I recommend Hurricane Summer because it kept me wondering what was going to happen next. The main theme was about a young girl trying to find herself and wanting her dad’s love. Tilla and her younger sister Mia flew to Jamaica to see their dad whom they have not seen in over a year. Tilla seemed unsure about seeing her dad again because he left them in Canada to live in Jamaica.

In Jamaica, Tilla and Mia lived with their aunt Herma during the summer months. Tilla learned a lot about Jamaica and its culture. I felt bad for Tilla and Mia because their aunt Herma was not welcoming and not nice to them. Tilla had a hard time adjusting to Jamaica because she always felt she did not belong.

I enjoyed reading Hurricane Summer because I felt I could feel what Tilla was feeling throughout the book. I liked seeing how Tilla matured and stood up for herself at the end of the story. She did not care what other people thought. Hurricane Summer was written in the present tense. It does have a Jamaican dialect which took a little longer to read, but I am glad that the author included that because it made me feel I could actually hear them speaking and connect with the characters better. The author did a good job with the characters and describing them throughout the book. The book was well written because it felt like I was actually in Jamaica with Tilla and was seeing what she saw. I encourage you to read this book because it was a good story with twists and turns and has a good meaning behind it.

I really enjoyed this coming of age story. 18 year old Tilla and her 9 year old sister Mia are daughters of Jamaican immigrants in Canada. Their dad splits his life between Jamaica and Canada. The relationship between both parents is strained. Then both girls travel to Jamaica to spend the summer with their dad. Hurricane Gustav coincides with a larger internal hurricane in Tilla's life when she needs to come to terms with the absence of her dad, her own sexuality, envy and prejudice of her country relatives and meanness of other girls. The good and bad of Jamaica was portrayed in detail and most of the dialogues were written in Patois. In the beginning I had to refer to the Patois word bank in the beginning of the book quite often but at the end I'd already mastered it. I think that Asha has captured brilliantly the thoughts and emotions of that fragile time in a girl's life and also of what it feels to be treated "foreigna" in your homeland.
To be completely honest, I was a bit disappointed in the ending. I can understand why she ended it like that, but I wished for a different ending. ( )

I enjoyed this book! It was a very emotional read and I loved that the story tackled some difficult topics. It did take me just a bit to really get into the story but once I did, I was hooked. I felt for Tilla as she went on this journey and am very glad that I decided to pick up this book.

Tilla and her younger sister Mia go to spend the summer with their father in Jamaica. But soon after their arrival, their father leaves them with his family in the country while he goes off to the city for business. Tilla is an outsider and everyone makes sure that she knows it. Many of her family members treat her horribly but she does make a few bonds that are very important to her. When a hurricane hits the island, things may get worse than she ever imagines. This was a coming-of-age story and at times Tilla seemed very naive but I do think that she grows a lot by the end of the story. My heart went out to Tilla as she tried to make sense of life in Jamaica. The book deals with racism, privilege, abuse, and sexual shaming. I hated the way that some of Tilla’s female relatives treated her by constantly knocking her down instead of being supportive.

I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by the author and I thought that she did a great job with the narration. I especially enjoyed the accents that she used for many of the characters. I am not always a fan of author narrated audiobooks but in this case, I think it worked well.

I would recommend this book to others. Tilla’s journey was very emotional with quite a few highs and lows but it comes together to make a very worthwhile story. I would not hesitate to read more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from St Martin’s Press via NetGalley and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library. ( )

A fairly standard coming-of-age tale. The novel's greatest strength is the setting. I found the main character an annoying every-girl caricature; she has no interests or hobbies other than boys and apparently owns more clothes than necessary. I was more than ready for the climax when she finally grew a fucking spine and I might have enjoyed this book if she had shown that sort of willfullness earlier on.

Many thanks to Wednesday Books for the ARC. ( )

Hurricane Summer is a book filled deeply with pain.

It is the opposite of a Disney movie. It is cruel and Tilla is naïve and kind and out or her element, which everyone in the story uses against her. It is a heartbreaking book with a very specific story and I appreciate so much that it exists. Hurricane Summer is the type of book we need when we talk about representation in books because this is a Caribbean story, a Black story, and one I’ve never seen before… which means those with lived experiences like Tilla’s haven’t seen either. And it is so important they are represented and know they are no alone.

Bromfield’s writing is gut-wrenching, doubly so considering it’s a debut. It’s evident that she’s spilled her heart on to the page, written this story in her own blood. Tilla’s story is fictional, but at the same time, it feels incredibly personal. Hurricane Summer doesn’t hold back – it will cut your heart out and make you angry and leave you feeling helpless.

I loved it, in that I appreciated it so much but I hurt every time I sat down to read.

The language is beautiful. The integrated Patois may be an obstacle for some readers. I personally didn’t find it challenging and you get more used to it as you read. Bromfield includes a glossary at the beginning of the book so readers are ready for the language. Author often clean up regional dialects and foreign languages in books, but the inclusion of Patois added depth and realism to the story. I liked that Bromfield didn’t anglicize it. I know some readers will struggle, but this book isn’t really for those readers. It isn’t for me.

The story moved forward quickly, piling one heartbreak after another until the hurricane arrived, literally and metaphorically. This is one of those books with characters that come to life, even though many of them will upset readers as much as they upset Tilla. Other than how broken I feel now that I’ve finished it… I loved it. Hurricane Summer reminded me of my privilege as it highlighted Tilla’s. It made me uncomfortable. It was really good.

I wholeheartedly recommend Hurricane Summer, but I know some readers won’t like the style, will struggle with the Patois, or will find Tilla frustrating. That’s okay – this book may not be for you. But I really encourage readers to give it a try because it is powerful and devastating. ( )