Hurricane Season

Written by Nicole Melleby

Narrated by Stina Nielsen

This debut novel-about taking risks and facing danger, about love and art, and about growing up and coming out-will make its way straight into your heart. Fig, a sixth grader, wants more than anything to see the world as her father does. The once-renowned pianist, who hasn't composed a song in years and has unpredictable good and bad days, is something of a mystery to Fig. Though she's a science and math nerd, she tries taking an art class just to be closer to him, to experience life the way an artist does. But then Fig's dad shows up at school, disoriented and desperately searching for Fig. Not only has the class not brought Fig closer to understanding him, it has brought social services to their door. Diving into books about Van Gogh to understand the madness of artists, calling on her best friend for advice, and turning to a new neighbor for support, Fig continues to try everything she can think of to understand her father, to save him from himself, and to find space in her life to discover who she is even as the walls are falling down around her. Nicole Melleby's Hurricane Season is a stunning novel about a girl struggling to be a kid as pressing adult concerns weigh on her. It's also about taking risks and facing danger, about love and art, and about coming of age and coming out. And more than anything else, it is a story of the healing power of love-and the limits of that power.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 7, 2019
• ISBN: 9781980037781

Reviews for Hurricane Season

[hester · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book had quite important topics for a middle grade novel, but I feel like they were handled so so well. I really enjoyed the queerness in this - it wasn't fromt and centre, but exactly that made it all the more wholesome!

[salsabrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It’s been Fig and her father all her life. He was once a famous pianist but now suffers from bipolar depression. Fig has learned how to take care of her dad during his bad days but since he walked out into a storm and the police had to bring him home, and child protection got involved, she lives in fear of them being separated. Fig struggles to understand her Dad, to find some way of reaching him. Fig portrayed as the kid who wants to save her dad, loves him so much that she feels need to protect him at all costs and prove he’s okay. Solid and empathetic.

[edgoldberg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fig's mother left when she was days old and it's been her and her composer father ever since. But lately, Tim's brain seems a little muddled. He'll go outside in a storm. He'll sleep all day. Fig seems to be losing control of things. The worst was when her teacher called Child Protective Services.Her major mistake and major breakthrough was calling their new across the street neighbor Mark when Tim went out in a major storm. Mark has been able to calm Tim down but he also makes Fig feel left out. Fig wants to be to her dad what Vincent Van Gogh's brother, Theo, was to Vincent, his support system.When Tim and Mark become more than friends, Fig is startled. She's also startled because she confided to her dad about her interest in girls and he never mentioned his interest in men.Section headings contain quote fro Van Gogh's letters to his brother and there is talk of his paintings, which add an interesting element to the story. Hurricane Season, so named because Tim is entranced by storms, is a good read, not overpowering, but effective.