Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published May 2021
400 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
In this sweeping debut, Asha Bromfield takes readers to the heart of Jamaica, and into the soul of a girl coming to terms with her family, and herself, set against the backdrop of a hurricane.
Tilla has spent her entire life trying to make her father love her. But every six months, he leaves their family and returns to his true home: the island of Jamaica.
When Tilla's mother tells her she'll be spending the summer on the island, Tilla dreads the idea of seeing him again, but longs to discover what life in Jamaica has always held for him.
In an unexpected turn of events, Tilla is forced to face the storm that unravels in her own life as she learns about the dark secrets that lie beyond the veil of paradise―all in the midst of an impending hurricane.
Hurricane Summer is a powerful coming of age story that deals with colorism, classism, young love, the father-daughter dynamic―and what it means to discover your own voice in the center of complete destruction.
"Bromfield may have made a name for herself for her role on Riverdale, but with this debut, about a volatile father-daughter relationship and discovering the ugly truths hidden beneath even the most beautiful facades, she is establishing herself as a promising writer...this is a must." - Booklist (starred review)
"This is an excellent examination of the ways wealth, gender, and color can shape and at times create mental and emotional fractures. A great title for public and high school libraries looking for books that offer a nuanced look at patriarchy, wealth, and gender dynamics." - School Library Journal (starred review)
"In a packed debut novel based in personal experiences, actor Bromfield explores the trials of a Black teen's tumultuous transition to womanhood...Bromfield's story of summer discovery, voiced by Tilla in emotional prose, is packed with immoderate trauma, including sexual assault and incest, whose consequences are glossed over...high drama and overlapping characters overwhelm this narrative." - Publishers Weekly
"The flowery prose simultaneously expresses a fascination with and appreciation for the experience of rural Jamaican life, but some descriptions unfortunately perpetuate common exoticizing stereotypes. A coming-of-age story about discovery, loss, renewal, and longing." - Kirkus Reviews
"Searingly beautiful, heartfelt, and full of strength, Bromfield is the storm we've all been waiting for." - Tiffany D. Jackson, author of Grown and Monday's Not Coming
"Hurricane Summer is a gorgeous story that radiates with resilience and bravely drops hard truths. Asha Bromfield will take readers by storm in her captivating debut about discovering yourself when your world is out of control." - Adam Silvera, New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End
"Stunningly written. An unflinching coming-of-age novel that bravely demands an audience to the cost of life's pain & the rewards of all its beauty. Wow." - Courtney Summers, New York Times bestselling author of Sadie
This information about Hurricane Summer was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Asha Bromfield is an actress, singer, and writer of Afro-Jamaican descent. She is known for her role as Melody Jones, drummer of "Josie and the Pussycats" in CW's Riverdale. She also stars as Zadie Wells in Netflix's hit show, Locke and Key. Asha is a proud ambassador for the Dove Self-Esteem Project, and she currently lives in Toronto where she is pursuing a degree in Communications. In her spare time, she loves studying astrology, wearing crystals, burning sage, baking vegan desserts, and taking walks to the park with her dogs Luka and Kyra. Hurricane Summer is her debut novel.
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