Book Review: Tornado Weather

Tornado Weather

by: Elaine Kennedy

Publication Date: July 11, 2017
Finished on: July 13, 2017

Synopsis:
Daisy Gonzalez, a five year old, is dropped off at her bus stop where no one is waiting.  After stalling, the bus driver, Fikus, leaves her alone, and then she goes missing.  Everyone in the small Indiana town knows something and Tornado Weather tells not only the story of Daisy's disappearance, but also tells the reader about the lives of the townspeople.

My review:
Based on the Goodreads synopsis (here), I anticipated more of a suspense or mystery, but to me, this was an extremely well-written character-driven novel.  Yes, Daisy's disappearance is the start and centering point of the novel, but as a reader you are immersed into a new character's life each chapter. Daisy's disappearance is common element that all have experienced rather than the guiding force of the book.

I thought this was a phenomenally written debut novel. I would classify Tornado Weather as dark and somewhat depressing, but that doesn't mean it isn't good.  As a reader, you can empathize with even some of the more depraved characters.  Since I grew up in a small midwestern town (though not nearly as small as the one here), I found myself visualizing each character, each building, and really understanding what was happening.  Deborah Kennedy deftly tackles difficult subjects including racism, LGBTQ issues, sexuality and women's rights.  In my opinion, she gives a brutal and honest look at small-town midwestern life.  Plus, the irony of certain situations (Tiara showing up with what Fikus thinks is a real gun) had me laughing out loud.  This isn't a fast or easy read, but its worth the ride.

I did have difficulty at times remembering who was who since there were SO MANY characters and you weren't told at the start of each chapter who was narrating.  A character map may be helpful...

Overall, I rate this 3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4).  It was a great debut and I look forward to Deborah's future works.

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway in return for an honest review.  I recommend this book when you are looking for something well-written that helps you escape to another place.  That being said, this isn't necessarily an uplifting read, but worth the read to open your eyes to how people are still living.