Don’t Call Me a Hurricane

Don’t Call Me a Hurricane by Ellen Hagan is a realistic novel written in verse about a young teenage girl living on the Jersey Shore. Eliza—the main character—survived a hurricane when she was around twelve years old. Her family knew about the hurricane, but wanted to wait it out just in case it stopped or moved in another direction. When they finally made the choice to evacuate, it was too late.

Years later, Eliza’s family is volunteering to help rebuild some of the neighbors’ houses. Unfortunately, companies and tourists come to “help Jersey Shore” by building mansions and tall buildings. In response, Eliza and her friends create an organization to help stop them and keep the precious land and beaches.

This book was a very quick read because it was written in verse. Overall, it was written very well and had many different moments where your jaw drops and you think “THIS CAN’T BE REAL!” Don’t Call Me a Hurricane can be read by any age, although there are some parts that relate to Eliza’s trauma with the hurricane. It was such a fun book to read and immerse myself in; I hope you read it!