I'll be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to make of Asha Bromfield's Hurricane Summe. It's not something neat or easy, but the value of a piece goes beyond that, beyond easy. I found it to be deeply truthful and emotionally authentic and it's clear that Bromfield toiled over it. Her writing is descriptive and vivid, full in a way that not many debuts are.

There is a sizable amount of triggering content, not for me specifically, but depictions that people do make note of to share with other readers, so before reading Hurricane Summer, please seek them out, I found most of these instances to serve Bromfield's central theme and narrative trajectory, and I'm in no place to judge how others choose to explore trauma, though at one point, I thought the emotional impact of one of these events could have been expanded upon to the benefit of the book overall.

But other than that, the characters are well built and shaped, dynamic and different, flawed above all else. Be ready to be frustrated with more than a few of them. Overall, an impressive debut from a writer that's brimming with promise. And as always, I can picture this story adapted to the screen quite easily, especially as an opportunity for an up and coming Afro-Jamaican female director and writer.

I was so excited to read Hurricane Summer after hearing Asha Bromfield speak at TLA, but this book just didn’t work for me. The premise was great: Tilla and her sister go spend the summer with their father in Jamaica. There, Tilla sees colorism and classism and experiences sexual shaming while finding dark secrets within her own family.

What I enjoyed: the Jamaican setting was great! I haven’t read many books set in Jamaica and the landscape comes alive here.

What didn’t work: I just couldn’t relate to the main character or understand her decisions. Her experiences in Jamaica were so negative that it was hard to read.

Tilla at age 18 along with her sister, Mia visits her constant absent father in Jamaica and to say she goes through a lot is quite an understatement. The writing is immersive in description but also hurting to the heart seeing first hand what Tilla has to put up with her father's family and how they treat her. It deals with classism, colorism, sexism and more on all sides with the countryside's people and own family members. Mia and Andre definitely have to be the good balance of this story overall, with Mia's innocence yet her love for her sister overpowers it all and keeps Tilla sane along with Andre being the only one in Tilla's dad's family side that treats Tilla well and is her constant best friend opening her mind up to what life throws at her and to the world that treats them so cruelly. The paradise being poison describes the book in a few words almost to its very accuracy with the trauma and revelations Tilla had to undergo and the realizations it had for characters like Andre. Hurricane Summer was a rollercoaster very fast paced even for all gut punches it packed. That being said I wish Tilla's development and finding strength in herself was written extensively since for most of the story she took the treatment she was getting with silence never making those around her listen. The ending as beautiful as it was in its writing there was just more that was missing in her overall arc. It probably wouldn't happen but I would like to see a story of aftermath maybe a year or so after that summer with seeing more realistic depth of Tilla recovering from all that happened to her and dealing with love from others and herself. As much critique as I had, it's a personal conflict with how traumatic majority of the book was, but this was still a much stunningly done books especially for a debut and people looking forward to this will find themselves in contemplation after.

Beautiful book! Looking forward to what Asha Bromfield will write next.

Full review will be linked!

I think my main issue with this book is that it is marketed as YA, but it probably should be left as a new adult book. Especially due to the trigger warnings and how in detail some things were.

Other than that I adored it. As a protagonist and character I loved Tilla. I am not Jamaican however the book took me back to when I visited with my family. The atmosphere was so well described that it felt like I was there again.

The book is incredibly well written and the characters are well rounded. This book made me bawl my eyes out and as someone who likes to actually feel things when I read books, I loved that.

TW: sexual assault (on page), rape (on page), physical abuse (explicit), death, slut-shaming, colorism

This book was a devastatingly beautiful and raw account of a girl coming of age whether she's ready or not. Set against the breath-taking backdrop of Jamaica, Tilla experiences an actual hurricane in the small rural village of her fathers youth and the metaphorical hurricane which is the realization of the type of man her father truly is. Both cataclysmic events turn out to be cleansing and transformational leading Tilla back home to Canada a stronger woman.

Loved this story in all its sincerity and honesty. Asha left her heart on the pages of this novel and I was changed.

I loved this YA debut novel! 17-year old Tilla and her 9-year old sister Mia are sent by their mother to spend the summer with their father in Jamaica. Besides meeting and staying with family members they have never met before, they are in a whole different world than what they are used to in Canada. Tilla is looking to reconnect with her dad who, in her mind, is her hero. Tilla’s interactions with her cousins and aunt is at the forefront of this story as she tries to connect with them and find where she belongs.

The beautiful visuals of Jamaica was an interesting juxtaposition to the ugliness of some of the dynamics between Tilla and some family member. Oh, did I mention the drama and shade in this story -- eye-bugging and jaw-dropping. This family saga is so layered and touches on issues of class, colorism and patriarchy. The way the story was told was so smart, emotional and at times, quite startling. I loved, loved, loved this book!!

Really enjoyed this #ownvoices novel about Tilla, who goes back to Jamaica to reunite with a father who shuffles between Canada and Jamaica. Tilla and her sister go to her family's home in the country and not only deal with a physical hurricane that may hit the island but also emotional hurricanes as they navigate colorism, classism and family dynamics that are very foreign to them as they are constantly reminded of. It really shows the emotional depth of a girl who wants to find that love and connection with her father. It also does a great job of showing parents as people themselves - flawed and imperfect. There were heart pounding moments for sure but it's not a happy and easy read - it tackles some heavy subjects for sure. I appreciated this debut by Asha Bromfield and looking forward to reading more by her.

This book *feels so much*.

Tilla and her sister Mia are going to see their father again for the first time in over a year. He’s had a pattern of leaving them and their mother in Canada and returning to Jamaica whenever he feels the urge, often abruptly and without consideration for his family. Even so, Tilla is determined to make the best of the trip, despite her own conflicting feelings about her father, not just for the sake of her sister but for herself too.

Hurricane Summer is a lot like what I would imagine the island is, visceral and painful at times, but also beautiful. There’s a quiet resilience running through the characters, one that seems to be constantly stress tested by their environment. The stream of tension in the story is tied to not just the literal storm looming ahead, but the figurative one that you can tell will strike land at any moment.

I think the hardest thing about reading this book was just seeing the way Tilla is treated again and again by the people around her. She puts up with a lot, and has often let her feelings go unsaid to her father and the rest of her extended family. They’re condescension is rooted in not just the resentment they have towards Tilla and her sister for being better off than them, but also in a rigid patriarchal structure that thrusts all blame on the women and girls, while letting the boys and men off the hook. It’s a familiar kind of cruelty for any girl reading this book, but that doesn’t make it any easier to witness.

Another topic that Bromfield explores is the effect that colonialism and racism has had on the mostly Black population of Jamaica. Colorism in particular is still an obstacle that darker-skinned characters have to overcome, and skin tone can effectively dictate the way their lives turn out. That, on top of poverty and classism, doesn’t provide even the opportunity for some characters to even imagine an alternative life for themselves, which is so immensely heartbreaking.

Especially as a debut, I was really impressed with Asha Bromfield’s storytelling here. The setting and scenes she writes are evocative and feel so vividly real, that you’re instantly transported to Jamaica while reading. I loved seeing Tilla learn about where she comes from while also learning about herself and using what she learns to finally find her voice. This novel was a pleasant surprise for me, and I’m excited to see what the author comes out with in the future!

“How beautiful it was to be destroyed.”

I have been thinking about HURRICANE SUMMER nonstop since reading that final line. I’m posting this review using one of @ashabrom’s incredible promo photos because I was lucky enough to have an eGalley but the digital cover does not do it justice. I eagerly await my print copy and to reread that last page to have the satisfying feeling of closing the physical book on that line.

I am blown away by this story and know it is one I will return to.

[General content warnings for sexual assault and domestic violence]

HURRICANE SUMMER brings us Tilla, a Black teenager off on her first true trip away from home to stay with her absentee father in Jamaica for the summer. She both resents and loves her father and her complicated feelings toward him are only amplified when they head out into the lush rural village her father grew up in—where he promptly leaves Tilla and her younger sister alone with family members she hasn’t seen since childhood.

Tilla’s time in Jamaica is as chaotic as the oncoming hurricane season: she reaffirms a strong bond with one cousin, is at the mercy of another cousin who hates her one minute and likes her the next, experiences darker elements of her family than she ever imagined, and falls in love for the first time. The novel tackles many elements of being a young woman coming into her own sexuality and I recognize so many pieces of my own painful, confusing time at that age. But at the heart of Tilla’s story is being a Black young woman trying to find herself in the world. Bromfield shows how intricately colorism, racism, shame, poverty, violence, and young womanhood intertwine, and I have to imagine she is only just skimming the surface of how deep these issues run in a way that I, a white cisgender woman, will not understand.

Tilla’s story is told through beautiful prose that both brings to life the beauty of Jamaica and lets you feel every emotion she does—the good and the bad.

This was an automatic order for my high school library collection and am excited for my students to read it. No matter a reader’s circumstances, I think everyone can find something for themselves in Tilla’s stories and this line in particular is one that resonated deeply with me: “I heard once that a girl’s heart is an ocean of secrets. But as I feel my heart rage against my chest, I think it is an ocean of storms.”

Title: Hurricane Summer
Author: Asha Bromfield
Publisher: Wednesday Books
@wednesdaybooks
Genre: Young Adult (YA)

Hurricane Summer is a coming of age story that will have you interested from the very first page. However, despite my immediate interest, I found it took me a little bit to find my stride with this one; But once I did, I couldn’t put it down! I’m so grateful that the author included a “Patois Word Bank” at the beginning of this book. It was so very helpful in understanding the Jamaican dialogic that is a beautiful foundation of this book.

This one is one to add to my long list of Young Adult (YA) books that tackle tough issues. This one is full of triggers including sexual assault & rape, verbal & physical abuse, slut shaming, bullying, colorism, infidelity, and death. Through it all the main character, Tilla, finds her voice.

Tilla has spent her entire life trying to make her father love her. But every six months, he leaves his family (Tilla, her mother and younger sister Mia) and returns to his true home of Jamaica. When Tilla is told she will be spending the summer in Jamaica with her father, her immediate reaction is dread.

Throughout the story the author uses wonderful symbolism of Tilla’s life falling apart from choices she makes with the yearly impending summer hurricane.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 “For Little Asha, And all the girls with holes in their hearts, the size of their fathers. You are worthy. You are resilient. You are love. I poured my heart onto these pages, With the prayer it would give you the courage to set yourself free.” ⬅️ This is the authors dedication and I truly believe she poured her heart and soul into this story. I feel like with so many tough issues and unlikeable characters in this story I shouldn’t of loved it as much as I did, but I absolutely loved it. I loved learning about Jamaica. The country vs. city life. Poor vs. rich. Let me leave you with one last quote:

“Di contrast. Di people to di land. Jamaica is an island of survivors, yuh nuh. We came here by slavery, but our ancestors were rebels. Warriors. Revolutionaries. Jamaicans were di slaves that freed themselves. They’re born tough. They’ve had to be. We been through a lot.”

Tilla and her younger sister leave Toronto to spend Jamaica the summer with their father in his homeland. In this idyllic setting, Tilla experiences first love and comes to a series of dark, unsettling realizations.

“It’s been paradise. But it has also been poison.”

From the first pages, you are immersed in Tilla’s world. She is naive and somewhat idealistic. Her summer in paradise becomes a lesson in the ugly side of life. Instead of growing closer to her father, her disillusionment with him grows. She experiences classism, sexism, abuse, and colorism. Through the hurricane that is around and within her, she finds herself and her inner warrior. Tilla realizes that she is seeking love from her father that she will never be able to attain. With that knowledge, she is finally able to move on from him. Her uncorrupted, almost child-like perspective allows her to challenge the hypocrisies and cruelties that others around her accept. She also recognizes the type of love that she needs and wants in the future.

“Not all goodbyes look like what you want them to. Sometimes there’s no happy ending.”

This coming of age story is one of heartbreak and joy. It isn’t a book for everyone due to the potential triggers, but those who read it will be rewarded with a thought-provoking, heart-wrenching and ultimately uplifting experience. <I>Hurricane Summer<I> is an intense and emotional book that will stay with me for a long time.

A special thank you to NetGalley & Wednesday Books for a digital copy of <I>Hurricane Summer</I> to read and enjoy. This voluntary review reflects my honest and unbiased opinion.

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free review copy. All opinions are my own.
This debut was beautiful, heart-breaking, and frustrating. I was immediately gripped into the story of Tilla and Mia being sent to Jamaica for the summer. The island was described with such vividness. I could see the landscape and feel the heat and rain. Especially the hurricane. Bromfield made it it's own character. The characters were also well developed. I loved some but couldn't stand others. I liked how the author juxtaposed the characters with the scenery. Just because somewhere is beautiful, it doesn't mean there isn't an ugly side to it all.
Tilla goes through a lot in this novel, and I loved watching her become a woman. She has so much to reckon with. At times, I just wanted to hug her because those around her were not beneficial. She goes through lots of culture shock, and I liked learning and seeing how there are so many differences between Jamaica and 'foreign.'
If you're a YA fan, or love a story of amazing character growth, I would recommend checking this one out.

This is such a pleasant own voices story about a daughter and her turbulent relationship with her father. I felt like I was immersed in the culture, and the patois + dictionary really lent to that feeling. I wasn't too keen on the romance aspect, it just didn't hit with me. The family dynamic and feeling out of place/disconnected was 10/10, though.

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy for review.

CW/TW: abandonment, physical abuse, rape, infidelity, bullying, verbal abuse

Tilla and her little sister Mia fly to Jamaica to spend the summer with their dad. He has been in and out of their lives, traveling between Jamaica and Canada, and he wants them to get to know where they came from. Tilla thinks that this will be an opportunity for her relationship between her and her dad to be mended because his absence from her life has left a hole.

Tilla and Mia are thrust into an unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar people, and they're forced to eat or be eaten. Will Jamaica be the paradise that it's portrayed to be or will Tilla succumb to what's hidden deep in it's countryside?

Hurricane Summer sucked me into it's grasp and didn't let me go. I am still reeling from this book. Tilla is met with so many challenges that my heart couldn't take. She experiences so many highs and lows and the way that it is written you are right in there with her. I had butterflies at her first glimpse of Hessan. I felt anxious with the encounters with certain characters. I found myself holding my breath in so many instances. I felt her joy and peace in quiet moments with Andre. I experienced absolute shock and the most heartbreaking sorrow at other times. I am crying as I type out this review and I beg of you to read this book. It is so well written and I loved it.

This was definitely not a light read. A very emotional read at times! “I have learned that when a hurricane passes through, it knows no favor. It takes no precedence. When the time is right and it is ready, it will destroy everything. Even the good things. Even the things you love.” This quote really made me pause and think! Just beautifully written! It is surprising this is a debut novel and I can't wait to see what else this author does!

⭐️⭐️⭐️🌗

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 perfectly for me. But I definitely wouldn’t detract anyone who is interested from reading it, you may adore it! Just definitely pay attention to those trigger warnings for this one.

this book is intense. it’s been a while since i’ve been so engulfed in a fiction

Tilla is a young Jamaican-Canadian who is sent to spend the summer with her dad in Jamaica. long story short- her time there did not go as expected.

there are a lot of themes going on :
- colorism
- classism
- sexual assault
- victim blaming
- domestic violence
- extreme daddy issues that’ll break your heart
- family secrets

they are all executed so beautifully & painfully at the same time. it won’t surprise me a bit when this debut hits number one.

do i recommend this read? honestly… it depends if you think like you can handle the themes. this book wasn’t what i initially expected even after reading the synopsis (which isn’t a bad thing!!), but now here i write with tears in my eyes ready to fight😭

Hurricane Summer was such an emotionally intense read. The book follows Tilla as she travels to Jamaica to connect with her father and her cultural roots. She grows to love the land of Jamaica but encounters issues like colorism, body shaming, sexual stigma, abuse. This book is gut-wrenching and an emotional read, not for the faint of heart. I loved watching Tilla grow as a person and as she becomes more confident in herself and her place in the world. TW: rape, abuse

So, I'm conflicting writing this review. I think I just read this book at the wrong time, where I wasn't fully able to engage with the intensity of the book. It's honestly heartbreaking, filled with sexism, abuse, and neglect alongside a beautiful setting. I was drawn in to the story, but it was often challenging to keep reading. I think I'd personally give it 3.5 stars, but I know part of that's more of a reflection of me than the book.