Title: Hurricane Kiss
Author: Deborah Blumenthal
Publisher: Albert Whitman
Published: May 1st 2016
Page count: 243 pages
Format: Hardcover
Source: From publisher in exchange for an honest review
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Book Summary:
For sixteen-year-old Jillian McKay, the threat of Hurricane Danielle means a long car ride with her neighbors–including River Daughtry, the former star quarterback of Harrison High. The guy who was headed to glory until suddenly he disappeared to a West Texas juvenile detention center. Once cocky and flirtatious, he’s now silent and angry. When their evacuation route is gridlocked, River is the first to recognize the danger they’re in. Together he and Jillian set out to seek shelter in their abandoned high school. As they wait out the storm, they confront the past and realize survival is about more than just staying alive–it’s about fighting for yourself.
*The Chef’s Review*
Actual rating: 4/5 stars
Why I liked it:
What didn’t do it for me:
All in all, I believe Hurricane Kiss will attract readers in search of books inspired by events as real as natural disasters, brooding hot guys with a dark past, personal obstacles, light romance, and revelations until the very end of the book.
Hurricane Kiss was a good read. It caught my attention right away and kept me entertained all the way through the end.
Why I liked it:
- It was a fast-paced book. From the beginning of the story, it already announces that the time is ticking and that the hurricane is coming. You can actually feel the pressure along with the characters of the story that the natural disaster is about to be upon them, so the desperation of what to do hits you unprepared.
- The theme of the story is fascinating and equally scary. Hurricanes is something that has been one of my biggest fears since I was a child. I don’t really know why, because hurricanes with big tornadoes are not a common problem in my corner of Mexico, but just the idea of mass destruction that begins with a few drops combined with wind makes me shudder (even though I love rain!). I blame the influence of TV (Tornado, anyone?) for that. For that matter, I thought it was thrilling the way the main characters acted and the risks they were willing to take to stay safe. I felt myself grow tired running along with them and now I have made a new personal goal to be more fit (just in case).
- The romance. Even in this extreme kind of theme, I did enjoy the flashbacks between the two main characters throughout the book. It brought lightness to the story without the whole mess of the hurricane, and … who am I kidding? I simply enjoy romance.
What didn’t do it for me:
- I felt that the main female character was a little off sometimes, specially on her way of thinking. As for the main male character, all I could think was: *OMG, poor guy!*, but until the very end of the book because that’s when you truly get to know his secret.
- Some parts of the happenings inside the book were just a little too much. So much bad luck trapped in those two main characters, but who am I to judge? After all, it wasn’t me trapped inside that hell of a storm and with any luck, will never be.
All in all, I believe Hurricane Kiss will attract readers in search of books inspired by events as real as natural disasters, brooding hot guys with a dark past, personal obstacles, light romance, and revelations until the very end of the book.
