Young Adult

Hurricane Summer

Hurricane Summer

  • Downloads：5564
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-07-25 08:51:47
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Asha Bromfield
  • ISBN：0571371620
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

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。

Download

Reviews

Kylie ，

This book has rave reviews on most sites and the jacket reviews include several of my favorite authors。 I don’t see what they see。 The version of this book I picked up contains no content warnings， only a letter from the author saying she bled deeply to write the book and hopes the reader finds healing in it。 This is jarring， because this book should have content warnings for rape， incest， physical and mental abuse， and so many more that it’s not worth listing them or this review will be far too This book has rave reviews on most sites and the jacket reviews include several of my favorite authors。 I don’t see what they see。 The version of this book I picked up contains no content warnings， only a letter from the author saying she bled deeply to write the book and hopes the reader finds healing in it。 This is jarring， because this book should have content warnings for rape， incest， physical and mental abuse， and so many more that it’s not worth listing them or this review will be far too long。 These things are very explicitly described considering that this is shelved as a children’s book （YA） The。 Book。 Has。 Far。 Too。 Many。 Sentences。 Punctuated。 Like。 This。 For。 Emphasis。 ALSO FAR TOO MANY LIKE THIS！And。It。Drove。 Me。 Crazy。 The premise is that the MC has this transformative summer in Jamaica where she comes into her identity and learns about her culture and her father。 For the majority of the book she is staying with her little sister at the home of her abusive family。 She witnesses various family members getting abused and molested by other family members and her father is almost never present。 She herself is slut shamed whenever she leaves the house， and is eventually set up by her cousin to be sexually assaulted by her cousin’s fiancées cousin。 She explores very little of Jamaica。 She never really stands up for herself until the very end of the book， and she never cares too much about the fact that her little sister is also in the house with these horrible people， in fact her sister merely seems to be there as a way to humanize the family， because while the MC is off being raped and otherwise abused the sister is just having a fun time with her horrible family。 Then， all of a sudden a hurricane happens， and suddenly she “feels the hurricane in herself” and is ready to confront everybody and all the issues that occurred are very quickly wrapped into an overly neat little bow， only for the only kind character in the book to be killed off because he decides to go swimming right after a hurricane。 Yeah， this book didn’t heal me。 。。。more

Andrea Fluence ，

powerful All encompassing narrative of the ups and downs of a child desperate for a father’s love。 Her growth is phenomenal learning to find herself in herself。

Chiara ，

This book left me feeling very emotional。 The beginning dragged on and got a bit boring but it started to pick up pace in the middle。 It is not the happiest of books， it actually left me feeling quite sad （but also hopeful）。 It was unexpectedly sad as I was expecting the book to be a story about a beautiful summer in Jamaica where the main character learns to love her family。 It’s much more heartbreaking and devastating than that。 Once the book picked up pace it just kept getting better。 The rev This book left me feeling very emotional。 The beginning dragged on and got a bit boring but it started to pick up pace in the middle。 It is not the happiest of books， it actually left me feeling quite sad （but also hopeful）。 It was unexpectedly sad as I was expecting the book to be a story about a beautiful summer in Jamaica where the main character learns to love her family。 It’s much more heartbreaking and devastating than that。 Once the book picked up pace it just kept getting better。 The revelations the main character has are very inspiring and touching。 The whole idea and concept of hurricanes and storms is beautiful。 A few sentences I thought were a bit cliche and could have been more innovative but overall the setting， the story， and the characters were beautifully written。 It will leave you feeling reflective and emotional。 。。。more

Jill ，

Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield is a debut contemporary YA novel that held my heart captive while I read it。 In it， we meet Tilla and her sister who are traveling from their home in Canada to their dad’s home in Jamaica。 During their annual trip to visit their father， we see Tilla grappling with their strenuous relationship while finding her way with family and friends in Jamaica。 In the background， the island is preparing for a hurricane and the potential destruction it will bring。 Coming-of Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield is a debut contemporary YA novel that held my heart captive while I read it。 In it， we meet Tilla and her sister who are traveling from their home in Canada to their dad’s home in Jamaica。 During their annual trip to visit their father， we see Tilla grappling with their strenuous relationship while finding her way with family and friends in Jamaica。 In the background， the island is preparing for a hurricane and the potential destruction it will bring。 Coming-of-age stories are one of my favorite types of YA fiction and this story delivered depth and heart。 It directly confronts colorism， classism， sexism， and generational stories of a family with vulnerability。 The biggest thing I take away from this book is how I felt while reading it。 I was attached to Tilla and there were times that my heart was broken， and others when I was frustrated and protective， but also times where I deeply felt her joy and self-discovery。 It’s such a well-rounded look at the complex emotions of young adults。The author did a wonderful job allowing the reader to be uncomfortable with how Tilla was treated while giving space for her family and their stories， too。 It’s a hard balance to strike and she did it very well。 I also really enjoyed that the Patois language in the book and the glossary of terms included， it added so much。If you enjoy coming-of-age YA then I strongly recommend you read this book – and do it when you feel ready for an emotional pummeling。 I loved meeting Tilla and if there was a sequel that takes place in her adulthood， I’d sprint to the bookstore for it。 Content warnings: Abandonment， Sexual violence， Domestic abuse， Colorism， Classism， Sexism， Infidelity 。。。more

Sarb ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I am heartbroken。 Death， colorism， classism， sexism， rape， drowning， verbal abuse， and the list goes on and on; the book was really intense。 But， the intensity is what made me connect to the book and the characters。 The main characters are very relatable at some point in everyone's life， especially what Tilla had to go through。 "Hurricane Summer" is about Tilla yearning for her father's love， while still trying to forget bad memories of the past that anchor her till present day。 Throughout the s I am heartbroken。 Death， colorism， classism， sexism， rape， drowning， verbal abuse， and the list goes on and on; the book was really intense。 But， the intensity is what made me connect to the book and the characters。 The main characters are very relatable at some point in everyone's life， especially what Tilla had to go through。 "Hurricane Summer" is about Tilla yearning for her father's love， while still trying to forget bad memories of the past that anchor her till present day。 Throughout the summer， Tilla faces multiple storms that torment her to the point it breaks her， until she finds her voice。 This book's whole point is self-growth， we have to understand everyone's paths are different。 Tilla's younger sister， Milla， connected with her cousins but Tilla endured the pain of the resentment from her own family。 The aunties is what triggered me the most， pestering Tilla with false accusations。 Tilla is Canadian-Jamaican and this accusation was SUPPOSE to destroy her， but the storm that came to her was for her to let go of the past heartbreak。 HoldOnPainEnds。Everything that happened made Andre significant。 I was rooting for him throughout the book， and what happened to him， broke me。 The character of Andre endured a lot throughout his life especially with his color of skin。 The color of skin can play a vital role in one's confidence and Andre always had a smile on his face making sure no one can see the cracks beneath， and everyone believed him。 Seriously， the pain Andre and Tilla endured broke me。 One had to go through finding her self-worth with her father and his past decisions， and the other had to prepare for a life that could never blossom because the country was his only home he would ever know of。 Honestly， this book is beyond amazing， and listening to the audiobook was too good！！ The intensity of it all made me want more。 Asha Bromfeild outdid her self！！5 STARS TO FARHAN AND ANDRE'S LEGACY！！ 。。。more

Racquel ，

I can’t rate this book。 This story left me feeling dazed。 There was just too much going on for me。 I understand the author was trying to spotlight common issues in Jamaican families and society but it just came off as messy and incomplete。What I did like:The description and appreciation for Jamaica’s beauty。The feeling of togetherness during the storm and nine night。The galavanting with cousins in the country during summer。The humbleness of a country home。The attempt at showcasing the condemnati I can’t rate this book。 This story left me feeling dazed。 There was just too much going on for me。 I understand the author was trying to spotlight common issues in Jamaican families and society but it just came off as messy and incomplete。What I did like:The description and appreciation for Jamaica’s beauty。The feeling of togetherness during the storm and nine night。The galavanting with cousins in the country during summer。The humbleness of a country home。The attempt at showcasing the condemnation of a women’s sexuality in Jamaican society。What I did not like:The amount of drama and （poetic） internal monologue。 🙄Tilla’s continued befuddlement at Diana’s， Herma’s and her father’s accusations。Tilla’s hypocrisy。The inaccurate depiction of Kingston especially in comparison to country。The underdeveloped and stereotypical depiction of country family members。 Overall I could have better appreciated and respected this story if it was more focused and refined。 。。。more

Chelsea Hudson ，

4。5⭐️ rounded up。 You can find my thoughts on Instagram。com/chelseahudsonreads 4。5⭐️ rounded up。 You can find my thoughts on Instagram。com/chelseahudsonreads 。。。more

lei ，

3。5 starsHurricane Summer was an absolutely gutting coming-of-age story that I haven't been able to stop thinking about for a while now。 I liked so much about this book， especially how the writing brought the setting to life and the way Tilla learned to stand up for and choose herself。 I also loved how Asha Bromfield showed and explored the complexity of the relationships between immigrants and their children through Tilla's relationship with her dad。 However， I have to admit that I thought the 3。5 starsHurricane Summer was an absolutely gutting coming-of-age story that I haven't been able to stop thinking about for a while now。 I liked so much about this book， especially how the writing brought the setting to life and the way Tilla learned to stand up for and choose herself。 I also loved how Asha Bromfield showed and explored the complexity of the relationships between immigrants and their children through Tilla's relationship with her dad。 However， I have to admit that I thought the death of one of the side characters was unnecessary， especially because it was so sudden and late in the book and many other side characters who treated Tilla horribly （unlike the character I mentioned， who was one of the only ones to be kind to her） never got more than a fraction， if any， of the consequences they deserved。 I also wish this book had been a bit longer， specifically towards the end， in order to flesh out Tilla's character arc just a little more。 Despite the couple of issues I had， though， this was still a memorable debut and it'll definitely stick with me for a long time。 。。。more

Quetta Inabinet ，

Wow it was alot kind of read like a memoir Rating it 4。5 took off star for not having appropriate trigger warnings

Jasmine ，

This was a really good book but I rated it three stars because it’s such a downer。 It’s just a lot of heavy。 I thought it was going to be a little more lighthearted。 This definitely isn’t a book that I’d reread just for the fun of it。 But On more positive note it was beautifully written。

Jennifer B ，

Wow just wow。 I loved every single word of this book。 Another beautiful cover that holds inside a beautiful story。 My emotions were all over the place especially toward the end。 The way Andre was treated because of the darkness of his skin to the way Tilla was treated and sexualized and victimized to the longing for the love of a father。 Idk how many times I wanted to smack Diana and Aunt Herma， yes I wanted all the smoke。 I’m so glad Tilla finally found her voice。 I’m so glad she got to learn s Wow just wow。 I loved every single word of this book。 Another beautiful cover that holds inside a beautiful story。 My emotions were all over the place especially toward the end。 The way Andre was treated because of the darkness of his skin to the way Tilla was treated and sexualized and victimized to the longing for the love of a father。 Idk how many times I wanted to smack Diana and Aunt Herma， yes I wanted all the smoke。 I’m so glad Tilla finally found her voice。 I’m so glad she got to learn so much from Andre， shoot I learned a lot from Andre。 Then when you tie in the last page and the cover of the book ugh what a beautiful story。 Can’t wait to read more from this author。 。。。more

Karen Townsend ，

So many times i said “what is this silly girl doing？” Then I remember 18 year old me。 The writing is so vivid and I cried sooooo very much。 It was frustrating and lovely and horrifying and so many things。

Laeticia Delacourt ，

This novel was at times difficult to read， because it features colourism， sexism， domestic abuse， parental neglect， and sexual assault。 However， the book was overall fantastic， and I highly recommend it。 Trigger warning for any domestic violence， child abuse， or sexual assault survivors。

The Paper Fan ，

Before I begin my review just wanted to list some content warning :- child abuse-sexual assualt -domestic violence- sexuality shaming -death-colorismThis book broke me and put me back together so many times。 It's really difficult to find a story that stirs real emotional in me， this book was able to accomplish this and so much more。 Asha Bromfield wrote in a voice that was so authentic She wrote so much breath and life into this characters， that their love was my love ， their hurt was my hurt。 T Before I begin my review just wanted to list some content warning :- child abuse-sexual assualt -domestic violence- sexuality shaming -death-colorismThis book broke me and put me back together so many times。 It's really difficult to find a story that stirs real emotional in me， this book was able to accomplish this and so much more。 Asha Bromfield wrote in a voice that was so authentic She wrote so much breath and life into this characters， that their love was my love ， their hurt was my hurt。 Tilla's transformation through this story was raw real and organic。 This book speaks to all women who have made the realization that your father may not be whom you thought。 I truly felt as if I too had endured the hurricane。 Great read！ Standout debut novel from Asha Bromfield 。 Looking forward to whatever she writes next。 。。。more

Amber ，

4。5 The writing was really beautifully done。 The fact that this is a debut blows my mind。 From the moment Tilla steps into Jamaica you feel everything she does。 I felt Jamaica came alive in this book。 My heart hurts I felt like I been through the ringer with this story。

Shahara’Tova ，

This book was a LOT。 While it’s beautifully written and I couldn’t put it down， there are a lot of very heavy themes here。 I wasn’t prepared for the violence and the sources of that violence。 Though the main character seems to work through a very complicated relationship with her father by the end of the book， there were many moments in the book that left me incredibly frustrated and angry for Tilla， for me， for women， and daughters。 For every bit of joy in this book， there’s an equal amount of This book was a LOT。 While it’s beautifully written and I couldn’t put it down， there are a lot of very heavy themes here。 I wasn’t prepared for the violence and the sources of that violence。 Though the main character seems to work through a very complicated relationship with her father by the end of the book， there were many moments in the book that left me incredibly frustrated and angry for Tilla， for me， for women， and daughters。 For every bit of joy in this book， there’s an equal amount of heartbreak。 I kept waiting for the “truth” to come out and for Tilla to be “seen，” but I’m not sure she is seen， at least not by her island family， her mother， or her father really。 And perhaps， that realization of invisibility was the turning point for Tilla。 Maybe she realizes that she was searching in the wrong places for fulfillment。 I just hate that there was no atonement for much of the behavior from the men and the women in this book。 Perhaps that’s life。 I guess I wanted a different resolution， maybe a “decently” happy ending， and it just didn’t happen。 I left the book feeling sad and triggered rather than hopeful like Tilla does。 。。。more

Niki ，

Tills just isn’t a likable character。 Her naïvety makes her frustrating and the other characters aren’t dynamic。 They all have one setting。 There aren’t any real surprises and the romances pieces of the book are not just awkward， but uncomfortable and dodgy。 The two stars are really only because culturally， the book is amazing and gives a look into the authentic Jamaica。

Kiki ，

2nd takeIn all seriousness， I found the insight this novel provided to be wretched in the extreme。 So wretched that I would not group this novel with other diaspora works， which are to varying degrees masterful to unfortunate in the normal way of things。 Hurricane Summer is more closely aligned with the body of white colonialist writings from the pre-20th century。 If I am to believe that Asha Bromfield spent summers in Jamaica， then I am left to conclude that she deliberately distorted the land 2nd takeIn all seriousness， I found the insight this novel provided to be wretched in the extreme。 So wretched that I would not group this novel with other diaspora works， which are to varying degrees masterful to unfortunate in the normal way of things。 Hurricane Summer is more closely aligned with the body of white colonialist writings from the pre-20th century。 If I am to believe that Asha Bromfield spent summers in Jamaica， then I am left to conclude that she deliberately distorted the landscape to present the island as a wild， green hinterland （except for Kingston which she presented as a palm treed suburbia）， and distorted 21st century rural Jamaicans to present them as ignorant， poverty stricken yokels， their lives so bereft of any interior complexity that they are compelled to bend all their mental powers into obsession with a basic "foreign gyal" protagonist。A major theme was colourism yet it rested on the character Andre who Bromfield sculpted into a queer coded racist caricature and then killed off the page。 This book was supposed to be about a kind of female empowerment yet every girl and woman character in Jamaica outside of the protagonist and her little sister was either a narrow minded bigot， or jealous， malicious harpies。 The self-insert MC only ever formed amiable relationships with boys。I will leave the rest for an article。 It is clear to me that the writer has little to no familiarity with Caribbean literature。 （Her credentials cannot rest on Junauda Petrus and Tiffany D。 Jackson。） Instead， based on all the dedications and thank yous， she relied on her parents' stories and "the ancestors" to guide her。 Next time， just study some fucking Caribbean books by Caribbean authors。 Start with Black Skin， White Masks。 And Hurricane Summer readers would do well to read Toni Morrison's Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination， paying special attention to her analysis of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn --indeed all of her critiques on how particular writers depicted black characters on the page。AṣẹBookstagram | Twitter1st takeWatch this space。 I will return with resources for Jamaicans in the Sunken Place as they are the only ones I care about as it relates to this book。 Based on this debut， Bromfield left herself open to white demon possession。 Nah tek dat on。 。。。more

Priyanka Chand ，

A sad but very beautiful and relevant story。

Carmen ，

“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。”This coming of age story was so well written and will evoke every emotion known from you。 I have visited Jamaica a few times but never have experienced the Jamaica that those born there call home。 The book touches on classism， colorism， religion， sexuality， and the broken-heartedness that an absent father creates。

Ailsa ，

A beautiful and heartwrenching story of family， love and loss。 Asha Bromfield captivates you and takes you right to Jamaica and the storytelling is so vivid I felt like I could taste the jungle air。

January ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Not quite 4 minutes in after I read the dedication - I discovered this was a book of heartbreak and growth， so I looked up the triggers and it's not for me。 Bullying， Cancer （mentioned）， Car accident （off-page）， Cheating， Colorism， Death， Drowning （off-page）， Gaslighting， Grief， Incest， Physical abuse （on-page）， Racism， Rape （on-page）， Sexism， Sexual assault （on-page）， Slut shamingI'm gonna pass on this one。 https://booktriggerwarnings。com/index。。。 Not quite 4 minutes in after I read the dedication - I discovered this was a book of heartbreak and growth， so I looked up the triggers and it's not for me。 Bullying， Cancer （mentioned）， Car accident （off-page）， Cheating， Colorism， Death， Drowning （off-page）， Gaslighting， Grief， Incest， Physical abuse （on-page）， Racism， Rape （on-page）， Sexism， Sexual assault （on-page）， Slut shamingI'm gonna pass on this one。 https://booktriggerwarnings。com/index。。。 。。。more

Carrie Weese ，

Loved this book。 Asha Bromfield captures Jamaica in all its beauty， wildness， complex family and culture。 Tears on several pages。

Danielle Garber ，

This was a beautiful coming of age story that made me cry and laugh。 My heart hurt for Tilla so much throughout the book but one of the best books I’ve read in a long time。

Kalen ，

I fell in love with this book pretty quickly。 This cover is absolutely beautiful and just draws you in。 Asha did an amazing job with this book as her debut。 Her writing style really draws you in。 It’s so authentic and raw ！ The patois was such a nice touch。 I really hope to read more books from this author in the future。 This a coming of age story that is not for everyone。 There are many trigger warnings as it deals with topics such as abuse， colorism and bullying。 It was hard to read at some po I fell in love with this book pretty quickly。 This cover is absolutely beautiful and just draws you in。 Asha did an amazing job with this book as her debut。 Her writing style really draws you in。 It’s so authentic and raw ！ The patois was such a nice touch。 I really hope to read more books from this author in the future。 This a coming of age story that is not for everyone。 There are many trigger warnings as it deals with topics such as abuse， colorism and bullying。 It was hard to read at some points due to what the main character faced。 This was a coming of age story and I really enjoyed Tilla’s transformation。 I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys YA fiction， Very unique and just amazing。 Best book that I’ve read all year hands down。 。。。more

Courtney ，

Wow。 I loved this。 It was SO beautifully and elegantly written。 I loved her descriptions of being in Jamaica， in this paradise countryside。 When she first got there and they were describing the house and the scene at the waterfall。 I LOVED the waterfall scene， it felt so tropical and freeing， with all the kids jumping and swimming and living。 And the hurricane throughout was soooo good， the literal and metaphorical hurricane， and the message that destruction is needed to finding healing and beau Wow。 I loved this。 It was SO beautifully and elegantly written。 I loved her descriptions of being in Jamaica， in this paradise countryside。 When she first got there and they were describing the house and the scene at the waterfall。 I LOVED the waterfall scene， it felt so tropical and freeing， with all the kids jumping and swimming and living。 And the hurricane throughout was soooo good， the literal and metaphorical hurricane， and the message that destruction is needed to finding healing and beauty。 Poor baby went through a LOTTTT this summer， with her dad， her wack ass family， falling in love， getting hurt by that same boy， fucking sexually assaulted and then slut shamed for it and losing her cousin。 Andre ！ I fucking loved André and their quiet beautiful friendship and cousin relationship he was sooooo sweet with his excitement to come to Canada to do his art。 I WAS ROOTING FOR HIM。 that actually broke my heart and made me cry。 And when she was assaulted， tears。 On the phone with her mom， tears。 When mia told her she didn't believe all the slut rumors， tears。 The acknowledgements to her mom。 " You are my favorite part of this life" TEARS。 from the opening dedication and authors note i was hooked and knew this was going to be such a personal， heart wrenching look at growing up and changing and realizing that life is fucking hard。 And she did just an amazing job portraying the tension between a Jamaican native and a " foreigner" and the privilege that exists， how she's able to go home and leave the destruction and poverty behind。 I thought it was really cool how she slowly stopped asking what everything meant and got used to the language。 Also loved Richie and Dane， they were such good guys who were on her side。 I thought her and Diana were gonna be ok but fuck that。 Baby girl got some healing to do。 I'M SO GLAD SHE DIDN'T FORGIVE HESSAN I WAS SCREAMING。 YES GIRL DON'T TAKE HIM BACK AFTER HE SLUT SHAMED YOU IN YOU MOST BROKEN MOMENT。 i was never really vibing with him from the start。 But wowww so many things。 Such a beautiful blend of paradise and pain， and showing that conflicting emotions can exist all at once。 Like with her dad， it was so much more complex than black and white love or hatred。 And with the island ， the scene of them running in the hurricane was soo good and spoke to so much in this novel。 This would be a great book club pick。 So many things and I loved how she found herself and a relationship with God （ another thing i loved）。On a mountain peak in the rural ends of Jamaica， we are standing in our own oxymoron。。。 We are standing in the midst of the destruction of paradise。 And it is beautiful 。。。more

Jenine ，

Exceptionally well written book。I loved everything about Tilla。 I saw so much of myself and so much of other young girls coming up in her character。 I love how the book spelled out the importance of having a voice as a young women as well as the importance of SELF LOVE。 I held back tears。 I laughed。I sighed。I gasped。 I cringed。I got mad。In the end。。。。 This was a dope read！ My soul needed this and i never even knew it。

Alpowell ，

Wow！！ Asha Bromfield writes such an amazing book in Hurricane Summer！ I can hear the Patois and she gives every character and the island so much life。 I could vividly see what she wrote and hear the words。 Such a powerful story！

Michelle ，

2。5 stars

Whit ，

LOOOOOVED everything about this book。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Hurricane Summer

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Hurricane Summer&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Hurricane Summer&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0