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Hurricane Child
Caroline Murphy is a Hurricane Child.
Being born during a hurricane is unlucky, and 12-year-old Caroline has had her share of bad luck lately. She's hated and bullied by everyone in her small school on St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands, a spirit only she can see won't stop following her, and—worst of all—Caroline's mother left home one day and never came back.
But when a new student named Kalinda arrives, Caroline's luck begins to turn around. Kalinda, a solemn girl from Barbados with a special smile for everyone, becomes Caroline's first and only friend—and the person for whom Caroline has begun to develop a crush.
Now, Caroline must find the strength to confront her feelings for Kalinda, brave the spirit stalking her through the islands, and face the reason her mother abandoned her. Together, Caroline and Kalinda must set out in a hurricane to find Caroline's missing mother—before Caroline loses her forever.
Being born during a hurricane is unlucky, and 12-year-old Caroline has had her share of bad luck lately. She's hated and bullied by everyone in her small school on St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands, a spirit only she can see won't stop following her, and—worst of all—Caroline's mother left home one day and never came back.
But when a new student named Kalinda arrives, Caroline's luck begins to turn around. Kalinda, a solemn girl from Barbados with a special smile for everyone, becomes Caroline's first and only friend—and the person for whom Caroline has begun to develop a crush.
Now, Caroline must find the strength to confront her feelings for Kalinda, brave the spirit stalking her through the islands, and face the reason her mother abandoned her. Together, Caroline and Kalinda must set out in a hurricane to find Caroline's missing mother—before Caroline loses her forever.
214 pages, Hardcover
First published March 27, 2018
About the author
Kacen Callender
14 books2,376 followersKacen Callender is a Saint Thomian author of children's fiction and fantasy, best known for their Stonewall Book Award and Lambda Literary Award-winning middle grade debut Hurricane Child. Their fantasy novel, Queen of the Conquered, is the 2020 winner of the World Fantasy Award and King and the Dragonflies won the 2020 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.
Callender is Black, queer, trans, and uses they/them and he/him pronouns. Callender debuted their new name when announcing their next young adult novel Felix Ever After in May 2019.
Callender is Black, queer, trans, and uses they/them and he/him pronouns. Callender debuted their new name when announcing their next young adult novel Felix Ever After in May 2019.
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January 5, 2021[Book #7 for my grad school Children's Lit class]
March 30, 2024
Sometimes I’m stunned by how hard a Middle Grade book can hit me. Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender serves as a stellar example.
Caroline is complex, particularly for an adolescent island-girl. She is carrying a bunch of baggage, and has no one to help with the load.
Years ago, an emptiness began to eat at her. Her mother inexplicably abandoned Caroline and her father. With her dad working all the time, and avoiding her questions when he was around, a frustration began to build and threaten to fill her completely. Nothing but negative emotions and absolutely not a soul to share with, Caroline was always angry and so very alone.
Until she meets Kalinda.
New students are rare in the tiny St. Thomas school, but Kalinda seems to handle being the center of attention easily. Caroline is immediately attracted to her confidence and poise and she quickly decides to befriend this intriguing young lady. As soon as possible.
Here, Ms. Callender considers the pseudo-taboo subject of sexuality. Simultaneously showing two sides of the same coin provides perspective and allows the reader to experience differing mind-sets, neutrally. The reason for her mother’s departure keeps me contemplative and has me considering various points-of-view.
Caroline’s stubborn and defiant actions almost over-ride the seriousness of some situations, making the punch a bit more surprising, thus proving to be more painful. And I mean that in the best way possible.
This review was written by jv poore for Buried Under Books.
Caroline is complex, particularly for an adolescent island-girl. She is carrying a bunch of baggage, and has no one to help with the load.
Years ago, an emptiness began to eat at her. Her mother inexplicably abandoned Caroline and her father. With her dad working all the time, and avoiding her questions when he was around, a frustration began to build and threaten to fill her completely. Nothing but negative emotions and absolutely not a soul to share with, Caroline was always angry and so very alone.
Until she meets Kalinda.
New students are rare in the tiny St. Thomas school, but Kalinda seems to handle being the center of attention easily. Caroline is immediately attracted to her confidence and poise and she quickly decides to befriend this intriguing young lady. As soon as possible.
Here, Ms. Callender considers the pseudo-taboo subject of sexuality. Simultaneously showing two sides of the same coin provides perspective and allows the reader to experience differing mind-sets, neutrally. The reason for her mother’s departure keeps me contemplative and has me considering various points-of-view.
Caroline’s stubborn and defiant actions almost over-ride the seriousness of some situations, making the punch a bit more surprising, thus proving to be more painful. And I mean that in the best way possible.
This review was written by jv poore for Buried Under Books.
March 3, 2020
3.5 stars. Wasn't bad by any means, but the story as a whole was a little bit all over the place and I struggled to follow it at times.
July 16, 2021
Así como la primera mitad del libro me encantó por esa ambientación en el Caribe, esos espíritus misteriosos y su protagonista solitaria, me decepcionó bastante con el apresurado desenlace de todas las tramas.
Es una pena porque estaba disfrutando mucho de la lectura, pero por un lado el romance apresurado, por otra la resolución del tema familiar que me resultó difícil de creer y finalmente la poca importancia de la parte fantástica hace que el libro se quede (para mi) en algo entretenido pero nada más.
Eso sí, para niños de 10 a 14 años me parece una gran opción.
Es una pena porque estaba disfrutando mucho de la lectura, pero por un lado el romance apresurado, por otra la resolución del tema familiar que me resultó difícil de creer y finalmente la poca importancia de la parte fantástica hace que el libro se quede (para mi) en algo entretenido pero nada más.
Eso sí, para niños de 10 a 14 años me parece una gran opción.
June 23, 2018
What an amazing, complex, moving portrayal of a young queer black girl from Water Island in the Caribbean. Caroline's story is about grief, love, family, queer crushes, bullying, shadism, (internalized) homophobia, and friendship. It has a lovely poetic, magical realism to it. It felt very authentic to a twelve year old's world while is dealt with 'adult' issues but never simplified or talked down. This book was a wonderful reminder of how deeply children feel.
February 4, 2023
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When I saw that HURRICANE CHILD was on sale for an incredibly affordable seventy-five cents in the Kindle store, I was all over that like white on rice. Especially since it's written by Kacen Callender, one of my favorite YA authors. They always write about dark and serious issues, but they do it with heart and nuance, so I never feel like I'm being lectured at or pandered to: they allow the characters to tell their own stories simply by dint of being themselves.
HURRICANE CHILD is the story of a young girl named Caroline, who lives on Water Island, one of the Virgin Islands, a mere boat away from Saint Thomas (which I believe is where the author comes from). She was born during a hurricane, which according to island superstition means a lifetime of bad luck and no happiness. Right now, for her, it feels like it's true. Her mother disappeared when she was young, she's bullied at school for being willful and having dark skin by students and faculty alike, and she's filled with an anger that seems to come from feeling very, very depressed.
That changes when they get a new girl on the island from Barbados. Like Caroline, she has dark skin and natural hair, but Kalinda also has a confidence and a charisma that Caroline does not, and when she shuts down a first attempt to bully her by the Queen Bee herself, she ends up skyrocketing in popularity. Caroline is fascinated by Kalinda and wants to be her friend, but she also feels more than that, too. It's a sort of fascination that moves beyond jealousy or obsession, into the sort of desires that can make you want someone to be a part of your life forever. The bond between the two girls shifts and changes as they take each other into their confidence and Kalinda becomes involved in the mystery of Caroline's disappearance, but honesty, like mystery, can sometimes open doors through which there is no turning back, no matter how much you regret what you find on the other side.
So I loved this book. The magic realism element is way more underplayed than I was expecting but I think it worked for the story. It actually makes me sad how many people were criticizing the heroine for being selfish and unlikable. Caroline actually reminded me a lot of the heroine in I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER, which shows how depression can manifest itself differently in different cultures, often taking the form of anger in places where it might not be acceptable to publicly show weakness or emotion. I felt like that was the case here. Caroline had a lot of emotional trauma and seemed to be sublimating it into anger, since that was a more acceptable and comfortable emotion for her to feel. I know some readers through this was too dark for MG but I honestly don't think it is, for the right readers. It captures the pure and innocent first crush from a LGBT+ perspective, just like how ANNIE ON MY MIND did, and it's not explicit. It's just sweet and bittersweet and kind of sad.
I also think that, like HOUSE ON MANGO STREET, the magical realism and fairytale like elements of the story allow the author to be vague about the darker subject matter. They do a really good job leaning back at the right times, and only giving enough information for what the story requires. I think HURRICANE CHILD was Kacen Callender's debut novel but it's just as good as their later works.
P.S. Since this was a debut, some copies have the author's dead name on the cover. Make sure you don't use it when talking about the work. The author goes by Kacen now and uses they/them pronouns.
4.5 stars
February 17, 2019
Pure. Magical. Authentic.
Exactly what I needed... decades ago.
But, also now.
Exactly what I needed... decades ago.
But, also now.
Want to read
June 7, 2020After my experience reading King and the Dragonflies, I definitely want to pick this one up this month.
Callender's writing screams, PAY ATTENTION, and I'm here for that.
Callender's writing screams, PAY ATTENTION, and I'm here for that.
February 20, 2022
it was okay.
not perfect but it's definitely an important middle-grade book.
not perfect but it's definitely an important middle-grade book.
September 21, 2017
Vivid and poetic. I'd add it to my books that should be movies shelf, but a movie would not be able to do the prose justice. Reminded me a bit of When Marnie Was There. There is so much packed into this 200 page book, and yet no question goes unanswered by the time you've made the journey.
October 2, 2018
This book was not for me. Not only were the main characters unlikable, but the themes in this story seemed much too heavy to be geared toward young readers (now, I know, depending on where children grow up and what their sexual orientation is, or what their home life is like, this story isn't any worse than what they've experienced, but the way this story is written doesn't seem like it would bring a reader in, especially a young reader. The writing style, to me, doesn't seem as if it were written for the age the main character is, but this is my opinion). I will just say that I don't know what kind of reader I would ever be able to recommend this book to, because the story is challenging, the narrative is a bit all over the place, and there is not much of a plot.
Caroline Murphy is a difficult narrator to follow. She is bullied in school, but she is also very moody and, despite her father being a generally positive presence in her life, she cannot seem to care or love him. She often says things like: "I am all alone in this world," or "I have no one," when she has her dad and I see no real reason for her to dislike him.
When a new girl comes to school from Barbados, she and Caroline become friends rather inexplicably. First, the girl only hangs out with the popular kids, while Caroline is shunned. Then, for some reason, she agrees to hang out with Caroline after school. After that, they are two peas in a pod. It's sudden, but then most of the events in this book happen suddenly and without much leading up to it. When Caroline and her new friend, Kalinda, go walking in town, they see two women holding hands. In St. Thomas, adults holding hands is a sign of homosexuality, and is viewed as disgusting, which Kalinda even says when they see them. It is in this moment that Caroline suddenly discovers that she is gay and that she in fact LOVES Kalinda and wants to marry her. They are twelve. This, to me, is a very strange and out of the blue development to the story, which, up until this point doesn't seem to have any plot. Most of the book up until this point has been a chronicaling of Caroline's very sad life being bullied in school and wanting to find her mom, who left years ago.
I think what bothered me most about this story was its lack of direction and its unlikable characters. The only major action that happens is in the last 1/4th of the story. The fact that Caroline confesses her love to Kalinda and that Kalinda suddenly reveals that is almost too much of a coincidence and these twelve year olds seem to think they have their life all figured out, down to imagining their married lives, and that seeing someone die is what makes you an adult, is both bizarre and an inexplicable plot point.
Another plot point that is never really answered is whether the spirit Caroline sees is real or not. I don't know whether the book contains a supernatural element or not. I cant even tell if Kalinda really can see the same spirit as Caroline or she's just pretending.It bothered me the whole time.
Once the story began to wrap up, all I felt was confused and that I wanted my time back. I read this book for a book club, or else I would a) most likely not have picked it up or b) would have put it down unfinished. I also listened to the audio book which, even if I were to recommend this story, I would not recommend listening to the audio. It is read by a woman with a heavy accent, who reads sentences almost like she doesn't know where the sentence will end up, and whose only way of differentiating between voices is to read Caroline's voice really loudly and everyone else very softly. This loud/soft thing coupled with her accent makes it really hard to understand what she is saying a good portion of the time. I would not recommend it to kids. I think they would get very frustrated. I understand the decision to have a reader who speaks with the accent that the characters would have, but it's too thick or else they just didn't consider their audience.
Anyways, not a fun read and too messy/all over the place for me.
Caroline Murphy is a difficult narrator to follow. She is bullied in school, but she is also very moody and, despite her father being a generally positive presence in her life, she cannot seem to care or love him. She often says things like: "I am all alone in this world," or "I have no one," when she has her dad and I see no real reason for her to dislike him.
When a new girl comes to school from Barbados, she and Caroline become friends rather inexplicably. First, the girl only hangs out with the popular kids, while Caroline is shunned. Then, for some reason, she agrees to hang out with Caroline after school. After that, they are two peas in a pod. It's sudden, but then most of the events in this book happen suddenly and without much leading up to it. When Caroline and her new friend, Kalinda, go walking in town, they see two women holding hands. In St. Thomas, adults holding hands is a sign of homosexuality, and is viewed as disgusting, which Kalinda even says when they see them. It is in this moment that Caroline suddenly discovers that she is gay and that she in fact LOVES Kalinda and wants to marry her. They are twelve. This, to me, is a very strange and out of the blue development to the story, which, up until this point doesn't seem to have any plot. Most of the book up until this point has been a chronicaling of Caroline's very sad life being bullied in school and wanting to find her mom, who left years ago.
I think what bothered me most about this story was its lack of direction and its unlikable characters. The only major action that happens is in the last 1/4th of the story. The fact that Caroline confesses her love to Kalinda and that Kalinda suddenly reveals that is almost too much of a coincidence and these twelve year olds seem to think they have their life all figured out, down to imagining their married lives, and that seeing someone die is what makes you an adult, is both bizarre and an inexplicable plot point.
Another plot point that is never really answered is whether the spirit Caroline sees is real or not. I don't know whether the book contains a supernatural element or not. I cant even tell if Kalinda really can see the same spirit as Caroline or she's just pretending.It bothered me the whole time.
Once the story began to wrap up, all I felt was confused and that I wanted my time back. I read this book for a book club, or else I would a) most likely not have picked it up or b) would have put it down unfinished. I also listened to the audio book which, even if I were to recommend this story, I would not recommend listening to the audio. It is read by a woman with a heavy accent, who reads sentences almost like she doesn't know where the sentence will end up, and whose only way of differentiating between voices is to read Caroline's voice really loudly and everyone else very softly. This loud/soft thing coupled with her accent makes it really hard to understand what she is saying a good portion of the time. I would not recommend it to kids. I think they would get very frustrated. I understand the decision to have a reader who speaks with the accent that the characters would have, but it's too thick or else they just didn't consider their audience.
Anyways, not a fun read and too messy/all over the place for me.
Read
April 28, 2019Really enjoyed this Afro-Caribbean magical-realist MG novel, and it definitely has an older crossover audience allllll the way up to adult. Longer review soonish IY"H. F/F relationship and trans author! Also spirituality.
For adults I think it pairs really well with Craig Laurance Gidney's (upcoming) A Spectral Hue, and Akwaeke Emezi's Freshwater, I just read three of these books quasi-simultaneously and it was such a great experience.
I want to say more about all this but I want to post this quick post to squeeeeee. :)
________
Source of the book: Bought with my own money during the Kidlit for Christchurch auction. (Signed copy from the author - yay thank you!)
For adults I think it pairs really well with Craig Laurance Gidney's (upcoming) A Spectral Hue, and Akwaeke Emezi's Freshwater, I just read three of these books quasi-simultaneously and it was such a great experience.
I want to say more about all this but I want to post this quick post to squeeeeee. :)
________
Source of the book: Bought with my own money during the Kidlit for Christchurch auction. (Signed copy from the author - yay thank you!)
January 31, 2024
3.5-4 stars. A very affecting work. Twelve-year-old Caroline Murphy lives on an island just off St. Thomas with only her father; her mother left the family, and the island, a little over a year before her book begins. She if bereft, she is confused, she is angry, and she feels abandoned and alone. The pack of hyenas that are her classmates both shut her out and make her life misery, and it isn't until a new classmate comes along, Kalinda Charles from Barbados, that Caroline experiences the possibility of having a friend. Very soon, Caroline starts to understand that Kalinda means more to her than just a friend, and so on top of all the other confusing elements of her life Caroline has to try to reconcile her feelings with what everyone considers sinful, immoral, "disgusting" feelings. And all of that is mixed up with desperately wanting to know what has happened to her mother.
The author and the narrator (Krystel Roche) do an excellent job conveying the conflicts and turmoils Caroline experiences and has to try to work through. Every once in a while I wasn't quite sure I was really listening to a 12-year-old's story, but that only happened a few times. I very much recommend this book.
This book is my third task completed for the 2024 Book Riot "Read Harder Challenge," task number 6, "Read a middle grade book with an LGBTQIA main character."
The author and the narrator (Krystel Roche) do an excellent job conveying the conflicts and turmoils Caroline experiences and has to try to work through. Every once in a while I wasn't quite sure I was really listening to a 12-year-old's story, but that only happened a few times. I very much recommend this book.
This book is my third task completed for the 2024 Book Riot "Read Harder Challenge," task number 6, "Read a middle grade book with an LGBTQIA main character."
October 29, 2020
This was the perfect MG novel. The plot was driven by compelling, three-dimensional characters. The story was infused with subtle magic and covert supernaturalness that felt organically woven into the world-building. The story never moved too quickly or too slowly. I loved Caroline. This was just an incredible book.
November 10, 2023
Creo que este libro me hizo enojar demasiado para lo que es. Pero qué onda con la irresponsabilidad de los adultos. ¿qué mundo le estamos dando a las infancias?
October 27, 2017
Okay. I barely have words for how good this book is. Do yourself a favor and pre-order it now.
Read
July 5, 2018#RWLChallenge: A book written by a trans or non-binary author of colour.
Full review forthcoming via Rebel Women Lit.
Full review forthcoming via Rebel Women Lit.
January 2, 2020
This reads like it should be a classic.
February 8, 2024
the multilayered themes are the strong point of this middle grade novel about caroline, a queer black girl growing up on water island in the caribbean.
she is traumatized by the absence of her mother, who left her unexpectedly and without explanation. she is bullied and isolated at school, and carries enormous loneliness on her shoulders as she commutes by boat to st. thomas every day to study. she sees spirits, including a woman in black whom she first saw at the bottom of the ocean when she fell off a boat and nearly died. and when a new girl named kalinda comes to her school, she experiences her first crush, one that she knows to be socially unacceptable.
the language is simplistic and kid-friendly, but the content is deep. heavy grief, confusion, and pain of being othered.
the book tackles a lot, but not much happens. it's a painful little slice of life as caroline searches for her mother and learns a bit about herself and her family. but i wish there had been more of the magical realism, more character development for kalinda, more eventfulness in general. a lot of it feels unfinished.
she is traumatized by the absence of her mother, who left her unexpectedly and without explanation. she is bullied and isolated at school, and carries enormous loneliness on her shoulders as she commutes by boat to st. thomas every day to study. she sees spirits, including a woman in black whom she first saw at the bottom of the ocean when she fell off a boat and nearly died. and when a new girl named kalinda comes to her school, she experiences her first crush, one that she knows to be socially unacceptable.
the language is simplistic and kid-friendly, but the content is deep. heavy grief, confusion, and pain of being othered.
the book tackles a lot, but not much happens. it's a painful little slice of life as caroline searches for her mother and learns a bit about herself and her family. but i wish there had been more of the magical realism, more character development for kalinda, more eventfulness in general. a lot of it feels unfinished.
Read
March 28, 2018There is a phrase in Kheryn Callender’s Hurricane Child that comes to mind when I think of this book, “exquisitely beautiful,” and truly, there are only a handful of alternative word combinations that can just as aptly describe this debut.
Callender’s handling of bullying, first loves, queer love and family is the kind of literature we want, no, *need* our kids to grow up on. The author expertly captures what it means to be a child of the Caribbean, highlighting experiences so universal among us that it left me smiling, giggling and flat out laughing. It’s interesting that the protagonist, Caroline, mentions Jamaica Kincaid and Tiphanie Yanique as some of her favourite authors, as we would immediately compare Hurricane Child to Kincaid’s Annie John. Callender’s writing is vivid and absorptive, so much so that one can describe it as palatable, and nothing short of a sensory overload. Their language and word choice gave me goose-bumps. This may be a book written with a middle-grade audience, but one clear standout is that not once does Callender condescend to their audience, choosing instead to address them writing to them as equals.
Caroline is a protagonist that readers will find extremely relatable, a child who is curious, awkward, vulnerable and mischievous. Not only is this a Black protagonist from the Caribbean (I’m forever hyped about this), but a Black, Queer protagonist from the Caribbean. Hurricane Child addresses all these intersectionalities, tackling internalized homophobia, religion, microaggressions, colourism and misogynoir. This is a book that deserves to be added to high school curricula as it will spark the kind of discussion that readers (particularly Caribbean readers) need to have. By sharing Hurricane Child with readers, Callender gives us a story that is full of hope and resolution; themes which we desperately need in middle-grade literature. We are excited about Callender’s debut, and can’t wait to see what they bring us next.
Thank you to Scholastic for sending us a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Hurricane Child Reviewed by Rebel Kaymara Barrett
Callender’s handling of bullying, first loves, queer love and family is the kind of literature we want, no, *need* our kids to grow up on. The author expertly captures what it means to be a child of the Caribbean, highlighting experiences so universal among us that it left me smiling, giggling and flat out laughing. It’s interesting that the protagonist, Caroline, mentions Jamaica Kincaid and Tiphanie Yanique as some of her favourite authors, as we would immediately compare Hurricane Child to Kincaid’s Annie John. Callender’s writing is vivid and absorptive, so much so that one can describe it as palatable, and nothing short of a sensory overload. Their language and word choice gave me goose-bumps. This may be a book written with a middle-grade audience, but one clear standout is that not once does Callender condescend to their audience, choosing instead to address them writing to them as equals.
Caroline is a protagonist that readers will find extremely relatable, a child who is curious, awkward, vulnerable and mischievous. Not only is this a Black protagonist from the Caribbean (I’m forever hyped about this), but a Black, Queer protagonist from the Caribbean. Hurricane Child addresses all these intersectionalities, tackling internalized homophobia, religion, microaggressions, colourism and misogynoir. This is a book that deserves to be added to high school curricula as it will spark the kind of discussion that readers (particularly Caribbean readers) need to have. By sharing Hurricane Child with readers, Callender gives us a story that is full of hope and resolution; themes which we desperately need in middle-grade literature. We are excited about Callender’s debut, and can’t wait to see what they bring us next.
Thank you to Scholastic for sending us a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Hurricane Child Reviewed by Rebel Kaymara Barrett
June 29, 2018
This book is SO GOOD. Wow. Wow! I loved everything about it. I want every kid to have access to it.
This is a middle grade book with excellent writing that deals with real issues in a complex way. It feels like the author really understands young people and trusts them to manage very complicated experiences with careful consideration and bravery. I loved the main character and the way she perceived and experienced the world. I loved the way queerness was talked about and felt. I loved the story so so much.
I can’t wait to see what this author does next. They have a YA novel coming in the fall. I feel prepared to be obsessed with them.
(SPL 2018 book bingo: by an author of color)
This is a middle grade book with excellent writing that deals with real issues in a complex way. It feels like the author really understands young people and trusts them to manage very complicated experiences with careful consideration and bravery. I loved the main character and the way she perceived and experienced the world. I loved the way queerness was talked about and felt. I loved the story so so much.
I can’t wait to see what this author does next. They have a YA novel coming in the fall. I feel prepared to be obsessed with them.
(SPL 2018 book bingo: by an author of color)
January 9, 2020
I'm trying my best to keep this unspoilerific so leaving some things a bit vague.
Beautiful beautiful beautiful book. Atmospheric, vivd, emotionally rich, profoundly complex, heart-breaking and joyful and heart breaking and joyful and heart breaking and joyful. There are no uncomplicated happy endings, but as far as queer books go, I'm glad the ending was as it was, brimming with hope. There is some homophobia. there is also queer love and complicated relationships and sweet adventures.
Beautiful beautiful beautiful book. Atmospheric, vivd, emotionally rich, profoundly complex, heart-breaking and joyful and heart breaking and joyful and heart breaking and joyful. There are no uncomplicated happy endings, but as far as queer books go, I'm glad the ending was as it was, brimming with hope. There is some homophobia. there is also queer love and complicated relationships and sweet adventures.
May 23, 2019
Lush and vivid, Hurricane Child presents a story about a queer girl finding her place, first love, and her mother's love. A lovely lies beyond its lovely cover. The poetic language hooks you until its last word. Also, though it's a middle-school read, it often feels like a young adult book. Amazing.
Well-worth a read. 4/5
Well-worth a read. 4/5
August 12, 2020
La hija del huracán es una historia en la que se tratan temas fundamentales, como el amor, la diversidad sexual, racial y familiar, la soledad, o la depresión, y que desde luego llega a achucharte el corazón por toda la carga emocional que transmite. Es sencilla, pero a la vez, muy bonita.
Reseña completa: http://fiebrelectora.blogspot.com/202...
Reseña completa: http://fiebrelectora.blogspot.com/202...
June 16, 2020
Following 12-year-old Caroline, a complex island-girl with a lot on her plate. Years ago, her mother abandoned her and her father without explanation. And with her father working all the time, and when he is around, constantly avoiding Caroline's questions, the weight of frustration and loneliness becomes too much for young Caroline to bear. She begins to become consumed with negative thoughts and emotions and anger and is feeling very alone.
That is until she meets Kalinda. Kalinda is a new student from Barbados at Caroline's tiny St. Thomas school where she is constantly bullied by the students and teachers. Caroline is immediately drawn to Kalinda's confidence and poise and the two become fast friends.
I absolutely loved the setting and the rich Caribbean culture. I loved how the book touched on the good and bad of it. I thought that Caroline's character was very interesting and seeing her emotional journey in regard to her parents was intriguing. On the opposite side, I did think that the narration leaned older, especially when the love interest entered the story. For me personally, I thought it was a little odd to see a 12 y/o girl making all of these declarations of never-ending love and destiny choosing your soulmate and such things. I also found the story to be a bit all over the place and a little difficult to follow at times. We had Caroline's internal conflict, the mystery of what happened to her mother, a queer romantic plotline, all of the conflict with her peers and teachers that were going on at her school, AND she was seeing spirits that were following her around everywhere. It was a lot going on in only 200 pages and it wasn't bad, but it didn't do the best job at flowing smoothly and naturally through all of these conflicts, storywise.
Also, I personally didn't love how the mystery of what happened to her mother wrapped up in the end but that is very subjective and just my personal opinion.
Overall, this was a nice story and very fast read but I'm still searching for my favorite Kacen Callender book.
That is until she meets Kalinda. Kalinda is a new student from Barbados at Caroline's tiny St. Thomas school where she is constantly bullied by the students and teachers. Caroline is immediately drawn to Kalinda's confidence and poise and the two become fast friends.
I absolutely loved the setting and the rich Caribbean culture. I loved how the book touched on the good and bad of it. I thought that Caroline's character was very interesting and seeing her emotional journey in regard to her parents was intriguing. On the opposite side, I did think that the narration leaned older, especially when the love interest entered the story. For me personally, I thought it was a little odd to see a 12 y/o girl making all of these declarations of never-ending love and destiny choosing your soulmate and such things. I also found the story to be a bit all over the place and a little difficult to follow at times. We had Caroline's internal conflict, the mystery of what happened to her mother, a queer romantic plotline, all of the conflict with her peers and teachers that were going on at her school, AND she was seeing spirits that were following her around everywhere. It was a lot going on in only 200 pages and it wasn't bad, but it didn't do the best job at flowing smoothly and naturally through all of these conflicts, storywise.
Also, I personally didn't love how the mystery of what happened to her mother wrapped up in the end but that is very subjective and just my personal opinion.
Overall, this was a nice story and very fast read but I'm still searching for my favorite Kacen Callender book.
December 11, 2017
Hurricane Child is a slow and beautiful story about a girl trying to navigate through her loneliness and the relationships in her life. I really felt I was on the Virgin Islands with the visceral descriptions of the sea and town, the way Caroline moves through her world is so confident and natural, but tinged with a slowness because of her grief. idk. Kalinda was such a good character and I loved her way of speaking her thoughts and how deep she was; the stuff she thought about reminded me of being a kid and how I thought of things when I was their age. I really liked the spiritual and romantic elements too.
July 3, 2018
This gorgeous and heartfelt novel is not one to miss. I don't think I've ever read a setting so tangibly depicted. Everything about Caroline's reality comes soaring to life as you enter her world, and you won't want to leave until you find out what has happened to her mother. This one has earned a permanent spot on my shelf.
September 15, 2018
I liked how it handled the journeys of all three characters: our lead (being a baby lesbian, feeling abandoned, being bullied); her best friend (internalized homophobia, dealing with peer pressure); and her mother (dealing with depression, and finding self fulfillment) and how each worked through their own emotions to get to a better place. It’s a very beautiful little little book.
September 10, 2019
trigger warnings for: racism, bullying, violence, homophobia.
this was really deep and serious for a middle grade novel and it made SOME points. 4.5 stars
this was really deep and serious for a middle grade novel and it made SOME points. 4.5 stars
February 10, 2021
This book was rough. This was apparently Kacen Callender's first book and it shows. All of the same issues as Felix Ever After with none of the strengths. This was so bad I actually started retroactively redoing my Felix Ever After review in my head as this book made me reconsider why I liked it.
It's a brisk read. Its writing style is fast paced. It moves quickly with little time spent on any one factor. It's very close to prose over substance - a disappointing revelation as I felt the subject matter could use more attention especially taking into account its intended audience. I felt like this decision was made in an attempt to emphasize its own importance. Like how you can always tell what movie is Oscar bait right off; it's got a certain tone, certain way of conveying a point, a thin layer of pretension cast over everything.
Caroline is a girl broken by her mother’s abandonment a little over a year ago. She has no one else in the world except for her father whom she was never as close to as her mother. She’s relentlessly bullied at school for being dark skinned, by students and teachers alike. In short, her life sucks. Everything changes when new girl Kalinda moves to town.
First off, this book completely lacks direction. It sets up the pieces fairly well, but there is no pay off. There are so many plot threads to pursue that could easily be woven together to create one continuous narrative. It feels instead like several different isolated events that happen in succession whilst the plot of finding Caroline’s mother runs underneath. Now that could work, but it doesn't here because the transition from one situation to the next is too jarring. If this was in epistolary format, for instance, that would be fine because journal entries or letters can be inconsistent when communicating events. It’s like Callender had a lot of ideas, but didn't know how to effectively intertwine all of it. And rather than just let some of it go they pushed on with it anyways leaving this messy, underdeveloped story in its place.
Caroline wants to find her mother. Her plan is to use her fathers’ boat to sail to wherever she is. Obviously, a silly idea for a multitude of reasons. That’s fine though because I’d expect as much from a kid desperate to see their mother.
The problem is that Caroline doesn’t really do anything whether that be her ill-fated pursuit for her mother or otherwise. Her mother used to send postcards. Turns out her dad got rid of them. So that’s a dead end. Then Kalinda moves to town. Caroline becomes obsessed with her for a while forgetting all about finding her mom at all. Then randomly she starts to think that the strange spirit she has seen since she almost drowned as a child actually kidnapped her. Then this is dropped because her mothers’ whereabouts are revealed. It's resolved without the need for Caroline to ever exert any effort. So then, what was quantifiably accomplished after all is said and done?
Kalinda’s introduction stops the plot dead. When it’s revived, we focus on an element that is largely confusing and ultimately useless. Are these spirits real or a narrative device? It was never clarified whether this was magical realism or if the spirit/demon was a manifestation of Caroline’s trauma. Why is any of the vision stuff included when it takes us nowhere? It's made out to be a central to the conclusion for a couple chapters and then the story pivots away hard.
(Sidenote: I will freely admit that this could be a cultural blind spot. I don’t know if spirits or demons are common in Virgin Island or Caribbean stories. I still think it wasn’t used or expanded on well, if so. I’m just acknowledging that I could be missing a layer of subtext due to my lack of familiarity with the history.)
The line about Caroline searching for her mother in the synopsis amounts to the last quarter or so wherein Caroline figures out where her mother is on a hunch that could have been sought after a lot sooner. A ton of this book is padding. Kalinda needs to show up sooner, and Caroline should have started looking for her mother with her almost immediately. Instead the search is crammed into the last handful of chapters. The spirit feels like a distraction moreso than a legitimate facet of the plot. I don’t care that it’s a fruitless undertaking from the beginning. I wanted her to actually take steps towards finding her mother that would make the book feel like it was going somewhere. As the reader I know it won’t work, but Caroline doesn’t so why isn’t she working at it?
The characters are all so flat. Her friendship with Kalinda is way too strong way too fast. I didn’t feel as if I knew Kalinda at all. They're just hanging out and suddenly the two are super close. Kalinda apparently can also see the spirits/demons so for a while it honestly felt like Kalinda was included as a means of informing Caroline more about that. Which again, is so infuriating because the spirit/demons thing goes nowhere. It’s just enough effort to make her character qualify as a character then all the details that would actually add dimensionality are glossed over. It’s tell not show at its worst. Kalinda has seven siblings. We never even learn the name of one.
The lack of development for Kalinda really tanks the storyline when Caroline’s feelings for her come into play. Her negative feelings on homosexuality are made transpicuous early on. But, there is no examination of her viewpoint. Why does she feel this way? Is it familial pressure? Is it general ignorance? Who knows, it certainly isn’t ever discussed.
Furthermore Caroline’s feelings about the subject aren’t explored either. It’s never definitively stated what she has been taught or what she believes about being gay. She doesn’t seem particularly religious so that’s out. Nor does she express much discomfort outside of a few references to her worry that her mother or Kalinda would think she is a sinner. I’m not going to pretend that I know what it’s like to be a closeted person in a potentially if not outright homophobic household. I have, however, experienced that crushing realization of everyone around me will think differently of me if I express this part of myself. It’s not nearly the same, but it does have some similarities. The main thing is that the conflict of everything you thought you knew about the world and/or yourself versus what you now know to be true can be very distressing when you’re first made aware of it. It can completely rewire your entire thought process as it can call into question all aspects of your life, not just the one thing it specifically pertains to. I did not feel that tension within Caroline. She accepts it quickly and it has no long term effect on her personality.
As for the other characters; Caroline’s father disappears after the beginning, the bullies disappear after Kalinda befriends Caroline, the principal who initially connects with Caroline over her mother as the two were childhood friends disappears after one conversation. No other characters matter.
This book had so much potential. It really could have worked if it had some fine tuning. Cut out all of the spirit/demon stuff that implied it was going to be crucial to the book. It doesn’t need to be removed entirely, just don’t hype it up so much. Actually write interactions with Kalinda instead of skipping a month and telling me they’re friends now. Prove it to be true. Don’t just tell me. Continue the bullying throughout because that’s a huge part of Caroline’s self worth issues. The lack of follow through is also damaging; for example, there’s actually a point where Caroline finds out she has a half sister due to her father’s infidelity. This comes up TWO times in the book, one of which is when Caroline finds out she has the half sister in the first place. After the second time the girl has already gone back home with her mother so that’s the end of that, I guess. I have no idea by the end what impact this will have on Caroline’s life. How does she feel about having a sister now? Did she ever wish to have a sibling growing up? Why didn’t she have siblings? Did her parents not want more than one or were they incapable? If it was started, finish it.
The ending is frustrating. There is a wonderful confrontation between Caroline and her mother. I felt like Caroline unloading all her pent-up emotion was the best moment in the whole book. The fallout was a massive comedown. Caroline is essentially bullied into forgiving her mother.
I am fine if Caroline decides in her own time to do so. This book chooses to shame Caroline for needing time to process. She is pushed to get over it because (paraphrasing here) ‘she’s a self-absorbed child who doesn’t understand the struggles of grown folk’. The reason she left is a sympathetic one. I just do not think it’s right to put the message out to the target demographic that it is necessary to forgive your parents under any circumstances without showing how much work it is to reach that point.
It looks to me as if Callender wanted the story to go in a certain way regardless of whether or not it made sense. They did not compromise on their vision and the result is unfortunate. I started out disliking this book, by the end I hated it. Comparing this to Felix Ever After is like apples to oranges. Even so, like I said before you can see a lot of similar problems in that book that start here. Don’t get me wrong they definitely have improved as an author, I just think that they still have a ways to go. If their other books are anything like Hurricane Child though then I might have to write that one off as a fluke.
It's a brisk read. Its writing style is fast paced. It moves quickly with little time spent on any one factor. It's very close to prose over substance - a disappointing revelation as I felt the subject matter could use more attention especially taking into account its intended audience. I felt like this decision was made in an attempt to emphasize its own importance. Like how you can always tell what movie is Oscar bait right off; it's got a certain tone, certain way of conveying a point, a thin layer of pretension cast over everything.
Caroline is a girl broken by her mother’s abandonment a little over a year ago. She has no one else in the world except for her father whom she was never as close to as her mother. She’s relentlessly bullied at school for being dark skinned, by students and teachers alike. In short, her life sucks. Everything changes when new girl Kalinda moves to town.
First off, this book completely lacks direction. It sets up the pieces fairly well, but there is no pay off. There are so many plot threads to pursue that could easily be woven together to create one continuous narrative. It feels instead like several different isolated events that happen in succession whilst the plot of finding Caroline’s mother runs underneath. Now that could work, but it doesn't here because the transition from one situation to the next is too jarring. If this was in epistolary format, for instance, that would be fine because journal entries or letters can be inconsistent when communicating events. It’s like Callender had a lot of ideas, but didn't know how to effectively intertwine all of it. And rather than just let some of it go they pushed on with it anyways leaving this messy, underdeveloped story in its place.
Caroline wants to find her mother. Her plan is to use her fathers’ boat to sail to wherever she is. Obviously, a silly idea for a multitude of reasons. That’s fine though because I’d expect as much from a kid desperate to see their mother.
The problem is that Caroline doesn’t really do anything whether that be her ill-fated pursuit for her mother or otherwise. Her mother used to send postcards. Turns out her dad got rid of them. So that’s a dead end. Then Kalinda moves to town. Caroline becomes obsessed with her for a while forgetting all about finding her mom at all. Then randomly she starts to think that the strange spirit she has seen since she almost drowned as a child actually kidnapped her. Then this is dropped because her mothers’ whereabouts are revealed. It's resolved without the need for Caroline to ever exert any effort. So then, what was quantifiably accomplished after all is said and done?
Kalinda’s introduction stops the plot dead. When it’s revived, we focus on an element that is largely confusing and ultimately useless. Are these spirits real or a narrative device? It was never clarified whether this was magical realism or if the spirit/demon was a manifestation of Caroline’s trauma. Why is any of the vision stuff included when it takes us nowhere? It's made out to be a central to the conclusion for a couple chapters and then the story pivots away hard.
(Sidenote: I will freely admit that this could be a cultural blind spot. I don’t know if spirits or demons are common in Virgin Island or Caribbean stories. I still think it wasn’t used or expanded on well, if so. I’m just acknowledging that I could be missing a layer of subtext due to my lack of familiarity with the history.)
The line about Caroline searching for her mother in the synopsis amounts to the last quarter or so wherein Caroline figures out where her mother is on a hunch that could have been sought after a lot sooner. A ton of this book is padding. Kalinda needs to show up sooner, and Caroline should have started looking for her mother with her almost immediately. Instead the search is crammed into the last handful of chapters. The spirit feels like a distraction moreso than a legitimate facet of the plot. I don’t care that it’s a fruitless undertaking from the beginning. I wanted her to actually take steps towards finding her mother that would make the book feel like it was going somewhere. As the reader I know it won’t work, but Caroline doesn’t so why isn’t she working at it?
The characters are all so flat. Her friendship with Kalinda is way too strong way too fast. I didn’t feel as if I knew Kalinda at all. They're just hanging out and suddenly the two are super close. Kalinda apparently can also see the spirits/demons so for a while it honestly felt like Kalinda was included as a means of informing Caroline more about that. Which again, is so infuriating because the spirit/demons thing goes nowhere. It’s just enough effort to make her character qualify as a character then all the details that would actually add dimensionality are glossed over. It’s tell not show at its worst. Kalinda has seven siblings. We never even learn the name of one.
The lack of development for Kalinda really tanks the storyline when Caroline’s feelings for her come into play. Her negative feelings on homosexuality are made transpicuous early on. But, there is no examination of her viewpoint. Why does she feel this way? Is it familial pressure? Is it general ignorance? Who knows, it certainly isn’t ever discussed.
Furthermore Caroline’s feelings about the subject aren’t explored either. It’s never definitively stated what she has been taught or what she believes about being gay. She doesn’t seem particularly religious so that’s out. Nor does she express much discomfort outside of a few references to her worry that her mother or Kalinda would think she is a sinner. I’m not going to pretend that I know what it’s like to be a closeted person in a potentially if not outright homophobic household. I have, however, experienced that crushing realization of everyone around me will think differently of me if I express this part of myself. It’s not nearly the same, but it does have some similarities. The main thing is that the conflict of everything you thought you knew about the world and/or yourself versus what you now know to be true can be very distressing when you’re first made aware of it. It can completely rewire your entire thought process as it can call into question all aspects of your life, not just the one thing it specifically pertains to. I did not feel that tension within Caroline. She accepts it quickly and it has no long term effect on her personality.
As for the other characters; Caroline’s father disappears after the beginning, the bullies disappear after Kalinda befriends Caroline, the principal who initially connects with Caroline over her mother as the two were childhood friends disappears after one conversation. No other characters matter.
This book had so much potential. It really could have worked if it had some fine tuning. Cut out all of the spirit/demon stuff that implied it was going to be crucial to the book. It doesn’t need to be removed entirely, just don’t hype it up so much. Actually write interactions with Kalinda instead of skipping a month and telling me they’re friends now. Prove it to be true. Don’t just tell me. Continue the bullying throughout because that’s a huge part of Caroline’s self worth issues. The lack of follow through is also damaging; for example, there’s actually a point where Caroline finds out she has a half sister due to her father’s infidelity. This comes up TWO times in the book, one of which is when Caroline finds out she has the half sister in the first place. After the second time the girl has already gone back home with her mother so that’s the end of that, I guess. I have no idea by the end what impact this will have on Caroline’s life. How does she feel about having a sister now? Did she ever wish to have a sibling growing up? Why didn’t she have siblings? Did her parents not want more than one or were they incapable? If it was started, finish it.
The ending is frustrating. There is a wonderful confrontation between Caroline and her mother. I felt like Caroline unloading all her pent-up emotion was the best moment in the whole book. The fallout was a massive comedown. Caroline is essentially bullied into forgiving her mother.
I am fine if Caroline decides in her own time to do so. This book chooses to shame Caroline for needing time to process. She is pushed to get over it because (paraphrasing here) ‘she’s a self-absorbed child who doesn’t understand the struggles of grown folk’. The reason she left is a sympathetic one. I just do not think it’s right to put the message out to the target demographic that it is necessary to forgive your parents under any circumstances without showing how much work it is to reach that point.
It looks to me as if Callender wanted the story to go in a certain way regardless of whether or not it made sense. They did not compromise on their vision and the result is unfortunate. I started out disliking this book, by the end I hated it. Comparing this to Felix Ever After is like apples to oranges. Even so, like I said before you can see a lot of similar problems in that book that start here. Don’t get me wrong they definitely have improved as an author, I just think that they still have a ways to go. If their other books are anything like Hurricane Child though then I might have to write that one off as a fluke.
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