Hurricane Summer

Starred review from March 1, 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

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2021
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)

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Starred review from March 15, 2021
Grades 10-12 *Starred Review* The one thing 18-year-old Tilla knows to be true is that, when it comes to her father, she and her family will always come second to Jamaica. So when she and her younger sister learn they're spending the summer with him on the island, Tilla knows not to expect much but hopelessly vies for his attention anyway. Of course, he inevitably disappoints her, but Jamaica is brimming with more than succulent pineapples and idyllic waterfalls--there are also boys with intense gazes. A hurricane looms just beyond the horizon, but it's not the only storm Tilla will encounter. 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. Particularly amazing is Tilla's resilience, even after facing a staggering amount of heartbreak during her brief stay: broken promises, colorism and classism within her own family, the burdens women bear thanks to patriarchal ideals, sexist double standards, and the euphoric bite of young love. Heavy use of Jamaican patois and a glossary of terms only add to the meticulous atmosphere Bromfield has cultivated. For a coming-of-age novel with substance (and to transport your mind to the tropics), this is a must.

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