An affecting and resonant YA novel in verse that explores family, community, the changing ocean tides, and what it means to fall in love with someone who sees the world in a different way. It's been five years since a hurricane ravaged Eliza Marino's life and home in her quiet town on the Jersey shore. Now a senior in high school, Eliza is passionate about fighting climate change-starting with saving Clam Cove Reserve, an area of marshland that is scheduled to be turned into buildable lots. Protecting the island helps Eliza deal with her lingering trauma from the storm, but she still can't shake the fear that something will come along and wash out her life once again. When Eliza meets Milo Harris at a party, she tries to hate him. Milo is one of the rich tourists who flock to the island every summer. But after Eliza reluctantly agrees to give Milo surfing lessons, she can't help falling for him. Still, Eliza's not sure if she's ready to risk letting an outsider into the life she's rebuilt. Especially once she discovers that Milo is keeping a devastating secret. Told in stunning verse, Don't Call Me a Hurricane is a love story for the people and places we come from, and a journey to preserve what we love most about home.
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2/5 stars
The reason why the rating is so low is that it was very different from what people were expecting. I was expecting a detailed story about a teenager having to deal with the effects on her hometown due to climate change. I was wrong. Instead, it focused on a group of teenagers who hate tourists (the people who visit during the summer) as well as on love. I believe that the main character was crushing on one of the tourists. I was completely unaware that it was written as poetry. I wouldn't typically have a problem with this writing style except that I felt that I was missing parts of the story. Either because of a lack of detail or because it was placing too much emphasis on something that wasn't even going to be relevant in the story later on.
I wouldn't recommend this book. I'm sure there are people who enjoy both the writing style and the plot of the story, but I am not one of them.
