My Review:

This fast paced gem, Hurricane Girl, teeters between horribly disturbing and wildly humorous. Although it many not be my usual type of story, I have to say, I was really taken by the succinct prose and the horror of the turn of events!

When Allison’s new beach house is destroyed by a hurricane, the distraught, homeless millennial makes the regretful decision to go home with a cameraman she just met named Keith (she hates the name Keith) that initially provides feelings of comfort and safety. When he surprisingly hits her over the head with a glass vase, she must now focus on her newest problem, how to fix the bleeding hole in her head. She then undergoes surgery and ruminates about feelings of love for her surgeon, or maybe just his fancy New Jersey apartment rooftop swimming pool.

Allison’s post-op reasoning is all mixed up and we reap the benefit of hearing her no-holds-barred honest and spontaneous thoughts and ideas as they pop in and out of her head. From North Carolina to New Jersey to Miami, Allison’s injury and instability lead her on a quest for love, the perfect swimming pool and a turkey sandwich. Allison’s life is messy and author Marcy Dermansky is witty, observant and creative in her telling of this quirky character’s traumatic yet entertaining circumstances. I read Hurricane Girl in one sitting and highly recommend it!

About the Author:

Marcy Dermansky is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Very Nice, The Red Car, Bad Marie and Twins. Her new novel Hurricane Girl was released in June 2022.

She has received fellowships from The MacDowell Colony and The Edward Albee Foundation. She lives in Montclair, New Jersey with her daughter.