Overall, this was not the book for me. I did enjoy the theme and character development throughout; however, the fears were constant so it did get a little repetitive and the first three quarters of the book felt like they dragged on. I would recommend this to others because I feel like anyone who is going through difficulties with their sexuality might benefit from reading this.

Thanks to NetGalley/publishers for the arc!

I really enjoy learning about other cultures and especially small countries I know nothing about. I feel Thomas paints a vivid and critical picture of life in St. Vincent over the decades. A lush and beautiful island, but the living conditions are bleak and infuriating - violence, rape, nepotism, and homophobic attacks supported by the government and by various fundamentalist churches in St. Vincent, combined with a claustrophobic feeling of neighbours spying on every step you take. To nobody's surprise, a lot of these systemic issues are the legacy of British colonialism and slavery.

I couldn't quite warm up to the writing, I got lost in the time jumps, and a lot of the dialogue, inner monologue and Maureen's journal felt a bit repetitive and as if written for the reader, not for the other characters.

The story is heartbreaking, the characters are morally complex, and there are no easy answers for the situations described in the book. I recommend it to anyone who likes depressing stories and would like to learn more about the dangers faced by the LGBTQ+ community around the world.

Thank you to H. Nigel Thomas, Dundurn Press, and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC.

Sometimes a book is so heartbreaking but so good. Being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community myself i really felt this book and I grew to love the characters like they were my friends. They were well rounded and the book was really well thought out.

This book was very well written and well thought out. The story is heartbreaking, I couldn't help but feel bad for the main character. He deserved love and to be able to be himself. it's heartbreaking to see him struggle with the opinions of others and laws that surround him. it's even more sad because these are real issues that people around the world have to go through, or went through.

A different look at a different culture! Set in the tiny Carribean island of Saint Vincent, Gordon and Allen find their sexuality is not accepted. They both complete their studies abroad, and return to family situations, hiding their true selves.

The characters in this book are well thought out, and each have a different perspective about LGBTQ - some being directly impacted.
It is imperative Gordon and Allen keep their secret from the public/community where they have big jobs and would be shunned/killed for being bi/gay.

Interesting read, highly recommend!

A Different Hurricane deals with what it is to be homosexual in the Caribbean island of St Vincent and the Grenadines, where homosexuality is not just shunned socially but is also a crime. The story follows Gordon Wiley, a homosexual man who faces fear, rejection, hate and threats for no fault of his. Gordon grows up in a small village where all opinions are heard and shared, lives briefly in Montreal where he experiences an open and taboo-less culture around sexuality, and through a twist of fate, is forced back to the life he escaped from. Told through Gordon's eyes and partly through his wife's journal the plot explores the anxiety surrounding a double life and the will to create a better future for the next generation.

The prose is sensitive and reads like a stream of conscience. The only negative is that the plot switches timelines often and this switch is not as seamless as it can be. But on the whole, a very interesting narrative.

I love the way this book is written so much. The parts of the journal and then the parts of Gordon himself. 

Honestly all the people in this book are so well-written and multi faceted. 

This story absolutely broke my heart, especially since it's so real. I truly never really considered the wife's of gay men who got AIDS during the AIDS crisis. All because people decide to hate on love. Love = love, no matter the gender or the skin color of the people involved. 

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC.