Hurricane Summer: A Novel
"This is an excellent examination of the ways wealth, gender, and color can shape and at times create mental and emotional fractures. Verdict: A great title for public and high school libraries looking for books that offer a nuanced look at patriarchy, wealth, and gender dynamics." —School Library Journal (starred review)
"Bromfield may have made a name for herself for her role on Riverdale, but with this debut, about a volatile father-daughter relationship and discovering the ugly truths hidden beneath even the most beautiful facades, she is establishing herself as a promising writer...this is a must." —Booklist (starred review)
In this sweeping debut, Asha Bromfield takes readers to the heart of Jamaica, and into the soul of a girl coming to terms with her family, and herself, set against the backdrop of a hurricane.
Tilla has spent her entire life trying to make her father love her. But every six months, he leaves their family and returns to his true home: the island of Jamaica.
When Tilla’s mother tells her she’ll be spending the summer on the island, Tilla dreads the idea of seeing him again, but longs to discover what life in Jamaica has always held for him.
In an unexpected turn of events, Tilla is forced to face the storm that unravels in her own life as she learns about the dark secrets that lie beyond the veil of paradise—all in the midst of an impending hurricane.
Hurricane Summer is a powerful coming of age story that deals with colorism, classism, young love, the father-daughter dynamic—and what it means to discover your own voice in the center of complete destruction.
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Community Reviews
Hurricane Summer is the first book I’ve read in a long time that has left me with such mixed feelings. For this reason, I’m finding it very difficult to give it a star rating. There were things I absolutely loved about this novel and then there were things that bothered me no matter how I tried to rationalize them. I’m hoping I can explain my thoughts, without giving any spoilers. And settle on a rating by the end of my review.
Hurricane Summer is an #OwnVoices young adult novel that touches on many things: classism, racism, sexism, abuse, sexual assault, rape, abortion (mentioned), infidelity, grief, and death. It’s hard to read at times, and I recommend keeping tissues nearby and taking breaks.
Let’s talk about what I loved first, because that’s always more fun. My favorite thing about Hurricane Summer is the setting. It takes place in beautiful Jamaica—and not the touristy Jamaica we’re all more familiar with—but mostly in the countryside, where the poorer people reside among the farmland, the deep forests, the rivers, and the waterfalls. The reader is transported to what’s probably a new and unfamiliar place. Even the language is different. The Patois dialogue took some getting used to—I forgot to use the handy word bank at the beginning of the book since I was reading an ebook—but once I quit trying to translate each word and settled into the story, it wasn’t an issue. In fact, it enhanced the book for me, forcing me to be even more immersed in the world.
Secondly, the fact that this novel is an #OwnVoices made the story even more powerful. I could feel the author’s connection to her main character, Tilla. I felt like Bromfield was using Tilla to speak her own truth, and it was heartbreakingly honest.
And it’s worth it to read this novel for those reasons alone. It’s why I have no regrets for picking it up, and I’m fairly confident it will be a novel that sticks with me for a long time.
Now on to what bothered me…
Bromfield has written many beautiful passages, I highlighted many lines, but it often became too melodramatic, and I couldn’t help thinking that maybe less would have been more. BUT, I also kept reminding myself that the book is considered young adult, and more purple prose is acceptable in the YA genre.
The many side characters are hard to keep straight in the beginning. While a few of them are standouts, well-rounded and real (particularly Tilla’s father and her cousin Andre), there are several side characters that I wish had been given more attention, primarily Tilla’s mother and her sister Mia. The book also has multiple antagonists—more than what’s typical for YA, and it becomes almost overwhelming. I felt like I was left with little time to process between each traumatic experience Tilla endured. Maybe the author was trying to do too much instead of just focusing on a few issues, leaving the reader with little breathing room.
Without spoiling anything, I’m not sure how I felt about the ending, as well. It felt rushed, but I was ready for the novel to be wrapped up after such an emotional ride. Maybe if the middle part of the novel had been shortened a bit and the ending extended, it would have given me more time to sit with the characters and process what I’d just read?
I hope my review doesn’t dissuade readers from picking it up. It’s a novel to be discussed, and I’m eager to hear your thoughts. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been so conflicted about a book, and to me that’s not necessarily a negative thing. Reading Hurricane Summer is enlightening and inspirational. It deals with important and urgent issues that deserve the utmost respect. And I feel like this is only the beginning for Bromfield. She’s written a novel from the depths of her heart and soul, and I’ll be eager to see what she does next. So where does that leave my rating?? I’m gonna average out the positives and negatives and settle on 3.5 stars.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.
Check out my full review at A Book Wanderer
#popsugarreadingchallenge2021 (prompt #31 - A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube creator, or other online personality)
Hurricane Summer is an #OwnVoices young adult novel that touches on many things: classism, racism, sexism, abuse, sexual assault, rape, abortion (mentioned), infidelity, grief, and death. It’s hard to read at times, and I recommend keeping tissues nearby and taking breaks.
Let’s talk about what I loved first, because that’s always more fun. My favorite thing about Hurricane Summer is the setting. It takes place in beautiful Jamaica—and not the touristy Jamaica we’re all more familiar with—but mostly in the countryside, where the poorer people reside among the farmland, the deep forests, the rivers, and the waterfalls. The reader is transported to what’s probably a new and unfamiliar place. Even the language is different. The Patois dialogue took some getting used to—I forgot to use the handy word bank at the beginning of the book since I was reading an ebook—but once I quit trying to translate each word and settled into the story, it wasn’t an issue. In fact, it enhanced the book for me, forcing me to be even more immersed in the world.
Secondly, the fact that this novel is an #OwnVoices made the story even more powerful. I could feel the author’s connection to her main character, Tilla. I felt like Bromfield was using Tilla to speak her own truth, and it was heartbreakingly honest.
And it’s worth it to read this novel for those reasons alone. It’s why I have no regrets for picking it up, and I’m fairly confident it will be a novel that sticks with me for a long time.
Now on to what bothered me…
Bromfield has written many beautiful passages, I highlighted many lines, but it often became too melodramatic, and I couldn’t help thinking that maybe less would have been more. BUT, I also kept reminding myself that the book is considered young adult, and more purple prose is acceptable in the YA genre.
The many side characters are hard to keep straight in the beginning. While a few of them are standouts, well-rounded and real (particularly Tilla’s father and her cousin Andre), there are several side characters that I wish had been given more attention, primarily Tilla’s mother and her sister Mia. The book also has multiple antagonists—more than what’s typical for YA, and it becomes almost overwhelming. I felt like I was left with little time to process between each traumatic experience Tilla endured. Maybe the author was trying to do too much instead of just focusing on a few issues, leaving the reader with little breathing room.
Without spoiling anything, I’m not sure how I felt about the ending, as well. It felt rushed, but I was ready for the novel to be wrapped up after such an emotional ride. Maybe if the middle part of the novel had been shortened a bit and the ending extended, it would have given me more time to sit with the characters and process what I’d just read?
I hope my review doesn’t dissuade readers from picking it up. It’s a novel to be discussed, and I’m eager to hear your thoughts. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been so conflicted about a book, and to me that’s not necessarily a negative thing. Reading Hurricane Summer is enlightening and inspirational. It deals with important and urgent issues that deserve the utmost respect. And I feel like this is only the beginning for Bromfield. She’s written a novel from the depths of her heart and soul, and I’ll be eager to see what she does next. So where does that leave my rating?? I’m gonna average out the positives and negatives and settle on 3.5 stars.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.
Check out my full review at A Book Wanderer
#popsugarreadingchallenge2021 (prompt #31 - A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube creator, or other online personality)
Coming-of-age story about a girl spending a summer in Jamaica yearning to connect with her absentee father. Asha Bromfield is a great storyteller because bay-beeee these characters felt real. And so my hate for them is just as real and oh so intense. I cannot stand Tyson’s family!
First and foremost, Tyson ain't shit! He’s a selfish deadbeat. The audacity of that man is astounding!
I wanted to punch Diana in her smart mouth every time she spoke. She tried so hard to appear better than everyone else but was just a narcissistic, self-important, insecure, envious, and evil bitch. And she deserved a good beat down on multiple occasions.
Aunt Herma! Oh I would’ve cracked a broomstick across the back of her head!!!
Uncle Junior is a sicko. Major ick.
And although he’s not part of the family, Jahvan: JAIL!
I have never had such disdain for fictional characters in my life! I hated everyone except Andre (he deserved so much better). Even Tilla got on my nerves by not speaking tf up.
So yeah, I was rubbing my temples between turning pages. I don’t care for books with unlikeable characters and there’s so many that I dislike here so I had to force myself to finish this one.
But the writing is great. It’s such a good book. My heart just bleeds for Tilla.
For a summer read or a young adult book, this book hits all the feels. Following the main character, Tillah travelling to Jamaica to spend the summer with her paternal side of the family, we watch how much the Tillah grows into an adult and the navigation around her generational family living and her roots. Easy chapters to binge through or take as many breaks as you want, the author wrote the separation of the characters and the experiences very well that you felt the excitement of the moment to the disagreeable discomfort of the wounds that would change her. I found the ending satisfying and could feel the sentiment of all the chapters coming together. Great summer read!
Tilla wants nothing more than her father’s love and attention. Spending the summer with him in Jamaica, she hopes that their time together can mend some of their broken bond. However, nothing in life is that simple. As beautiful as the Jamaican countryside appears, there is also a darkness that Tilla can’t seem to outrun.
What happens when the first man who was supposed to love you unconditionally breaks your heart? Who’s responsibility is it to piece it back together again? But more importantly, do you even love you?
✨
I wanted to hug Tilla. To cry with Tilla. To come for the neck of every adult in the situation that made it worse! And for Andre, I have no words that can adequately describe all the feels his character invoked. The young girl in me saw the young girl in Tilla, recognized the pain and joy battling in Andre, and I am forever grateful to Asha Bromfield for having the guts to write this story and to not tie it up in a neat little bow of happily ever after. The honesty and the authenticity were truly unmatched 💕
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