Review: Hurricane Child
Let's do a middle grade review today! This book had a lot of buzz, with a pre-order campaign and tons of authors talking about it. I was fortunate to have an author donate a copy of the book to my classroom library. (I am consistently struck by the kindness in the MG and YA community!)
HURRICANE CHILD is a hauntingly lovely book by Kheryn Callender. It's a book that makes you want to jump inside the pages so that you can hug the main character and reassure her that it’s all going to be ok. She is lonely, bullied, brave, and special. She sees and feels things that others can’t or won’t. There are so many layers to this book: colorism, suicide, queerness, and spirits. I have never read anything quite like it, and it will stay with me for a long time.
I worked at a middle school last year, and tried my best to help students with their own feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, and ugliness. I wish I could have had this book at the time, as it would have provided much-needed solace for the many students who felt alone.