Mali finds school tricky, especially since his newly made best friend, Shiyoon, has had to move. In an attempt to help him, his teacher Ms Devine has signed him up to an after school book group. Mali is reluctant but has no choice but to attend. However, things begin to take a downward turn when he discovers that there are only three others in the group and one of them is Petey who regularly bullies him. Things get even worse when the group realise that the storm that has been raging for the past few days has got steadily worse; so much so that the power goes out leaving them trapped in the library with nobody around to help them. As flood waters begin to rise, Ms Devine, heavily pregnant, begins to feel twinges. It's up to Mali, Peter, Jones and Fara to get help. But can the quartet actually pull together and work as a team when they need to?
I've been a fan of Polly's books since reading The Boy In The Tower when it first published back in 2014, and I was also lucky enough to hear her talk many years ago and can highly recommend her visiting school if you ever get the chance.
When The Storm Comes is one of those books that I just knew I was going to enjoy before I even opened it so, with much difficulty, I resist reading it until I knew I had the time (whilst on the beach in Biarritz) and I'm pleased I did as a I couldn't put it down and gobbled it up in one sitting!
Mali has had a tricky life, named by his mother who died giving birth to him, he feels plagued by his full name (Amaryllis) and it's only the arrival of Siyoon who helps to change his perspective on things. When Siyoon is forced to move again after only a brief stint at Mali's school, he regresses and really struggles to find himself again. We live in a time where families do move to new towns, cities and even countries for work and I see this at my school sometimes, so I liked seeing this perspective in a book. We often look at this from the point of view of the child who moves but looking at how this affects those who stay behind is interesting and will definitely help children in a similar situation.
Being trapped in school is something I think every child will have imagined so this premis is one that will excite many. I know whilst reading I found myself wondering where my children would go to forage for food (definitely my office as they know there's always a secret stash of chocolate there!) and considered the events in the book from the perspective of my own school (How would we get out? Where would we go for different items? Which rooms would be best for different aspects of the plot? ...). The book would be a brilliant daily class read and would definitely provoke discussion.
The four main characters are very different people and seeing their personalities emerge was interesting. You never know what is happening in people's lives and this book is a good reminder of that. Again, it will prompt discussion in class.
When The Storm Comes is a book that will grip readers. Is it a high action thriller? No, but it's real-life setting and believable context is one that will engage readers instantly. You will absolutely find yourself immersed in the plot and routing for each character for very different reasons. Is it unputdownable? Absolutely yes!
When The Storm Comes is out now and I loved it, and can't wait to share it with my new class in September.
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