I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

I love the fact that this novel was an own voices story and you can tell that the author put so much work into it and I know that this will be the perfect book for someone else. However, it just was not the book for me. I didn't really mesh well with the writing or the story and I'm actually kind of disappointed with that because I wanted so bad to love it

One thing I know for sure is that I didn’t like the way the Jamaican Patois was used. The main character also got on my last nerve lol but I actually like when an author can get a rise of me. There was always some drama in this book to keep me turning the pages. The book featured themes of abandonment, Colorism, sexism and even slut shaming. I think this books would be good for teens.

✨What I Thought✨

Because I am a Island born woman that has spent several years in America. I had different feelings when reading this book. I was super annoyed with Tallia & the way she acted when she first went to Jamaica cia made me feel like she was spoiled and she didn’t respect the culture or her elders. But I also noted that fact that people on the Island despised her because she was from Canada. Some people in the Island sometimes hate on people who have moved away or children who weren’t born them and claim that they act this way because everything is all good in “foreign”. Sometimes it isn’t. I hated the way Tallia was betrayed by her own cousin and aunt and even her damn daddy.

The saddest part of the book for me was what Tallia learned about her dad. She went to the island to connect to with her dad but got way more drama than she bargained for.

This book was so good, and I'm mad that I waited so long to read it. This story was absolutely beautiful and I loved the descriptions of Jamaica that the author weaved in. 4/5 stars.

Hurricane Summer - Asha Bromfield

This was such a beautiful coming of age story set in Jamaica. This story contains a lot of trigger warnings including sexual assault, verbal abuse, and domestic abuse.

This story follows Tilla and her sister Mia as they go to Jamaica to visit their dad for the summer. Tilla has a complicated relationship with her dad and is looking forward to spending some time with him, but he leaves them in the country with family and says he needs to be away for work.

This is a really difficult book to read as Tilla is treated poorly from her family and is being shamed for her sexuality. She feels like she doesn’t belong at all even though she is Jamaican. She also gets to discover the beauty of Jamaica and the author shares this so well with the readers.

Something very interesting about this book is a lot of the dialogue is written in Patois, the Jamaican dialect! There’s a word bank included, but I felt the best way for me to experience this was to listen to the audiobook while reading, which helped me understand the Patois a lot better. The author is also the narrator of the audiobook and she did a great job!

I definitely thought this was such a beautiful story about Tilla discovering herself and her home country.

Didn't capture my attention and engagement. Interested in trying it again though and hopefully it will take.

This book was heavy and hard to get through. I really wanted to enjoy it and feel all the emotions, but I found it so difficult to pick it back up every time I put it down. This has taken me so long to read.
I don't think it is actually a bad or poorly executed book, but it wasn't for me. The story wasn't what I was looking for and the tone didn't appeal to me either.
I am curious what this author writes in the future, maybe I'll check it out. But this one wasn't for me

This book as a whirlwind of emotions. It brought me right back to my own childhood and feeling shame with my budding sexuality, although totally different circumstances I think most women can relate. This was such a beautiful and heart-wrenching novel. Love, loss, and the changes that come with puberty. I look forward to reading what Bromfield comes out with next.

The positive qualities of this book are completely drowned out by the repeated normalized abuse that the main character has to deal with from her family and the way that the book repeatedly says that because it's family you have to love them and owe them your love. ABSOLUTELY NOT. This is not something we should be telling teenagers.

Oh my, this book will give you all the feels. I read this book when it first came out and it has been stuck in my head ever since and I can’t wait to read it again.

Till and her little sister Mia are going to Jamaica to see their father who they haven’t seen in over a year. He has a habit of leaving their mother and them in Canada and returning to Jamaica whenever he feels like it, not really caring how they feel about his absence. Tilla is determined to make the most of the trip, mainly for her younger sister who is still infatuated with their father, even when he leaves them. While there Tilla is forced to face a storm that can upend her life in ways she doesn’t expect.

I was hooked from the very beginning of this book and immediately was drawn to the character of Tilla. She puts up with a lot and isn’t treated very nicely which was so heartbreaking to read. Rarely do I read a contemporary book and feel any kind of connection or feelings but this one really got to me, tears were constantly welling up in my eyes which was a big surprise for me, I normally don’t have that kind of a reaction to a story.

The writing style was absolutely amazing, the characters were written beautifully, the atmosphere was perfect. The only complaint I have is the ending felt really open-ended to me, there wasn’t really a good conclusion. That did not knock a star down for me though because the book was so lovely it honestly made up for that.

*Thanks so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the complimentary copy for my honest review!*

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 undertone 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 are 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 the coming storm.

"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."

Tilla is less than excited to spend the summer in Jamaica with her younger sister and father. Her father spends most of his time in Jamaica and while Tilla wants to see her father more, she's not overly excited about leaving behind her life in Canada. When Tilla and her sister arrive in Jamaica they are immediately whisked off to the country to stay with her father's family. Her family wraps her younger sister in love and adoration but can't seem to accept Tilla for who she is as a teenager. She is constantly scrutinized and yelled at and held to impossible standards. As Tilla begins to meet other teenagers on the island, she finds an immediate attraction to her cousin's betrothed, which sets off a chain of events. In the background, Jamaica is bracing for one of the worst hurricanes they've had in years.

There is a lot packed into this book. Tilla is faced with verbal and physical abuse from several family members, sexual assault, and other hard truths (full list of triggers listed below). In no way is Tilla ever allowed to feel what she needs to feel to process these different events. I cannot imagine the trauma and additional ramifications Tilla is going to face as she begins to process the events of this summer when she gets back to Canada. It seems like a missed opportunity to show some of the hard truths about life but not give Tilla a chance to process anything. I wanted more for Tilla: I wanted someone to speak up for her or someone to support her. Instead, person after person turn on Tilla and it was quite heartbreaking to see what happens to Tilla as the summer wears on.

This isn't a happy book, by any means. Sure, there are moments of happiness, but they are few and far between. This is a hard book and one that I wish had been punctuated with some instances of hope.

**Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

TW: physical abuse (on-page), sexual assault (on-page), rape (on-page), incest, death, drowning (off-page), grief, bullying, cheating, colorism, gaslighting, sexism, slut shaming, racism

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

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

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

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

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

This one was hard one to read . It got me so mad to see how bad tilla was being treated by her family. It is a book about overcoming obstacles and a perfect example of what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

A powerful and unique debut that handles difficult topics with considerable care. Looking forward to whatever this author does next.

I am disappointed with this book. I was expecting one thing and received another. It had potential but it was not well written.

4.5 STARS

What a beautiful and emotional read! I highly recommend the audiobook narrated by the author, Asha Bromfield. Her introduction to the book really sets the tone.

"This is my heart on pages, the devastation and very real dangers of becoming a woman"

It gave me goose bumps that didn’t go away until I finished the book!

You would enjoy this book if you like coming of age stories and realist fiction with social commentary about immigration, womanhood, feminism, ancestry, family relationships (especially father-daughter) stories like The Poet X, Dominicana, Like Water for Chocolate, The Color Purple, The Sun and Her Flowers, and The Princess Saves Herself in This One.

This is a book that everyone should read to understand the girlhood and womanhood experiences. As an OwnVoice story of hardships and abuse this book’s authenticity is just heart-wrenching. If you ever experience difficult family relationships, especially with your parents or you are a woman, especially a POC, you will likely connect with this story as much as I did.

And, this book is such a delight to read! The writing is awesome, the pace impeccable and the sensory imagery outstanding. You could swear you are right there in Jamaica, bathing in the beautiful sunsets, smelling the sea and savoring the refreshing coconut water, pineapple juice and juicy mangoes.

This is the perfect contemporary read to celebrate International Women’s Day and U.S. Women’s History Month.

I can’t recommend this book enough!

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

A raw and gritty coming of age story. Tilla has a lot to learn about Jamaica once she’s dropped there and her father leaves. She deals with a lot of trials and tribulations and while learning to cope with being an outsider.

This is a painful book, nothing good really happens.. It's a tough read and not easy but important story.