Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Chasing Helicity
Another book I picked up from the fantastic Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays blog hop hosted by Greg Pattrige of Always in the Middle. Check out his blog for a list of additional middle grade reviews.
Title: Chasing Helicity
Author: Ginger Zee
Publication Info: Disney Hyperion, 2018. 204 pages.
Source: Library
Publisher's Blurb (Goodreads):
Helicity is well aware that her name is unusual -
kind of like Helicity herself. The word Helicity means to spin, and for
as long as she can remember, Helicity has been fascinated by the
weather. The weather is Helicity's escape from her own reality - may
that be school, her father's strict discipline, or her brother's
imminent departure for college where he's all set to play football.
One
fateful day, Helicity and her horse head out on a long ride to take a
break from life at home. Even with her vast experience with weather,
Helicity is unprepared for the elements she faces. The choices Helicity
makes before, during, and after that storm will have a lasting effect on
her family and her future.
My Review:
I really wanted to love this book. My late husband taught meteorology; we even went storm-chasing once or twice in a half-hearted way, back before it was a popular thing. I'm happy to see a book that encourages an interest in meteorology.
But I didn't love it. I was dubious from the opening pages, because I felt like they were a big info-dump. Then the tornado came with all its predictability. And "predictable" is the problem with much of the story. Helicity's father is a bit of a stereotype, emotionally abusive in my opinion, and much more interested in her football-star brother than little science-nerd Helicity. Of course. Since her parents have no time for her, she finds a mentor on her own. There's a boy to crush on.
Alert: there may be some spoilers in the rest of this review, but don't worry--most of these things you can see coming a mile off.
There are, in fact, too many things happening here and most are predictable. A rocky relationship between Helicity's parents. Losing her home. Her brother gets hurt, and of course it's her fault, and no one EVER points out that it was his (poor) decision to go look for her that got him hurt. His unstated but obvious rapid addiction to pain killers and immediate turn to illegal means to get them (she doesn't know who stole her money, but we do). And the final set of bad decisions, again by an older person who should know better but which Helicity is permitted to fully own, that lead to the next disaster.
I would also appreciate a little better distinction in the book about the role of storm chasing in the study of meteorology. The bulk of the really important work is not done on the road (though chasers do offer some useful data) but at a computer, creating and fine-tuning models that show what the weather will (may) do.
The book is undeniably a fast read and I zipped through to the end. And then the author commits the (for me) unpardonable sin: she leaves us with most of the main elements of the story unresolved. This is book one of 3, and clearly it will take the trio to answer the important questions left at the end--a commitment I'm not sure I'm willing to make.
I found the subject matter of the book to be consistently a bit more mature than the writing level, which felt solidly middle grade.
My Recommendation:
Because there are far too few books out there that talk to kids about meteorology in a way that makes it seem appealing, I do think this has value. But in the end, it all felt to me more sensational than scientific.
I also found the subject matter of the book to be consistently a bit more
mature than the writing level, which felt solidly middle grade while some of Helicity's issues are more YA (though she herself felt to me more like 12 than 14).
FTC Disclosure: I checked Chasing Helicity out
of my library, and received nothing from the writer or publisher for my
honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one
else. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade
Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of
Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Thanks for being honest in your review. It's too bad that it wasn't all the way scientifically accurate and didn't resolve the main plot points. I really think a first book in a series should resolve some of these issues while leaving others for the next books in the series.
ReplyDeleteI ended up feeling like maybe a longer book was just divided in three. Just too many unresolved plot threads.
DeleteSorry to hear that you were disappointed with this book but appreciate your honest feedback about its good qualities and what was missing. Happy MMGM
ReplyDeleteI think I was hard on it because I so much wanted to like it! And I did--mostly--like Helicity.
DeleteA great, honest review! There are two more books in the series so I'd be curious if some of the accuracy improved. Thanks for featuring your post on MMGM this week.
ReplyDeleteI may have to read them to see! It's not so much that anything was (to my knowledge) inaccurate, just that the whole storm-chasing thing is kind of a misleading view of what meteorology really is. But definitely appealing to kids!
DeleteThanks for your honest review, Rebecca. It's hard to write a review when you don't love a book. Carol Baldwin
ReplyDeleteevery book has its readers who will love it for what it is... maybe some kids will get turned on to weather science who might otherwise not have given it a thought.
ReplyDeleteIf you can find it, you might like Messner's Eye of the Storm (2012). Rather prescient, given the way the world is now. I wasn't a huge fan of this one, either. As for Roald Dahl, think about how old the books are now! In the 1970s, we weren't reading a lot of 1920s kids books, so it only makes sense that his work, too, slips out of the public conscience! Thanks for joining MMGM!
ReplyDeleteWhat a pity! It's an interesting premise but it is so disappointing when a story doesn't resolve properly, especially if it feels it's just being stretched to three books for commercial reasons! Also disappointing that the portray of meteorology and storm-chasing wasn't as accurate as it should be. On the plus side, maybe it will inspire some kids to get interested in the subject? Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteI like reading a completely honest review. I think I would be disappointed as well by this book. Sometimes trying to stretch a book into a series simply ruins a good book. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDelete