Hurricane Child by Cheryl Callender - OPTIONAL

Callender, Kheryn Hurricane Child, 210 pages. Scholastic Press, 2018.  $18.00.  

Language: PG (0 swears) Mature Content: PG (lesbian ideation); Violence: PG (teacher slapping student).

Caroline, 12yo, lives on an island near St. Thomas.  One year and three months ago Caroline’s mother left her and her dad.  Caroline’s drive in life is to find her mother who used to send a postcard every few months.  Caroline meets the new girl at school, Kalinda, who agrees to help Caroline find her mother. 

The book is well written and keeps your interest going with the exception of the lady dressed in black.  She is a character throughout the book who is never explained.  Who is she?  What does she represent?  Why was she there?  Also, Caroline sees two adult female tourists holding hands and can’t get it out of her mind.  She decides she is lesbian.  It felt like the addition of a lesbian thread was placed into the book just to say it was placed into the book.  It was unnecessary, and didn’t really fit into the story line very well. 

EL, MS – OPTIONAL.  Reviewer: KG