The Stormchasers: A Novel by Jenna Blum, 384 pages. Available now in hardcover from Dutton Adult.
How far would you go to protect a sibling—and at what cost to yourself?
As teenagers, Karena Jorge had always been the one to look out for her brother Charles, who suffers from bipolar disorder. But as Charles begins to refuse medication and his manic tendencies worsen, Karena finds herself caught between her loyalty to her brother and her fear for his life. Always obsessed with severe weather, whose wild and magic energy seems to mirror his own impulses, Charles begins chasing storms, and his behavior grows increasingly erratic . . . until a terrifying chase with Karena ends with deadly consequences, tearing the twins apart and changing their lives forever.
Two decades later, Karena, now a reporter for the Minneapolis Ledger, gets a call from a mental health ward in Wichita, Kansas, to come pick up her brother, whom she hasn’t seen or spoken to for twenty years. She soon discovers that Charles has lied to the doctors, taken medication that could make him dangerously manic, and disappeared again. Having exhausted all her reporter’s resources to track him down, Karena realizes she has only one last chance of finding Charles: the storms. Wherever the tornadoes are, that’s where he’ll be. Karena joins a team of professional stormchasers—passionate adventurers who will transform her life and offer her a chance to love and redemption—and embarks on an odyssey to find her brother before he does more damage to himself—or to somebody else.
On the surface, tornadoes and bipolar disorder do not seem to have much in common, however they are skillfully woven together in Jenna Blum's latest. There was a lot I liked about this book.The first half was a total ride - the science and skill and brazen hunt for tornadoes. Beyond the surface thrill of stormchasing, another chase - the mystery of Karena's lost brother Charles, where did he go, why is he hiding, and then the search set in the midst of tornado alley. Even if you aren't already interested in weather, it is an absorbing read.
There is a shift that occurs once Charles is found. As Blum puts the daily toll of bipolar disorder on display, the revelation of the long held secret seems a tad clumsy. I thought the insight into living with mental illness was spot on. I can't pinpoint when it soured for me, possibly the buildup to the long held secret. Or maybe once the ride slowed down, I wanted one more loop. Whatever the issue, I cannot argue with Blum's ability - she is a true storyteller.
For a cool interview with author Jenna Blum check out Bloggin' 'Bout Books
Author's website: http://www.jennablum.com
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