We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun & Susan Mullen

Challenge #42 ~ “A book with a meteorological phenomena in the title.”

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

My opinion in three sentences:

Whilst it wasn’t ground-breaking or one of those jaw-dropping page-turners, We Are Still Tornadoes was a fun (and dare I say sweet) read. Our two protagonists had clear voices and were well-established to tackle the themes and issues of the novel in a realistic and relatable manner, for which the epistolary format worked really well. I did not like the ending, though – for me, it undid a lot of the good work already done to challenge accepted social norms and dispel common myths, and easily would have worked as well/better if things had continued as they were.

(Without spoiling anything) the best bit:

I didn’t know what to expect from the book and I was pleasantly surprised. The blurb was vague and these days in my stringent screening for a book to reach my TBR, I don’t think it would have made it (how did it end up there?) Starting off I wasn’t clear where it was going to go, or if it was going to keep me reading, especially as I’ve been stuck in a reading slump for the last eternity. Each letter, however, was as entertaining as the last and didn’t just repeat the same old drama. Yet, there wasn’t a disproportionate amount of crazy events and big themes to tackle, either, especially for the time frame of the novel: Kun & Mullen balanced the plot and pacing perfectly.

A warning for the book:

The ending will disappoint. I was so happy with so much the book was doing before then, both in a literary sense, but also in opposing social normalities: yes – it’s OK not to go to college after high school, no – that doesn’t mean you’re not as smart, just that college may not be your thing (or what is best for you right then), yes, girls and boys can be friends without romantic elements. And I promise, it’s largely all good right up until the 90% on most of those fronts, so it’s not a book to write off, but if only it had carried those ideas through to the bitter end (even an open ending could have satisfied those who wanted some romance in there and those who were OK without!)

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