Storm

by Alex Hubbard

Josephine is haunted. At university in Aberystwyth she is grateful to be away from home and further each day from her past. But still the spectre of her dead mother torments her.

Glynn isn’t like the other people she knows. When she kisses him on a night out it feels new and exciting. Only the town is held captive by a violent storm and weird things keep happening. A whale washes up on the shore. Strangers appear in town, though no one can leave. The old buildings seem suddenly alive.

Caught in the middle, Josephine wants nothing to do with it. But something is watching. And it’s about to go walking again.

Alex Hubbard’s scintillating debut novel is an intriguing story about love, friendship, and our links with the past – a contemporary Gothic masterpiece which will leave you nostalgic for your small-town uni days.

240 pages, Paperback

Published October 8, 2025

Reviews

[alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

my friend wrote a book and it’s actually really good !!!!!! what the fuck !!!!!! also humble brag i’ve never been in the acknowledgements before and it’s an honour that it’s on this book 🥹

anyway. this perfectly fucking captures the thing about loving aberystwyth but also being trapped there and also the weight of the place. and the sheer feeling of when the storms hit. the history and the welshness and the vibe of the thing. big up my favourite shit pub the angel getting to feature in a book. i miss aberystwyth so much man

[Harry Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel awakens the senses and pulls you straight into the mayhem and bedlam of a storm. The imagery in this book is chef’s kiss. I loved how the storm and water came alive, wholly consuming the town and story. It tackled huge themes of grief, rage, love, power, and war. Bravo, my friend!

[Kayleigh McCaffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bleak and eerie and atmospheric, I loved immersing myself in the bleakness of the storm. It brought back vivid memories of my student days, walking along the seafront as waves crashed against the promenade. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting all my old haunts.

[Rob Slater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. I really miss Aberystwyth

[Sophie Squire · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a haunting and magical read! I originally planned to read this book a week later than I did, but I was strangely drawn to read it sooner, and it happened to coincide with a storm of its own in Cardiff.

Like a rough sea in a storm, this book builds in swells of white-peaked waves towards a whirlwind of ghosts. What I can only describe as a seemingly forceful acknowledgment of grief evolves through to a soft understanding for Josephine.

My favourite line from the narrator is: 'No putting the book down, looking at your partner across the pool while the children splash about, saying "well, it's all got a bit far-fetched for me."' Because of course, by this time it is too late, and you are already deep in the storm yourself.

The characters make Aberystwyth feel like the university town/city experience I *did* have, just transplanted. The setting is wonderfully described by the author Alex, transporting you to the rain-soaked place. And the imagery of the spectres is so brilliantly done, linking them so closely to the storm and the rain. It was a delight to follow this story which handles grief in a way so strangely close to what I've been speaking to my therapist about...

Congrats, Alex! What an amazing book :D

[Molly Haywood · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully spooky and atmospheric read that captures the moody feel of Abeystwyth during the winter months and effortlessly weaves Welsh history throughout the story.