SEVERE AND UNUSUAL WEATHER

Two troubled young people grow close as they learn about a natural disaster.

After leaving Chicago, all Nadine wants is to keep her head down and have a “drama-free end to sixth grade” in rural Centralia, Illinois. But things aren’t that simple, what with her neighbor and class project partner, Francis, being bullied. They’re researching the Great Tornado of the New Millenium, which divided Centralia: Wealthy residents have new, tornado-proof houses built on a former trailer park, which was leveled in the disaster. As an infant, Francis lost his mother in the GTNM; he heartbreakingly asks Nadine and her grandma, “But what’s a mom like?” Meanwhile, Nadine’s mother is battling addiction, which is why she’s living with Grandma. The pair’s research unearths newspaper headlines, a secret, and the stories of their mothers’ shared history. The eccentric supporting cast includes an ex-Marine librarian with PTSD, a smarmy mayor with deep local roots, and a disgraced meteorologist. Francis is vulnerable and smart, while Nadine is a survivor; together they forge a poignant friendship in the face of loss, neglect, bullying, class divides, and prejudice. The book, which incorporates some great science facts, will compel readers to think about those who have lost their lives in extreme weather events as people rather than statistics. Some light fantasy elements feel like a bit of a stretch, but overall, the strong writing compensates.

A gripping story of loss and connection.