A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak
Written by: Laura Taylor Namey
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
2023
Quirky, heartwarming, and sweet, A British Girl’s Guide to Heartbreaks and Hurricanes is perfect for Floridians, complete with pub subs and scenic routes.
A British Girl’s Guide to Heartbreaks and Hurricanes follows young Flora as she seeks to escape her home, running away to Miami in hopes of dealing with her grief.
Storytelling
One of my favorite things about this novel was it took place in Florida. I’ve been a Florida resident since 2001, and every mention, every road, and venue was so easy to envision, including the mention of a Chicken Tender Pub Sub. Some things are too good not to mention, and that pub-sub is one of them, giving the story a much-needed sense of authenticity.
I loved that feeling, how real it felt, how genuine it was because it reflected the grief of the character, Flora.
When her mother was dying due to a long illness, Flora escaped into her photography. This also means, for her mother’s last moments, moments Flora will never get back, she was gone, running away.
Grief is never an easy topic to deal with, no matter the age, but when you grow up with an ailing mother at such a young age, death can hit you hard. It was reflected in her need to run away and escape to Florida because she feels like a hurricane, causing destruction wherever she goes, and Florida is used to those.
The characterization was well done, and although I got frustrated with Flora occasionally, I understood her and still related to her. She is coming from a place of grief, and it resonates. You could feel her in the eye of the storm, her emotions spinning around her, whipping at her. You feel her pain, but you also feel her love.
Namey builds up the romance wonderfully. At times, it does feel a bit predictable with the love triangle. Still, even then, the friendships that blossomed and grew between her and the two boys tugged at the inner romantic in me (shh, don’t tell!)
Final Thoughts
A British Girl’s Guide to Heartbreaks and Hurricanes is an excellent read. It’s fun, emotional, and, for any Floridian, a perfect read.
A Heartfelt Trip to SoFlo | A British Girls Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak Review
Quirky, heartwarming, and sweet, A British Girl’s Guide to Heartbreaks and Hurricanes is perfect for Floridians, complete with pub subs and scenic routes.
Cynthia Ayala
Cynthia Ayala-Bujnicki majored in Writing and Publishing from Emerson College. Editor-in-chief of Cyn's Workshop, she loves to read and write while tending to her pepper plants. She currently lives in South Florida with her husband, two kids Dante and Selene and two furbabies Mr. J the Kitten who Thinks He's Batman (yes, that is his full name) and Nyx.
