly turning pages to figure things out!! These characters are going to live in my brain for quite a while. Especially Tiago. And Zayn. And Mania.

The only criticism I could possibly give this story is that I was hoping for more of a "dun dun duuuuun" cliffhanger ending. The only reason is... I want more!! I want to revisit Mendocino. I want to know more about the tavern! I want to uncover more secrets with Zayn and Mania! I just want more!

This story is unique, riviting, heart-wrenching, and just downright fun! I could not put it down!
Another 5 star read for the books ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks, @PenguinTeenCa, for the digital ARC and @ for voting that I read her book! And for writing it, obviously 😂