Hurricane Kiss

Gr 9 Up—Jillian McKay and River Daughtry, two teens residing in Houston, quickly learn about what it takes to survive a storm—and life, for that matter. Jillian is not looking forward to spending time with River, the formerly popular and laidback quarterback who recently returned from a stint at juvie. Since they're next-door neighbors, they end up traveling together in River's dad's truck, running from a catastrophic category five hurricane. Nevertheless, River determines that the storm is arriving sooner than planned and resolves to take shelter back at their abandoned local high school. Waiting out the storm, Jillian and River reveal their secrets, including why River was sent to a juvenile detention center. Both confront their pasts and recognize that survival is about more than just staying alive—it's about fighting for yourself. A touching story mixed with breathtaking survival, the work was inspired by the author's real-life encounter with a terrifying storm. This will be a quick read for some reluctant readers. However, alternating points of view in flashbacks might confuse others—weakening the plot and prolonging the story.