Quiet Storm

Quiet Storm is a fantastic book for those students who are about to leave primary school and make the transition into secondary school. It tells the story of Storm, a year 7 student who is extremely shy and quiet. She dreads the thought of having to speak out in lessons and relies heavily on her friend, Zarrish. Zarrish is her vital support, especially in social situations and at break times. Storm also has to contend with the fact that her super popular older brother, Isaiah, is head boy and everyone in school knows him. For Storm every teacher she has contact with compares her to her elder brother or mentions him in conversations. We feel her frustration and anxiety about this as she is very different from her brother.

After a disaster happens at home, Storm and her family find themselves having to move in and live at their grandma's house. This is not an ideal situation, and we can understand how this puts a strain on the family. However, by chance, life begins to change for Storm in one fateful PE lesson. We discover that she has a real talent for running; not only is she a great runner, but she also smashes the school record. Despite her shyness, she finally finds something that she is really good at and she is asked to join the athletics team. The problem is, she is afraid to go by herself and desperately needs her best friend Zarrish to support her. But things are destined to change for Storm as Zarrish befriends the new girl, Melissa. We soon discover that Melissa is not the type of friend that you need. Can Storm overcome her shyness, and can she uncover the true hidden talent that she has?

Written by debut author Kimberly Whittam, this really is an empowering and truly authentic look at a young person's self-discovery. Whittam writes with ease about the daily life and struggles that young people face when beginning their journey at secondary school; that implicit need that we all have to fit in and find out if we are actually good at anything. When we read about Storm's struggles with shyness it is tangible. All the anxieties that all young people face about fitting in and finding out who they are is played out in this tender novel. The book is about self-discovery, and finding your voice. It is about the importance of family and finding true friendships. It's about fitting in and about confidence. For me, a line in the book that resonates is when her dad says, "No matter how quiet it is, you've got a voice Storm. You should use it to speak up for yourself."

The setting, plot and characters just zing off the page and Whittam skilfully writes with a real insight into working within secondary education. Quiet Storm is a real triumph and an uplifting story of love and hope.

272 Pages / Reviewed by Julie Broadbent, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 9+