Forever Silent

He thought his biggest fear was speaking in class. Then his brother took his own life.

High school senior Calvin Harren isn't popular. He's shy, awkward, and turns crimson red anytime he has to talk in front of his classmates. He's got a sarcastic best friend, a hopeless crush on the beautiful Liz, and a pretty normal teenage life-until everything shatters the day his younger brother dies by suicide.

Suddenly, Calvin is drowning in guilt and grief. Haunted by memories of cruel words and missed chances, he struggles to hold himself together while his family falls apart. Friends try to help, but there's only so much they can understand. Even Liz, with her own hidden tragedy, can only get so close.

When an English assignment asks him how the school could better serve its students, Calvin blurts out an idea he barely believes himself: they need a real counselor. Someone to listen. Someone kids can trust.

He never expects the principal to actually agree... or to ask Calvin himself to be the first student counselor.

Forever Silent is a moving coming-of-age novel about grief, forgiveness, and finding your voice when it matters most. Raw, realistic, and deeply human, it's perfect for readers of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Speak, and anyone who knows what it's like to hurt, and heal. What readers are saying: "A five-star young author. I have the six-book set. This is the fourth J. R. Rain I've read and I have yet to rate any of them less than five stars. In Forever Silent, he tackles an unfortunately all-too-common teen tragedy with a maturity beyond his fifteen years. Any parent who has had to go through one of the many versions of every parent's worst nightmare may have their heart torn out on the scene no parent wants to relive. I've been there and I can empathize with all the characters. I know where Liz's father is coming from, too, because I felt the same way. Fortunately the book doesn't dwell on the tragedy but instead follows main character Cal as he finds a way to channel his grief in a positive direction, reaching out to help others even through his own pain. An inspiring and ultimately uplifting story." -Amazon review

"Turning personal tragedy into a healing process for himself and others. This is a great story for teens who have lost someone they love. Cal takes his guilt and pain and decides to do something about it. (We had a peer counseling program in my own middle school.) J.R. has a rich vocabulary for someone so young. Sometimes the writing style takes on an overly formal feel, but I chalk it up to his inexperience. Remember, he was only 15 when he wrote this. Keeping things the way he wrote them back then is a cool way for us to see how he has matured as a writer." -Amazon review

"This touching novel will speak to people of all ages of finding purpose after one's world has been shattered. J.R. Rain writes so amazingly well for one so young, that I am eager to see what lies ahead." -Amazon review

"This book has a nice storyline that's easy to follow. Made me laugh... made me cry. Good book for any teen or older." -Amazon review

"I loved this! This book was so awesome!" -Amazon review