A 2019 Skipping Stones Book Award Winner "Melleby''s debut offers a tender, earnest portrait of a daughter searching for constancy while negotiating her father''s sickness and the social challenges of tween girlhood, including her first crush on a girl." -- Publishers Weekly , starred review "Father and daughter find their way back to each other in this moving novel, and readers will root for Fig every step of the way." -- Bookish "Melleby doesn''t shy away from how terrifying it is to watch someone in a dangerously manic state, but the narrative never tips into melodrama. A thoughtful portrayal of mental illness with queer content that avoids coming-out clichés." -- Kirkus Reviews "Melleby deftly tackles weighty topics--mental illness, child protective services, single parenting, sexuality--while effortlessly weaving in elements of the life and works of Vincent van Gogh, creating a thoughtful, age-appropriate and impressive novel." -- Shelf Awareness , starred review "Fig''s story will engage middle grade readers who enjoy thoughtful novels that address complex topics. It may even inspire them to seek out the works of van Gogh." -- School Library Journal , starred review "Debut author Nicole Melleby''s novel is beautifully written, realistic, and thought-provoking.
" -- Literacy Daily "Fig Arnold is an original and irresistible heroine in a story full of hope, art, and love." -- R. J. Palacio, author of Wonder "Melleby''s debut examines the complexities of having a parent with a mental illness and the responsibilities that kids sometimes must shoulder. Themes of trust and LGBTQ romance are incorporated into this weighty but hopeful story." -- Booklist "Melleby''s debut novel includes two coming-out stories--Fig has a crush on an older girl--but integrates these elements naturally into its main story of the father-daughter relationship, as each struggles with how much to share with the other and when. Details involving art and science (STEM-oriented Fig tries to relate to her musician father and draws connections between his condition and Vincent van Gogh''s) lend specificity and keep the plotlines centering on LGBTQ+ identities and bipolar disorder from feeling overly formulaic." -- The Horn Book "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 .
stunning . I found it hard to put down." -- Confessions of a YA Reader " Hurricane Season is a powerful middle grade novel that deals with some really important issues . Fig is beautifully crafted and real, and readers will whole-heartedly fall in love with her." -- YA Books Central "[Melleby] handles several complex issues--bisexuality, single parenthood, LGBTQ issues, and mental illness--age-appropriately and with nuance. The novel includes interesting information about Vincent Van Gogh and shows young readers the transformational power of art. Melleby''s beautifully written and moving debut depicts a well-crafted character in search of safety and understanding. An important and expertly layered novel.
" -- New York Journal of Books "A warm, vivid, and resonant story of the child that resides in every guardian, and the guardian in every child. An important debut." -- Eliot Schrefer, New York Times Bestselling Author of Endangered " Hurricane Season is unforgettable. It will reach into your heart and stay there long after." -- Donna Freitas, author of The Healer.