The Hurricane Girls by Kimberly Willis Holt (review)

When Kiki, Greer, and Joya Mia were grouped together for a sixth-grade class project, they formed a remarkable bond as they gathered stories from their family and friends about their experiences when Hurricane Katrina hit their hometown of New Orleans. However, as seventh grade approaches, Greer’s sister is paralyzed in an accident, for which Greer feels completely responsible, and the normally seamless balance of the trio’s friendship is “like a tricycle with one loose wheel.” So Kiki, prone to lofty ideas and eager to help her friend heal, enlists the group in a triathlon. Holt devotes each chapter to the perspective of one girl, which gives the reader insight into the vastly different inner lives of the three friends and what they may be uncharacteristically keeping from each other. Each point of view captures the complexity of young female friendship and shows that while the Hurricane Girls may love and admire each other, they are capable of private resentments brought on by their own personal challenges. This coming-of-age story is an honest portrayal of the lives of girls learning to be resilient in the wake of a city’s collective tragedy.