The Hurricane Girls, Kimberly Willis Holt
The Hurricane Girls, Kimberly Willis Holt
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The Hurricane Girls

Author: Kimberly Willis Holt

Narrator: Aricka Parent

Unabridged: 5 hr 59 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/29/2023

Synopsis

A coming-of-age middle grade novel about three best friends born in the wake of Hurricane Katrina who must confront storms of their own 12 years later, from a National Book Award winning author.

Born in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Greer, Joya Mia, and Kiki are seventh graders and the best of friends. After an accident leaves Greer's little sister paralyzed, Greer is forever changed by the experience and blames herself. Kiki and Joya Mia will do anything to help Greer let go of this emotional burden, and a plan is hatched to compete in a triathlon. Each girl will participate: Kiki will swim, Joya Mia will cycle, and Greer, if they can persuade her, will run—something she once loved to do. 

Set on the Westbank of New Orleans, this contemporary coming-of-age novel is a journey of growth, healing, and difficult transitions as the girls navigate their many life challenges: family trauma, body insecurity, and the conflict between ambitions and responsibilities. It's a powerful and enlightening exploration of how to surmount personal tragedy through friendship and forgiveness.

About Kimberly Willis Holt

Twenty three years ago Kimberly Willis Holt stopped talking about wanting to be a writer and started to pursue her dream. Because of her family's Louisiana roots she considers herself a southerner, but her father's military career took her to places beyond the South, including Paris and Guam. She's the author of more than fifteen books for a wide range of ages, many of which have won awards and honors. Her third novel, When Zachary Beaver Came to Town won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. She writes and gardens in Texas.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) on August 25, 2023

The Hurricane Girls is a warm, stirring, and sparkling middle grade book about female friendships, body image, sports, and self-forgiveness. Set in the lively New Orleans, this story celebrates family, sisterhood, perseverance, and the grit required to recover from tragedy. This is one of my favorit......more

Goodreads review by Melinda on August 08, 2023

Reads really old-fashioned (department store modeling agencies, teenage boys using the word “blouse,” etc). I didn’t enjoy it personally but I can appreciate its usefulness as a book I can hand to parents looking for…this kind of thing.......more

Goodreads review by Marti on January 12, 2024

Picked this middle grade book up randomly on a whim from the library and it was cute! Tugged on the heartstrings a bit but overall the writing felt very surface level......more

Goodreads review by Scarlett on September 16, 2024

The story was lacking and too cringe for me.......more

Quotes

Praise for The Hurricane Girls:

"A tender and triumphant story about friendship and family, in a proud and resilient city."—Deborah Wiles, author of the National Book Award finalists Each Little Bird That Sings and Revolution

"Holt’s involving third-person narrative shifts focus, chapter by chapter, from one girl to the next and portrays their family relationships as well as the intricately interwoven thoughts, emotions, and memories that bind them together. While some readers may be drawn to one girl in particular, most will find themselves rooting for all three main characters in this engaging novel."—Booklist

Praise for Kimberly Willis Holt:
National Book Award - Winner   
ALA Best Books for Young Adults  
ALA Notable Children's Books  
Booklist Editors' Choice  
Horn Book Magazine Fanfare List   
School Library Best Books of the Year  
Georgia Children's Book Award (U of GA)  
Illinois Rebecca Caudill YR Choice Award   
New Mexico Land of Enchantment  
NYPL Books for the Teen Age  
Texas Bluebonnet Award  
Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award

* "In this companion to the author’s memorable When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, 30 years have passed and it’s 2001. Evocatively written (“stiff as burnt bacon”), this is an altogether absorbing and affecting novel. It’s obvious that Holt loves her fully realized characters and their small-town setting, and readers can’t help but feel the same." —Booklist, starred review on The Ambassador of Nowhere Texas 

* "The strength of this novel lies in the insight Tate develops as she deals with tragedy and depends on the love of family. Artfully told, this middle grade novel pleases on many levels." —School Library Journal, starred review on Dear Hank Williams

"This book packs more emotional power than 90% of the so-called grown-up novels taking up precious space on bookshelves around the country. Kimberly Willis Holt's When Zachary Beaver Came to Town will resonate with readers." —USA Today on When Zachary Beaver Came To Town 

"Holt may not take her readers on wild flights of fantasy, but her quiet novel offers a slice of life that's hard to resist." —New York Times Book Review on When Zachary Beaver Came To Town

* "As in her first novel, My Louisiana Sky, Holt humanizes the outsider without sentimentality.... Holt reveals the freak in all of us, and the power of redemption." —Booklist, starred review on When Zachary Beaver Came To Town 

* "In her own down-to-earth, people, smart way, Holt offers a gift.... It is a lovely—at times even giddy—date with real life." —The Horn Book, starred review on When Zachary Beaver Came To Town 

* "Well-developed characters, all fantastic and flawed in their own ways, add plenty of spice." —Publishers Weekly, starred review on When Zachary Beaver Came To Town 

* "With tidbits of history woven throughout and the rich cast of characters, especially an endearing protagonist, Dear Hank Williams is a novel that sings from the heart.”—VOYA, starred review on Dear Hank Williams

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