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bookswithmybulldog's review
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs
bookwormbullet's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wow. What a heartbreakingly beautiful book. I went into Hurricane Summer with no expectations other than a glance over previous reviews and finished this in one sitting. Many reviewers stated how there are a lot of potential triggers in the book, and I do wish I had taken those warnings more seriously because this book is very explicit for a Young Adult book. There are no content warnings attached to the book, so here is a list of TWs: rape (explicit, on-page), sexual assault (explicit, on-page), physical abuse & domestic violence (explicit, on-page), slut-shaming (explicit, on-page), colorism & racism (explicit, on-page), bullying, death (drowning, off-page), gaslighting (explicit, on-page), and cheating. I would definitely recommend this book for readers 16/17+ and do agree that this probably should have been marketed as New Adult even though Tilla is 17 years old in the novel.
Asha Bromfield does a really good job of explicitly portraying what many people of color who are a part of the diaspora of their home country go through when they have to balance both of their identities (in Tilla’s case, her Canadian identity vs. her Jamaican identity) while traveling to and from their home country. I also liked how Tilla’s feelings regarding her identity and her relationship with her father naturally contrasted with Mia’s feelings. The relationship Tilla has with her father was really devastating. Her father, frankly, was a horrible father to her and Mia and as much as I wanted Tilla to unleash all her rage on him and get back at him for treating her so horribly, I understand why she forgave him and told him that she loved him at the end of the novel. It’s a feeling many children of immigrants feel--that even though their parents may not be the most perfect parents to exist, they still love them for sacrificing their livelihoods and moving to a country they know nothing about, all in the hopes of ensuring that their children have a better life.
It was also really hard to read about Tilla’s relationship with her relatives back in Jamaica, but still relatable. I’ve also experienced this line of disconnect between children of immigrants and their extended family who still live back in their home country, especially when these two parties don’t see each other often. I was so happy that Tilla at least had Andre while she was in Jamaica, especially after witnessing how both of them are treated by their relatives, but my heart completely broke at the end of the novel. I really have to admire Tilla for still acknowledging how much Jamaica has strengthened her after everything she endured that summer.
As stated, this book is definitely relatable for those of us who are children of immigrants. Please take the content warnings seriously if you choose to read this and only read this if you are in the right headspace to take it all in, because it was really heavy. I’d give Hurricane Summer four stars overall!
Asha Bromfield does a really good job of explicitly portraying what many people of color who are a part of the diaspora of their home country go through when they have to balance both of their identities (in Tilla’s case, her Canadian identity vs. her Jamaican identity) while traveling to and from their home country. I also liked how Tilla’s feelings regarding her identity and her relationship with her father naturally contrasted with Mia’s feelings. The relationship Tilla has with her father was really devastating. Her father, frankly, was a horrible father to her and Mia and as much as I wanted Tilla to unleash all her rage on him and get back at him for treating her so horribly, I understand why she forgave him and told him that she loved him at the end of the novel. It’s a feeling many children of immigrants feel--that even though their parents may not be the most perfect parents to exist, they still love them for sacrificing their livelihoods and moving to a country they know nothing about, all in the hopes of ensuring that their children have a better life.
It was also really hard to read about Tilla’s relationship with her relatives back in Jamaica, but still relatable. I’ve also experienced this line of disconnect between children of immigrants and their extended family who still live back in their home country, especially when these two parties don’t see each other often. I was so happy that Tilla at least had Andre while she was in Jamaica, especially after witnessing how both of them are treated by their relatives, but my heart completely broke at the end of the novel. I really have to admire Tilla for still acknowledging how much Jamaica has strengthened her after everything she endured that summer.
As stated, this book is definitely relatable for those of us who are children of immigrants. Please take the content warnings seriously if you choose to read this and only read this if you are in the right headspace to take it all in, because it was really heavy. I’d give Hurricane Summer four stars overall!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Racial slurs, Bullying, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Death
betweentheshelves's review
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, this is a story that needs to be told. It's authentic, the voice feels real, and the incorporation of the Patois language makes it really unique. However, Tilla's story isn't the easiest to read. She goes through abuse, bullying, name calling. Your heart aches for her. There isn't much to balance out all of the negative stuff Tilla goes through, and I wish there was more showing a balanced side of Jamaica.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Blood, Car accident, and Child death
kerrygetsliterary's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Child death
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Child abuse, and Death of parent
anovelbeauty's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Book TW: rape, sexual assault, infidelity, victim blaming, sexism, IPV, physical abuse, colorism, prejudice, hypocrisy
Note: I read an eARC of this book from Netgalley in order to provide an honest review
Alright, I had a bit of a rough time with this book. It was just pretty triggering for me and I had to skip over quite a few sections having to do with infidelity, which this book has a lot of. Even though the main character struggles with the morals of what’s going on and that’s a big portion of the plot, it’s just not something I can really handle reading very well. Pretty much all of the things mentioned in the trigger warnings are pretty explicit and tough to read. It is absolutely not a light book.
Now, I did think the book was well written. The way the author describes things and puts you straight into Tilla’s emotional states was really well done. The way she describes Jamaica is lovely and poetic, but doesn’t feel overly romanticized either. I loved the friendship between Tilla and Andre. Tilla is an interesting protagonist and even when she makes horrendous decisions or finally has had enough with all the terrible stuff she goes through in the story and bursts, it makes sense. Most of the characters in the book are unlikeable, so if that’s not your thing, this probably isn’t going to work for you (except Andre and Mia, they are the only sweet characters in the book). Also, if hypocrisy and unjustness just sets your blood absolutely boiling… yep, that’s present too!
I though the aftermath portion of the book seemed a little rushed in comparison with the rest of the book and somehow, I expected a bigger disaster turn with how much the the physical hurricane had been built up throughout the story. The book did such a good job of buildup that the actual event and aftermath just felt a bit, well not a let down exactly, but just not what I felt it was building up to. The big actual plot twist also came very late in the story, so I felt like there wasn’t quite enough time to sit with the enormity of it, it felt like it needed just another 50 pages or so to really help it settle. It wasn’t a bad ending, it just didn’t quite feel like it matched the same pacing and quality of the rest of the book.
I did have trouble at first picking up on the dialect writing (Patois), there was a glossary at the beginning of the book, but since I was reading an ebook, I couldn’t really flip back and forth very easily if I didn’t understand a phrase. So if you’re unfamiliar with Patois like me, I would highly suggest a physical copy of the book so you can more easily check the glossary until you’re comfortable with the language. I definitely settled into understanding the dialect in the latter half of the book, it was just a bit of a learning curve towards the beginning.
Overall, I think its a good book and I’m sure it’s the perfect book for someone, but not really for me and that’s totally okay. Not every book is going to work perfectl
Note: I read an eARC of this book from Netgalley in order to provide an honest review
Alright, I had a bit of a rough time with this book. It was just pretty triggering for me and I had to skip over quite a few sections having to do with infidelity, which this book has a lot of. Even though the main character struggles with the morals of what’s going on and that’s a big portion of the plot, it’s just not something I can really handle reading very well. Pretty much all of the things mentioned in the trigger warnings are pretty explicit and tough to read. It is absolutely not a light book.
Now, I did think the book was well written. The way the author describes things and puts you straight into Tilla’s emotional states was really well done. The way she describes Jamaica is lovely and poetic, but doesn’t feel overly romanticized either. I loved the friendship between Tilla and Andre. Tilla is an interesting protagonist and even when she makes horrendous decisions or finally has had enough with all the terrible stuff she goes through in the story and bursts, it makes sense. Most of the characters in the book are unlikeable, so if that’s not your thing, this probably isn’t going to work for you (except Andre and Mia, they are the only sweet characters in the book). Also, if hypocrisy and unjustness just sets your blood absolutely boiling… yep, that’s present too!
I though the aftermath portion of the book seemed a little rushed in comparison with the rest of the book and somehow, I expected a bigger disaster turn with how much the the physical hurricane had been built up throughout the story. The book did such a good job of buildup that the actual event and aftermath just felt a bit, well not a let down exactly, but just not what I felt it was building up to. The big actual plot twist also came very late in the story, so I felt like there wasn’t quite enough time to sit with the enormity of it, it felt like it needed just another 50 pages or so to really help it settle. It wasn’t a bad ending, it just didn’t quite feel like it matched the same pacing and quality of the rest of the book.
I did have trouble at first picking up on the dialect writing (Patois), there was a glossary at the beginning of the book, but since I was reading an ebook, I couldn’t really flip back and forth very easily if I didn’t understand a phrase. So if you’re unfamiliar with Patois like me, I would highly suggest a physical copy of the book so you can more easily check the glossary until you’re comfortable with the language. I definitely settled into understanding the dialect in the latter half of the book, it was just a bit of a learning curve towards the beginning.
Overall, I think its a good book and I’m sure it’s the perfect book for someone, but not really for me and that’s totally okay. Not every book is going to work perfectl
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
mrsmiralda's review
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was incredible. I absolutely loved reading this, and it also hurt so so much.
Be warned, there’s plenty of triggers in this one: sexual, physical, verbal, and domestic abuse vividly described, abortion, death, loss & grief, bad parenting, defamation of character, experiencing a Hurricane, colorism and racial bias
Tilla’s story is one that resonated with me in ways I didn’t imagine. While my dad was never as emotionally disconnected as Tilla’s he still left our family to lead a different life. That hit home with me and her experience wondering why she wasn’t good enough for her father. This book also reminded me of the summer I spent in Cuba when I was 16, my first time returning after having emigrated to the United States. My experience there was similar to Tilla’s in terms of a summer fling and some culture shock. It’s interesting to be in your motherland and feel so disconnected from it that you start to really wonder where you belong.
Though this book was far more dramatic and climactic than my life, it hit close to my heart and I will treasure it forever. Also listening to patois on audiobook was an amazing experience and I was amazed at how much of it I naturally understood. Sometimes I was like, “Tilla, come on, that phrase is easy to understand!” But maybe that’s just me 🤷🏻♀️
Be warned, there’s plenty of triggers in this one: sexual, physical, verbal, and domestic abuse vividly described, abortion, death, loss & grief, bad parenting, defamation of character, experiencing a Hurricane, colorism and racial bias
Tilla’s story is one that resonated with me in ways I didn’t imagine. While my dad was never as emotionally disconnected as Tilla’s he still left our family to lead a different life. That hit home with me and her experience wondering why she wasn’t good enough for her father. This book also reminded me of the summer I spent in Cuba when I was 16, my first time returning after having emigrated to the United States. My experience there was similar to Tilla’s in terms of a summer fling and some culture shock. It’s interesting to be in your motherland and feel so disconnected from it that you start to really wonder where you belong.
Though this book was far more dramatic and climactic than my life, it hit close to my heart and I will treasure it forever. Also listening to patois on audiobook was an amazing experience and I was amazed at how much of it I naturally understood. Sometimes I was like, “Tilla, come on, that phrase is easy to understand!” But maybe that’s just me 🤷🏻♀️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Grief and Racial slurs
themoodyambr's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have a reading vlog of this book on my Booktube channel ( https://youtu.be/-cDx1y7bfTs ) if you want to hear more of my thoughts. Absolutely loved this book can’t wait to reread it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Rape, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse
biblio_jordyn's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I truly enjoyed this book that covers so many topics: colorism, classism, foreignness, young love, the complexity of family, abandonment and so much more.
How did I feel reading?
This book was heavy and heartbreaking and angering at the same time it was enlightening and uplifting and, by the end, joyous and bittersweet.
I thought the author did an excellent job creating characters that were fully developed and creating relationships between them that make us feel a rollercoaster of emotions. I loved the main character Tilla, I would fight for Tilla, I wanted to fight for her SO MANY TIMES.
This is an #ownvoices book, and one thing I really loved is that this book? This is book is not watered down. The author truly immerses us in Jamaica from the setting and the description of cultural rules to the language of Patois (yes, there is a word bank to help you along). It feels authentic and real and it makes you learn a lot. Would love to hear the POV people who are Jamaican!
This is a YA coming of age story that will stick with me for a long time and if you read it? It’ll stick with you too, but please remember to check the trigger warnings!
How did I feel reading?
This book was heavy and heartbreaking and angering at the same time it was enlightening and uplifting and, by the end, joyous and bittersweet.
I thought the author did an excellent job creating characters that were fully developed and creating relationships between them that make us feel a rollercoaster of emotions. I loved the main character Tilla, I would fight for Tilla, I wanted to fight for her SO MANY TIMES.
This is an #ownvoices book, and one thing I really loved is that this book? This is book is not watered down. The author truly immerses us in Jamaica from the setting and the description of cultural rules to the language of Patois (yes, there is a word bank to help you along). It feels authentic and real and it makes you learn a lot. Would love to hear the POV people who are Jamaican!
This is a YA coming of age story that will stick with me for a long time and if you read it? It’ll stick with you too, but please remember to check the trigger warnings!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Racism, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, and Rape
ktdakotareads's review
dark
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Racism, Grief, Death, Child death, and Bullying
shaunashares's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Child death and Toxic relationship
Minor: Domestic abuse