Publishers Weekly
03/08/2021
In a packed debut novel based in personal experiences, actor Bromfield explores the trials of a Black teen’s tumultuous transition to womanhood. Eighteen-year-old Tilla and her sister Mia, nine, travel from Toronto to Jamaica to spend two months with their increasingly absent father. Upon arrival at his family house in the countryside outside Kingston, Tilla begins to realize that there’s more to the paradise her father’s told them about—while falling in love with Hessan, a sensual young man with whom she explores her sexuality, she also hears accounts of poverty, sexism, and colorism in the community. As the hurricane season approaches, she further realizes the dangers of external storms, including people around her weaponizing her sexuality. 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. Though the author’s affection for Jamaica comes through, high drama and overlapping characters overwhelm this narrative. A lengthy Patois glossary defines phrases used throughout. Ages 13–up. (May)
From the Publisher
"... sharp observations about cultural difference, class implications, economic privilege, and colorism... Prose about Tilla’s reflections and the glory of the countryside is accessible yet sumptuous..." —The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books
"This is an excellent examination of the ways wealth, gender, and color can shape and at times create mental and emotional fractures. Verdict: 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)
"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)
"Searingly beautiful, heartfelt, and full of strength. I could not put it down and even when done, I held it tight to my heart. Bromfield is the storm we've all been waiting for." —Tiffany D. Jackson, New York Times bestselling 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
School Library Journal
★ 03/01/2021
Gr 8 Up—Tilla is a Jamaican Canadian teen traveling to Jamaica with her younger sister to visit their father, who she hasn't seen for a year. The carefree vacation never materializes, as her father's business obligations and a hurricane headed toward Jamaica throw her plans off course. Tilla is thrown into an unfamiliar world where her father has kinglike status in the family compound. Her aunts and uncles all look to him for advice, money, and other resources. Her favorite cousin Andre isn't allowed to go to school and is made fun of because of his dark brown skin. Tilla soon finds that being her father's daughter makes her a target for her Aunt Herma's sharp tongue, her cousin Diana and Diana's friend Zory's pranks, and the wanted and unwanted attention of two young men. When the hurricane hits, more than land is destroyed. Tilla must now decide which relationships need to be rescued from the rubble, and which she'll leave behind. This is an excellent examination of the ways wealth, gender, and color can shape and at times create mental and emotional fractures. The men and boys in the story are steeped in a mix of toxic masculinity and male vulnerability. The relationships among girls and women paint a compelling picture of how femininity can be weaponized. VERDICT A great title for public and high school libraries looking for books that offer a nuanced look at patriarchy, wealth, and gender dynamics.—Desiree Thomas, Worthington Lib., OH
JUNE 2021 - AudioFile
Author and narrator Asha Bromfield offers an engrossing performance of this coming-of-age audiobook. Bromfield’s experience as an actress and her ease with Jamaican Patois will draw listeners into a story that has multiple levels of emotional intensity. Tilla, who is desperate for her father’s affection despite his absence from her life, spends the summer in Jamaica with him. But island life isn’t what she imagined. The impending hurricane season, along with the rampant sexism, colorism, and abuse she witnesses, leaves her reeling from culture shock and the constant feeling of being an outsider. An interview at the end between Bromfield and author Tiffany D. Jackson explores Bromfield’s inspiration and writing process. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2021-02-23
A teenage girl has an eye-opening, whirlwind summer with her father and Mother Nature as catalysts in this debut by actress Bromfield.
Tilla is the 18-year-old Black Canadian daughter of Jamaican immigrants. She, along with her younger sister, Mia, sets off to spend two summer months in Jamaica with their father. Despite feeling hurt by his frequent absences and emotional neglect, Tilla is hoping to mend her relationship with her former hero, a parent whose affection she has desperately sought for years. The moment she lands in Jamaica, she begins a journey filled with culture shock beyond her wildest imagining—in both good and bad ways. While staying with relatives in the countryside, Tilla experiences life-changing moments and learns beautiful, complex, and harsh lessons about life, love, and liberation, all while facing the looming threat of a dangerous hurricane. Although Tilla pushes back when she encounters colorism, other sensitive and heavy topics—like sexism, sexual abuse, and assault—would have benefited from greater development. The story captures the perspective of someone who is half family member and half outsider, and as a result, the descriptions of Jamaican culture often come from a lens that is noticeably “other” while tinged with a sense of yearning to belong. 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. (glossary) (Fiction. 14-18)
