As a consequence, Fig's role is often one more of parent than child. She lives alone with her father, a once renowned pianist, who is battling undiagnosed bipolar disorder. On the outside, Fig seems like any other 6th-grader, but due to some pretty serious issues at home, she finds herself in an almost constant state of anxiety. And more than anything else, it is a story of the healing power of love-and the limits of that power. It’s also about taking risks and facing danger, about love and art, and about coming of age and coming out. Nicole Melleby’s Hurricane Season is a stunning novel about a girl struggling to be a kid as pressing adult concerns weigh on her.

Not only has the class not brought Fig closer to understanding him, it has brought social services to their door.ĭiving 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. But then Fig’s dad shows up at school, disoriented and desperately searching for 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. 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. 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.įig, a sixth grader, wants more than anything to see the world as her father does.

Hurricane season novel review