Hurricane Summer by Ashe Bromfield is a coming of age story dealing with colorism, classism and explores the father-daughter relationship. Tilla has spent her life trying to make her father love her enough to stay with them. But every six months, he would leave them to return to Jamaica, his true home. When Tilla’s mother tells her she’ll be spending the summer on the island, she dreads the idea of seeing him again and yet longs to discover why life in Jamaica was more important. The minute she arrives, Tilla is met with opposition from her relatives as a foreigner. She tries to make the most of the summer, hanging out with her cousins and the locals, discovering the joy and pain of summer love. As she faces an impending hurricane, Tilla is forced to confront the storm that threatens to unravel in her own life as she learns the dark secrets of her family and those hidden by the veil of paradise. It is a story which takes the reader into the heart of Jamaica and into the soul of a young girl coming to terms with her family, herself and the discovery of finding your voice.
The gorgeous cover is what caught my eye as I was invited to read this debut novel by Ms. Bromfield. I was intrigued by the story, but when I started reading, I was sure if I would like the book. But I continued and I’m so glad I did. The story soon burst open and became a beautiful coming of age story. Set in a Caribbean paradise, it is a story of a storm. A storm of nature and one of the heart and soul. From the very beginning, I felt for Tilla as she is fighting for her father’s affections as well as trying to navigate a world that is against her. I cried when she came to the conclusion that she is fighting an uphill battle against the pull of Jamaica. The island will always be his first choice. Written as a young adult novel, I feel all ages could relate and learn from Tilla's hurricane summer. The themes of summer love, jealousy and finding your voice are all experiences most of us have faced and can relate to Tilla’s confusion, her heartbreak and her determination to fight back. I highly recommend Hurricane Summer.

Hurricane Summer is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook.

Excellent YA Contemporary novel, this book takes the reader to Jamaica where Tilla is going to spend the summer with her father. One of the first things she learns is that American “poor” is still much better than the Jamaican well-off. She also discovers the power men have over women, opens Tilla’s eyes as well, and then there’s the hurricane which threatens to unravel her own life. Provocative first novel won’t always make for easy reading, but it will open eyes as to the realities people face.

Trigger Warnings: Bullying, Cancer (mentioned), Car accident (off-page), Cheating, Colorism, Death, Drowning (off-page), Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse (on-page), Racism, Rape (on-page), Sexism.
Full Trigger Warning list


~Personal thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review! All opinions are my own and if I offend anyone, please let me know, so I can fix it as soon as possible!~


I stared at the wall in shock for fifteen minutes after reading this.

I want to cry.
I loved this book. And it terrifies me.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐𝟒.𝟓

Let me just clear up the statement up above. I didn't cry, I outright quietly sobbed. And it was just this bittersweet pain because every story, anecdote, and metaphor in this book came together in one of the most beautiful ways I have ever read about.

Seldom do I read a 'contemporary' book and actually get connected with everything that's happening, because sometimes, I'm that moron who can never find her feelings. Shocker.

Tears welled up in my eyes and threatened to decimate my entire existence considering that I haven't actually cried for a story in a really, REALLY long time.

Half of the time I spent yelling at the MC to actually do something.
And the other half I was yelling at the rest for doing everything 'wrong'
There is literally no understanding me.

My heart was angered, shattered, destroyed, run over in the span of 400 pages of beauty. To be honest, I was feeling heartbroken at least for 60% of it. The other 40% was me pulling my hair out in frustration.
Guys, I actually felt something.

This- this is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Okay, scratch that, I got shattered on multiple occasions.

This story is so incredibly majestic in so many ways, that actually trying to do this review will break a part of me, because I'll sound like half a maniac throughout it all. Sue me, I loved it.

𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. Holy mother of flying cows, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH UYSFOIWFBIWEOEIFNW EF. Okay, I got that out of my system. I looked at it from every angle possible, stared at it, and dared it to shatter me. And of course, it totally did. Now, it's not to say that it didn't have points in which I was looking like the 'meh' face because frankly, it happened at least a couple of times. However, they were few and far in between so to rant a little for the sake of it, some parts were a bit repetitive, but dang, it made me feel every single speck of heart-wrenching beauty I was longing to be drowning in. The paragraphs and pages were lushly crafted, written in a manner that reached in between my ribs and pulled my soul from its resting place. Pushing my mind to such limits, I was bamboozled for most of it. So yeah, I adored it and cannot wait until it's published, so I can write a whole book of quotes. And like, cry a little more. It's been some time since I've felt something so pure for the writing.


𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝'𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝟒.𝟓. As I seldom do, I'll get the fangirling out of the way, putting aside my screaming self for about 6.2 seconds. (because come on, more than that is a death sentence to yours truly) I LIKED IT A LOT. LIKE, AN UNHEALTHY AMOUNT. The pacing was lovely, the chapters were awesome, the twists were saddening, and I was in shock after some things drove over my corpse as if it were disgusting unworthy garbage. *snort*In truth, the vivid imagery gave me material to vicariously live through the sights of Jamaica. Which I've never been to, but still.


At the moment, I am still extremely peeved as to the things that were glossed over. Mainly the sexual abuse and emotional trauma. Yes, I never usually go into topics such as this, because I'm not one to judge. But I personally feel that at times it was used as a plot filler, for the only sake that what happened to the main character was never touched on again. Um... that's not right? I would've been so happy, well, not happy. Hmmmm

Felt as if justice had been served? Yeah, way longer than the word I was searching for, but it's way better than 'justiced'.
If there would've been some sort of closure. Because those things are never light nor should they be taken as light as they were.
Regardless of that, I must mention that the rest was tear-jerking, frustrating and stunning.

𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 (𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞) 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

See, the MC, was great but a little meh. I loved her to an extent, understood her to a degree. But that got somewhat trampled when she wouldn't defend herself. Picture this, it's 1:15 am, your eyelids are burning, fingers are starting to shake, but no! You NEED to finish this book. Like, it's necessary for your survival. And what happens? The girl succeeds in getting a spinal cord (maybe from some other MC) on the last 100 pages.

Throughout it all, I screamed, yelled, and basically cussed (elegantly) her out of existence. Like, sweetie, this is a gift.

[Image of vertebrae]

One you've never been given before. Here, TAKE IT. I finally got my happiness in the last few chapters when she finally stopped 'giving in' and 'not wanting to get in trouble' and I literally heard Apollo singing to me. Or was it Cupid? I'll take both. I replayed the part where she got some sense so many times, and I shared it with my dad, mirror, dog, cows, and basically anything with ears. I think I even conversed with a mosquito before attempting his murder. So yes, I loved her but would've loved to hit her lightly, more.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭. Considering I liked only three of them. Everyone in this book is a nightmare, tis the truth. I don't care about 'understanding' where they're coming from, nor do I give a unicorn's horn what they've been through, your choices and your actions are yours. Own up to them. They were flawed and broken, and so painstakingly constructed, they actually left me in a breathless state. Every single spoken conversation was drenched in venom and vitriol, all the pain was so visible and poignant in its existence. It truly left me aghast how some people were so evil, but in a sense, I get it? I will forever be conflicted with them as a whole because they're too complex for me to be able to break down sufficiently.

𝐈𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐈 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. I cried during their every interaction (internally) and basically, felt compensated for the other awful romances that pooped on my life. I feel like it was a bit insta lovey for my taste, so I didn't adore it, however, I loved how they were so connected with each other. How the love interest was actually worth squealing for and how the guy had actual substance and not only there for the MCs delusional lack of proper thought process.

𝐎𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞, 𝐈 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲. The plot was deliciously stunning, the writing was a thorn in between roses. Barbed but oh so beautiful. I don't think I'm in the right state of mind to ever be able to re-read this, at least for now, since the pain is too fresh, and I felt too much.

Now, I'll go and submerge my broken self in a sea of shallow reads to see if I can regain my stone heart.

Haha, this was painful.

Thank you Wednesday Books for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Hurricane Summer
By: Asha Bromfield


REVIEW ☆☆☆☆

Asha Bromfield's debut novel, HURRICANE SUMMER, pulls no punches. This story goes to the dark places but illuminates, too.

"When they ask how I weathered the storm, I will tell them I did not...I was ruined. I was disaster. I was dancing in the eye of God's will...How beautiful it was to be destroyed."

Tilla, our heroine, weathers a personal storm while an actual hurricane rages outside during a summer spent in Jamaica with her absentee father. Young, vulnerable and chasing the daddy that walked away from her, Tilla desperately wants love and fulfillment, particularly of the male variety. Unfortunately, she finds nothing but judgment, abuse and anger from almost everyone she meets in Jamaica. Tilla's treatment is enraging, unfathomable and might cause readers to yell at the book.

This story is a heavy one, and there are numerous triggering scenes. Tilla is abused and used, and the whole situation is quite horrible. To the point, though, everything Tilla endures shapes her into a different version of herself. She grows up quickly and forcefully. Tilla is made all too aware of the ways women suffer by prejudgment and physically at the hands of others.

HURRICANE SUMMER is a powerful story, and the subject matter will not appeal to everyone. At times brutal and beautiful, this book is worth reading if you can tolerate the content. I will not soon forget Tilla's story of heavy truths and redemption or her one life changing summer.

Trigger warnings: sexual assault, injury, colorism, sexism, slut-shaming, bullying, grief!

“Hurricane Summer” is Tilla’s coming-of-age story set on the Island of Jamaica. Early on we meet Tilla and her sister Mia who are travelling from Canada to Jamaica to spend the summer with their dad. Tilla expresses frustration and anxiety since her dad doesn’t usually make them a priority! This tension is often palpable throughout the novel.

Bromfield has a knack for descriptive writing and does an amazing job showcasing the beauty of the island. From the hustle and bustle of the city of Kingston, to the lush greenery of the countryside, I felt totally immersed in the story. The poverty of the locals is evident and not only visual but is included in much of the banter between the characters. A cousin is jealous of Tilla’s pink backpack though it was purchased on the “low low” from Walmart!

Bromfield immerses us in Tilla’s experiences as she reconnects with family and make new friends. She is embraced by some of her cousins but is considered privileged due to her Canadian status. She desperately wants to let everyone know that her family struggles financially but it falls on deaf ears. Her relatives treat her poorly, projecting their own disappointments onto her because she represents dreams and goals they weren’t able to attain. Tilla's relationship with her father is the most complex of all – he continues to disappoint her and she continues to forgive him! This was frustrating to read.

Be warned, the author does not shy away from difficult topics – in fact, a great deal of the story covers abandonment, trauma, prejudice, colorism and sexual abuse! Admittedly, I was disappointed that many of these issues were not fully resolved at the end of Tilla’s visit which makes me wonder how close the story is to Bromfield’s lived experiences. Your heart will break for Tilla many times over but you will also admire her strength and growth during the time she spent in Jamaica.

PS: Study the Patois Word Bank – it will come in handy later!

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for a complimentary e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book as part of Bromfield’s book tour, as well as NetGalley, and it has been one of my favorite reads of this year. Now, I haven’t had much time to read this year due to being a student but during my insomnia fueled nights I turned to this above all the other books that I picked up, started, and then put down.

This review will have spoilers, and it will discuss things like assault, child neglect, colorism, and physical abuse. If any of these things are topics that you wish to keep yourself away from then I can tell you now that this book may not be for you. I had to stop and take breaks while reading myself because I felt so much at once. It’s okay if you are not mentally ready to face these topics.

I admit to reading a majority of this book in one sitting and thinking on it for a while, but I have a lot of thoughts while I read things; I like to take notes, I have a special notebook just for when I read novels and take notes and I feel like this is one of the times that I should share all my notes.

I loved the addition of a glossary; it makes any book immediately amazing because it shows that the author has put thought into things, I will forever be in love with her use of a glossary.
I don’t like Tyson; and I know that the story is partly about how he is absent in Tilla and Mia’s lives and how she wants his love more than anything but he does not sit right with me. He was late to pick up his daughters from the airport in a country that they did not know, and that automatically makes me dislike him.
Hessan is not my favorite either. Something about him feels off.
I hope that Andre gets a happy ending. (You betrayed me Ms. Bromfield, I didn’t even see that one coming but I should have)
I want Andrew to go back to Canada with Tilla and have a good life. He deserves it.
Seriously, Asha, I was not prepared.
Tilla feeling unsafe with people that are supposed to make her feel safe and at home hurts so much; knowing that she just wanted to spend time with her father and be happy and instead, she gets emotionally abused by nearly every person she meets. It’s heartbreaking to have to witness and I admit that I have had to take breaks while reading this because it’s so real.
I hope she throws away the necklace that Tyson has given her; he does not deserve to have so much of her love.
I think Andre will be the best part of her summer; she needs someone who is her equal and I feel like they have such a strong sibling bond between them that Mia is too young right now to have.
SERIOUSLY, ASHA, NOT PREPARED.
Tyson does not deserve to have anything good. Nothing at all good is allowed to be given to this man. Tilla may forgive him but I will not. Neither does Diana for that matter, I was appalled that she could have done something like that to anyone, let alone someone in her own family.

For an actual review, because I don’t think my notes do this masterpiece any justice I want to talk about a few things in particular that have stood out to me;

I come from a family where my father left us when I was an infant and so I hardly remember him; we never spoke about him and when I was younger, before I could really process things I felt the same awe for my father that Tilla did. Like he was the best person in the world...but then he left for good and I haven’t seen him since I was at least six years old. I was fortunate enough to be raised by someone else though, to have another father figure in my life the way that everyone in the country had Tyson to rely on. The father that I had in my life never got to raise his own biological daughter; she wanted nothing to do with him until my siblings and I came around and she was in her twenties.
It’s easy to understand where all of Tilla’s emotions come from when you have been in that position; when you have no idea what your father's life is like outside of the family he is supposed to have with you and your siblings and that’s part of why I had to take so many breaks reading this. It felt really personal to me sometimes and all I wanted was for Tilla to be happy.
Another big part of this book for me was how Bromfield talked about the colourism of Jamaica; how Andre was singled out for being darker than his brothers. My step-sister has two mixed-race children and I grew up hearing everyone tell them that they didn’t need to be darker. But there’s nothing wrong with them if they’re darker. I thought of my niece and nephew when I read Andre, and I just wanted good things for him because I want good things for every black child that has ever been told that they don’t need to get darker. I have huge respect for Asha Bromfield for making this a topic of discussion - for making people look at it as a major plot point.
This leads me into the abuse that Tilla faces at the hands of her family; mainly her aunts and her cousin. The people that are supposed to love her, who hated her before they even met her and how heartbreaking that was for her. It’s a small community and they used almost all the time she was there trying, and succeeding, in making her hate herself. Like she wasn’t good enough for things she didn’t do. Hassen lied to her, kept things from her and she still loved him, he expected her to love him even when he treated her badly. These are such terrible things for someone so young, anyone really, to have to go through in a place where they have no one. All I could think about when I read this was how much I just wanted Tilla to be happy.
But Tilla comes out stronger somehow; she faces a literal hurricane, the death of her closest relative, an assault planned by her own cousin, and she comes out of this whole thing stronger than I would ever have been if I were her.
I think this was a beautiful story, which doesn’t end with the main character having a love interest other than herself, and she doesn’t know everything but she knows that she’s learned things.
This is Asha Bromfield’s first book; but if she writes anything else you can be sure I’ll be getting my hands on it. Even if it leaves me as emotional as this one did.

A MIND-BLOWING DEBUT THAT MUST BE READ!!

Asha Bromfield’s ( @ashabrom ), Hurricane Summer is a page-turning coming of age novel that hardly reads like a debut. It is a critical exploration of the journey from girlhood to womanhood and the many sweet and sour moments that follow. It taps into the vulnerability and often times shame that is a part of that process and what it does to the individual who is often searching for love and home in what feels like a foreign place or all the wrong places.

“Mom says you get two birthdays. The first one is the day you are born. The second is the day you leave home and give birth to yourself.”

The novel follows Tilla and her little sister Mia who are en route to visit their dad in their homeland of Jamaica for the summer. Tilla has been before and while she’d rather spend the summer at home in Canada among friends, her longing for a closer bond to her father, Tyson is enough to set them on their way.

One of the most beautiful things about this book was the colorful cast of characters introduced. They really gave life to the heart of Jamaica with their Patois language and rich ties to the country. Each of them with their own individual stories and connections. I adored Andre just as Tilla began to gain a closer bond with him and was torn apart by the books conclusion. There’s just something about really well-written and thoughtfully constructed characters that pull me in.

Throughout the novel we see the strain and tension in the relationship between Tilla and her father and how it has helped to shape the relationships in her life and the perceptions she has of herself. I think the author does a phenomenal job showing through Tilla just how far one will go to be loved by another, to be seen. Especially when you’re looking for love from those who are supposed to love you unconditionally. How it can ruin you. When I think about the budding relationship between Tilla and Hassen, the similarities are glaring. Hurt people hurt other people.

Certainly there were many storms faced throughout, but I loved the healing process that took place in this book. The loving kindness that took place that was the centerpiece of forgiveness. It is a beautiful tragic story that is strong and should be read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for gifting me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

18 year old Tilla is sent with her 9yo sister Mia from Canada to Jamaica to spend the summer with their father. Upon arriving, Tilla realizes that their father who has been absent from much of their lives is more of a father-figure to her cousins. He’s also got a secret that could unravel their family. When Tilla discovers it, she has to decide whether or not she should keep the secret too.

On an island filled with brown and black bodies, racism is still rampant. Andre, her cousin, is bullied by everyone around (including his family members) simply for how dark his skin is. Tilla is outraged but doesn’t know how to make changes.

Throughout the summer Tilla witnesses and is victim of sexual abuse and shaming. My heart broke for this young woman who is navigating all this essentially on her own.

While the target audience is YA, there is a lot more language than I would want my teen reading.

Thank you to St Martin’s Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

HURRICANE SUMMER is a coming-of-age story about Tilla and her trip to visit her father (and family) in Jamaica for a whole summer. Tilla’s father leaves their family and returns to Jamaica every six months. Because of this, Tilla is eager and anxious to find out what keeps her father from spending the whole year with them in Canada. The novel follows how Tilla faces a storm that unravels in her own life while also dealing with an impending hurricane.

Have you ever picked up a young adult novel that helped heal your inner child/teen? This one’s 100% it for me.

Here are my thoughts while reading:
1- Tilla’s relationship with her father is so familiar that I found myself tearing up reading select scenes and dialogue. Tilla’s emotional journey is what drives this story and all of it feels so real. I saw myself in Tilla a lot, especially with the desire to be protected ~even, saved~ by a distant father.

2- Aunt Herma and Diana’s mistreatment of Tilla was heart-breaking. I can see how the author makes the point that bitterness/jealousy can reveal the nastiest parts of a person. However I’m curious how own voices reviewers would perceive these characters.

3- Tilla’s experience staying in the country reveals how different country life is compared to living in the city. How different class is perceived when looked at in a global scale.

4- I love the Patois sprinkled throughout the novel. The dialogue across all characters is beautifully written and reveals so much of each of their own perspectives.

5- This novel stands out in that it amplifies the voices of young girls and women who have experienced (or will inevitably experience) being sexually shamed. It reveals how complicated growing up can be for teenage girls when their sexual nature is used as a weapon against them.

HURRICANE SUMMER is all about finding your voice and setting aside space for self-love. I encourage all potential readers to read the content warnings for this book because it can get heavy but overall, I highly recommend this one to anyone who needs to heal similarly.

4.5 Stars

“Hurricane Summer” is the beautifully written debut novel by Asha Bromfield. Having to visit her estranged father in his hometown of Jamaica leads to a summer that Tilla will never forget.

I truly do not even know where to begin. “ Hurricane Summer” was a cultural experience. I felt like I ended the book with a little bit of knowledge on the Patois language as well as the Jamaican culture. The dictionary at the beginning of the book was definitely helpful and I referred back to it many times while reading. I loved the setting of this book. Even though it offers a stark contrast to the tourism pictures that I have grown accustomed to in painting a paradise picture of Jamaica, this novel offers a totally different view. While this shows the countryside, a more poverty-stricken side of Jamaica, it also offers a more stunning view of bodies of water, lush land, and more. This was a fully immersive experience.

“Hurricane Summer” was a hard read at times. Tilla did not deserve the treatment that she received from so many people in this book. I found myself wondering “what next?” But under all of this trauma, pain, and judgement is a story about a young girl on the cusp of adulthood.

The majority of the characters in this book were unlikeable for various reasons. There were a few bright spots however. My favorite part of the summer ended up being the part that hurt me the most. I enjoyed seeing Tilla’s growth and could not help but wonder what is next for her. There were many themes explored in this book. From colorism to toxic family members, familial ties, gender roles and expectations, and so much more.

“Hurricane Summer” took me through so many different emotions. I was infuriated a lot of the time, laughed a little , and cried… I definitely cried. This was a thought-provoking novel and Asha Bromfield’s writing style was simply beautiful. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

From the first page of Hurricane Summer to the last, storms are brewing in more ways than one. There's the physical hurricane bearing down on the island of Jamaica and then there's the emotional storm that batters our heroine Tilla at every turn of this stunning debut novel. Canadian's eighteen year old Tilla and her nine year old sister Mia arrive in Jamaica to visit their Jamaican father who they haven't seen for a year since he left them and their mother in Canada to return to his homeland. Relationships are strained, and Tilla is both fearful and excited to see her father again. This is her chance to see her father in his elements . . . his beloved Jamaica. A place he loves more than her, her sister and his wife. Tia wants to understand why her father was drawn back to this place time and again . . . why she was never enough. However, it soon becomes clear that she won't be spending a lot of time with her father even after he promised they'd spend the summer together. Almost immediately after their arrival, he leaves Tilla and her sister in the poverty stricken countryside with his family while he returns to the city to work. She is devastated, humiliated and immediately put on-guard as she senses the hostility radiating off some family members. The story that unfolds is heartbreaking, extremely intimate, and quite educational. I found myself repeatedly shocked at the resentment and abuse practiced among these native people whom you would expect to support each other. The presence of colorism is particularly disturbing as the shade of ones skintone determines ones "place" in society - even affecting ones educational opportunities. Social class and sexism play a large role in their daily lives also determining ones place in a family. My heart absolutely broke for these characters and their bleak futures.

Hurricane Summer is an emotional roller coaster from start to finish. Author Asha Bromfield has penned an intense coming-of-age story featuring a young woman desperate to find her place in her father's world and to find herself. Through vivid imagery and analogies, the author showcases the beauty of a place known to travelers as paradise vs. a poverty stricken world of dark secrets and impoverished people. Through characters so fully fleshed out that you can feel the sweat drip off their skin along with waves of desperation radiating from their eyes, readers get up close and personal with the storms threatening their lives. The undertones of danger and darkness kept me turning pages while silently praying Tilla and others would escape unharmed. Through it all, I was amazed by Tilla's strength and resilience and ability to stand back up after being knocked down time and again. Incidences of verbal abuse is disturbing and often worse than physical blows and assaults. The growing sense of despair lends an ominous tone throughout as the story engulfed me and carried me at breakneck speed toward an explosive ending.

The inclusion of the Jamaican Patois language is difficult to understand until you get into the flow of the story. The author includes a dictionary at the front of the book, but I found I didn't need it as I soon lost myself in the atmospheric story after getting more into the characters heads. I found the language actually enhanced the reading experience with authenticity. Hurricane Summer is rich and full and alive with both darkness and rays of hope. Threads of a deeper message intertwine with compelling themes of classism, colorism, sexism, abandonment, rejection and first loves delivered through beautifully lyrical writing.

This book would make a great book club or reading group discussion, and I highly recommend it in spite of several warning triggers. Brilliantly rendered through the eyes of a confused, coming of age eighteen year old girl on a journey of self-discovery, Hurricane Summer is simply the perfect storm. Destined to be "that" book in 2021!

This is a stunning debut novel from Asha Bromfield. Such a beautifully written story with strong characters and a gripping tale. Whilst the book does deal with some difficult, sometimes harrowing, subjects it does so with passion that even if you wanted to stop reading, you simply couldn’t.

I’ll look forward with interest to more from Bromfield.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the review copy.

"Everyone has that one summer. The summer that changes your life."

Oh, I loved this book, and I'm so glad I read it, but I must admit that I almost put it down after reading the opening pages. Why? Two reasons. One: in the opening, the author warns that this story contains sexual assault. That is a topic I don't like to read about, and I'll avoid it whenever possible. But I chose to read the story, because I appreciated the author's warning, and I hoped that once I got to that part of the story I'd be able to skim over it and not internalize it. Thankfully, the scene was short, but it was still heart wrenching. All sexual assault is heart wrenching. Two: also in the beginning of the book is a glossary of Patois words. I've never been strong with other languages, and the idea of needing to learn another language in order to read this book felt daunting. I chose to ignore the glossary and read the story as if there was none. Heavy dialect and Patois words within the book's dialogue made it a challenge to read, but it became easier as I got into the rhythm of it. "Yuh haffi go learn how fi chat Patois if yuh wan keep up. Mi ah nuh Rosetta stone." Other than these two elements, I absolutely loved the story. So good!

As a kid with divorced parents who spent summers with my father, I could relate on so many levels with this story. Kids want to be loved and valued and protected by their parents, and Asha Bromfield does an excellent job exploring this facet of life. "This time it is me searching for the right words that will make him stay. The right words to convince him that we are his daughters and he should want to stick around. That we are fun enough. Interesting enough. Good enough."

Bromfield also does an excellent job of immersing the reader in the setting of Jamaica. Her descriptions provide great imagery of the country, and since the main character grew up in Canada, she's able to compare and contrast the two countries and cultures.

The characters of this story have a wide range of emotional flaws, habits, and traits. Their images and personalities stuck with me long after the story was over.

Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield is a story of a young woman surviving her own personal hurricane, sustaining injuries, healing, and growing. The writing is beautiful and captivating.



Some of my favorite lines from the story:

"The air is moist and dewy from the rainfall last night, and birds sing to each other as they fly over our heads. It becomes clear that nothing compares to the birth of a new day on a crisp Jamaican morning."

"I have wanted my father's love for too long. But now, I am weary. Now, I am done. It's a strange pursuit--chasing the love of your father. When the first man who was supposed to want you, doesn't."

"We celebrate the way that the island is coming alive in a way like never before for its own destruction. We watch in reverence as it is being forced to destroy itself, to re-create itself again."

"When they ask how I weathered the storm, I will tell them I did not. I was uprooted like the palm trees and shot down like the birds form the stormy skies. I was ravished like the zinc houses and devoured like the soil as it swallowed itself whole. I was ruined. I was disaster. I was dancing in the eye of God's will."



[I received an early copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.]

'Hurricane Summer' by Asha Bromfield is the story of a girl named Tilla coming of age during a tumultuous visit with her extended family in Jamaica.

Along with her sister.. Mia, Tilla lives in Canada with their mother, while every six months their father returns home to the island. The result of all those fatherly disappearances, is a pretty big disconnect between them.

Though it's supposed to be a safe, happy place for the girls.. the visit is not what's expected. While Tilla's life takes a dark turn, the impending summer storm turns out to be a hurricane to be reckoned with.. but the swell of personal drama she's dealing with might be even more destructive.

This book is Bromfield's debut as an author, but some may know her from her acting roles in Locke and Key, Riverdale, and Josie and the Pussycats. Like her lead character, she lives in Canada and used to spend her summers in Jamaica.. and it's easy to see her love of the island in her writing.

Honestly, I think I expected a little light-hearted familial drama. I blame the beautiful cover that seems to be filled with.. an unabashed longing.. and there is some of that present, just not entirely in the way I thought there would be.

They say that fathers are especially important to daughters. They say that in an ideal situation, the love between the two.. gives daughters confidence and high self-esteem.. and without that, they have a tendency to undersell themselves. Personally, in my experience.. I find this more applicable to relationships than life paths and it's really apparent in Tilla's story.

She seems to spend the majority of her energy trying to please those around her. Don't get me wrong, it's always more pleasant when those around you like you.. but she really fights hard to be liked. There is not a lot of time for love and understanding amongst those she finds herself staying with. Just a ton of judgement, bitterness, and jealousy.. manifesting in some of the nastiest ways.

I really felt for Tilla throughout her journey. She's a good person, still carrying a bit of optimism even when it's difficult to maintain, but those around her seem determined to crush it into dust. Moments of astonishing beauty and tenderness make it even worse when they're ripped away by the harsh realities of her situation.

Frankly, I wasn't expecting to be so affected by this story emotionally.. but it really shook me. Though I might make little tweaks here and there to the way Tilla sometimes almost rewrites reality based on what others have said, I get what the author was trying to do.. and ultimately, it moved me all the same. What a heartwrenching read.. well done.

Hurricane Summer was a book that I read at the right time. It is a young adult fiction story but the real life aspects to the storyline took me on an emotional journey that I didn’t want to get off. Tilla is a teenager that is spending her summer in Jamaica with her father and his side of the family. Going to Jamaica was a big adjustment and was not the fun that Tilla anticipated. Right away, her fathers side of the family showed their dismay and unhappiness. I found it interesting that the family didn’t treat Tilla’s younger sister, Mia, the same way.

This book is heavy. Really heavy. I was shocked at the twist that this story presented. It was not what I expected but it was so good I could not stop reading. The author did a really good job adding the patois lingo to the story. At the beginning I wasn’t use to it but by the end, I was reading so fast I didn’t mind the lingo. The characters were well developed, although some were difficult, each character played a significant role. I loved how the book was really detailed, even the parts that had to have been difficult for the author to write. I don’t want to give too much away about the book, but, I highly recommend it and please have tissues nearby!!

This book contains: racism, bullying, rape, death, natural disasters

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Hurricane Summer is an appropriate title for the experience Tilla has in Jamaica while visiting her father for two months. Her hopes of reuniting with her dad and spending time with him over the summer go astray as soon as she and her sister get there, proving once again why she feels the way she does about him. It hurt my heart to know that both she and her sister Mia waited so long to see their father only to hardly spend time with him. Just about everything that happens, except for moments of respite with her cousin Andre who might be the only character I liked in the book, is heart breaking. I kept wondering when it would stop. The answer? Like a hurricane, it's unrelenting.

I was immersed in the book because of the writing. It's poetic and the descriptions kept me reading. Tilla feels a lot and Bromfield was able to place me in Tilla's emotional state of mind. It's also well-paced. The plot moves along, never feeling disjointed or abrupt, despite the multitude of things that happen. It's a heart wrenching novel filled with multiple events meant to break Tilly, culminating in what she decides to do about it: will she break, or will she overcome them? It's a departure from the books I normally read with a slew of triggers that pile on one after the other; it's a heavy read. Despite this, I mostly enjoyed the book.

Maybe it’s the familiarity of some of the old-school Caribbean mindsets and jargon, but I really vibed with this book. “Hurricane Summer” follows a teenage girl and her younger sister as they leave their home in Canada to visit their father in Jamaica and details their adjustment and cultural differences despite being related by blood. What follows is a coming of age story of a young Black teenager learning about familial responsibility and disappointment, her sexuality, and societal pressures and judgment. It’s a slow paced book, but I found myself invested and rooting for the main character. Great scene setting of Jamaica. Good read-4 Stars ⭐️. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Hurricane Summer is a young adult coming-of-age novel about an 18 year old girl’s summer long visit to her parent’s homeland, Jamaica. Tilla will be forced to weather both an internal storm of yearning, loss and self-doubt along with an potentially devastating tropical storm heading toward Jamaica.

When Tilla arrives in Jamaica (from Canada) she’s putting years of disappointment in her father behind her. He left the family years before and hasn’t visited as promised but Tilla continues to yearn for his love. Despite originally being excited about her arrival her extended family living in the Jamaican countryside quickly begin to mock the way she dresses and speaks and what seemed like a paradise vacation slowly turns sour. She tries to build relationships with her cousins and other local teens but quickly finds herself on the wrong side of small town gossip and outright lies. She also discovers a cruel and twisted side to her aunts and uncles who resent her seemingly charmed life in Canada. But a quick visit to the city reveals layers to her father that she wasn’t expecting and as a hurricane heads toward Jamaica everything boiling underneath the surface will come to a head.

This was not an easy book to enjoy or a main character to relate to. I found her hopelessly naive and her “instalove” relationship with a local boy was a poor choice for many reasons. I also thought it was odd that the author left out any details of Tilla’s life prior to the trip. There is nothing on the page about friends back in Canada, school or her future plans. As a reader, we know absolutely nothing about her except that she has huge daddy issues and most of her existence is in relationship to her parent’s crumbling marriage. There are also awful things going on in the house where she stays in the country and Tilla is forced to navigate this with only her little sister as company which make for a gloomy and depressing read. Despite the beautiful Caribbean setting the reader (and Tilla) are confronted with poverty, slut shaming, domestic violence, strict gender roles, internalized racism, sexual assault and death.

Although there is a glaring lack of a backstory, uncomfortable content (I can’t put into words how much I hated most of her family) and how little joy there was to be found in this book I appreciated what learned about the patois of Jamaica (the book includes a word bank) and the difference between city and country living. Over this tumultuous summer Tilla learns a lot about herself, family, finding inner strength and the true definition of “home”.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tilla lives in Canada, and loves her father, but rather than stay with his family, he returns to Jamaica constantly. Tilla has always wondered what keeps pulling him away to the island, and one summer, she gains the opportunity to see the island for herself, and find out what mysteries steal her father from her on a recurring basis. Yet, on arriving in Jamaica, it is both entrancing and unfamiliar, and Tilla does not find the answers her heart yearns for right away. Instead, as she blossoms from young girl into woman, she finds that her body is used against her just as she is learning to love it, and a hurricane bears down upon Jamaica, threatening to bury the island, and with it, Tilla's emerging sense of self.

This is a lyrical, personal look at a side of Jamaica that I don't think is written of often. The story, once it arrives there, focuses on rural Jamaica, away from the tourism, and offers a look at what life might be like every day outside of the common cruise stops. Jamaican Patois is used liberally throughout the story, which helped to transport me into the moment with Tilla. Tilla goes through a lot in her time on the island, partially because she finds herself judged in many respects. Her extended family in Jamaica is not kind to her, and as she yearns for the kind of love and guidance in life her father has failed to provide, she reaches out to young men who are out for themselves much more than her.

Her journey of self-discovery carries just as much upheaval for herself as the incoming hurricane causes for the island, and the juxtaposition of Tilla's turbulent life and the terrible hurricane provides for a satisfying, if occasionally turgid, swirl of poetic emotion. Hurricane Summer is an occasionally dark and heavy story about what it means to become a woman without the tender love of a caring father, but there is also light, and after violent change can come healing, and rebuilding. Recommended for readers interested in Jamaica, womanhood, first love, and rough coming-of-age stories.

Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield
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Out today, 5/4/21
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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“How beautiful it was to be destroyed. “
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This book follows a young woman on her journey with her sister to visit their absentee dad in Jamaica. They visit during the summer which is hurricane season. Hurricane Gustav is not the only storm Tilla endures. She fights a storm within herself.
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I requested this book on Net Galley solely for the cover. I did not read the synopsis. I think that was a good thing. I saw this beautiful cover and thought I would receive a story about a hurricane. What I got was so much more.
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As I read this story I had a difficult time understanding why the artwork on the cover is so beautiful when the story itself is so dark. I quickly learned the cover is beautiful because Tilla is beautiful. The journey Tilla goes through is dark but she is the light. “Sometimes little girls must become their own heroes.”
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This story was beautiful and tragic and twisted and thought-provoking. This story made me happy and angry and absolutely broke me.
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This story had endless trigger/content warnings that include but are not limited to: physical abuse, emotional abused, sexual abuse, abandonment and racism.
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Would I recommend that a teenager read this? Probably not. This story is not for the faint of heart and talks about a lot of painful things. Would I recommend this books to an adult who is aware of what they will endure? 10000000x over and over.
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This is my number one book of 2021.
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“When a hurricane finally forms you feel it in the depths of your bones. It is the feeling that tells you nothing will ever be the same.”
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Thank you Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and Asha Bromfield for an advanced readers copy of this book.