Chasing Helicity Through the Storm

Chasing Helicity #3

by Ginger Zee

Battered, bruised, but alive, Helicity Dunlap rides out a hurricane in the Bolivar Peninsula Lighthouse in Texas. She somehow manages to keep herself safe and to even rescue a lost dog in the process. After a day in the hospital, she and her mom and Sam make the two-day drive back to Western Michigan. They leave Andy and their dad behind as Andy is finally going to get the help he needs in an addiction rehabilitation facility. Much to her dismay, Helicity ends up in the spotlight-first in a good way after surviving the hurricane and rescuing the dog-and then social media turns on her and she finds herself in the eye of a completely different kind of storm. Back at school Helicity struggles to maintain her focus-long rides on her horse, Raven, help as do a few weekend trips with her mom. She decides to accept an offer to be interviewed about her experience in Texas by a reporter who followed her story. They meet up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during the annual International Hot Air Balloon Festival, a spectacle that must be seen to be believed. The excitement builds as Helicity delights in her first ride in a lighter-than-air balloon when disaster strikes. A severe dust storm-a haboob-typical of the area erupts while Helicity is aloft. How will the pilot navigate this threatening and potentially deadly storm? Find out in this exciting conclusion to the Chasing Helicity series.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Middle Grade, Audiobook

224 pages, Hardcover

Published April 21, 2020

Reviews

[Hannah⚡️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This whole series was truly so good, and I still can’t describe how happy it makes me that there’s a book series about weather for younger kids!!! And these books are about so much more than just the weather and I loved all 3 of these so much. I hope this isn’t the last book Ginger writes about Helicity’s adventures 💛

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

We could only get our hands on a paper copy of this book (for free at least) so Mom and I read it to each other while one of us was busy doing something (cooking, packing, etc.). I don’t recommend reading this to someone while they are driving you to the airport, though, because they might accidentally end up in the parking garage instead of the departures lane. 😉

The books are super cute, but really it’s just one story broken into three parts, so plan on reading them all in one go. There are definitely some eyeroll-inducing parts when it comes to the main character’s crushes on boys she meets, and some things are very much fictionalized in terms of the reality of a post-hurricane landscape (sorry but no one is flying commercial into Houston while a hurricane is hitting the city!) but the actual weather information mixed into the story is really neat!

[Josh Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun middle grade novel following an intelligent, adventurous teenage girl as she experiences life among various catastrophic weather events. I didn’t know it was part of a series and thought it stood well by itself. It dealt well with the topic of drug addiction, which was the burden of someone close to the mail character.

[Jessica Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ginger Zee hits it out of the park with the third installment in her Chasing Helicity series! Young readers will once again fall in love with Helicity Dunlap and her adventurous spirit.

After finding shelter in a Lighthouse on the Bolivar Peninsula in Texas during a hurricane, Helicity Dunlap is found alive with a dog she somehow managed to rescue during the storm. When she is released from the hospital, she and her mom, along with her friend Sam, make the drive back to Michigan while her dad stays to help her brother, Andy, get the support he needs for addiction. Once again, Helicity finds herself in the spotlight after the dog she rescued is on the news with its owner thanking Helicity for saving him. A local reporter wants to interview her about all she has been through and survived and the owner of the rescued dog wants to thank Helicity by bringing her to Albuquerque for the international Hot Air Balloon Festival. While at the festival, Helicity once again finds herself at the mercy of mother nature.

With all of her knowledge of science and weather, Ginger Zee is able to craft a wonderful story that young readers will find both entertaining and enlightening. Helicity is a fun, spunky kid that has a knack for finding herself in precarious situations. Most of the time it is her curiosity that gets her into trouble, but it is also what saves her. There is a great relationship between Helicity, her family, and friends that we see grow and mature as these books have progressed. There is something about Helicity that makes her the perfect protagonist as she is smart, creative, emotional, devoted to those she cares about, and not afraid to go out on an adventure to learn. She shows that it is cool to be into science and things most young kids might not be into.

I loved reading this series with my young son. I read the book before him just so we can discuss it after he has read it. He enjoyed all the weather information and the way the story played out. This is the perfect middle grade book that will have readers invested in the characters and what they are going through but also leaves out all the inappropriate material that is thrown into so many books today. I am thankful there are fun, entertaining and informative books out there that I can get to enjoy with my son and not worry about inappropriate material. I recommend this book to young readers that are interested in STEM and want a great read that will take them on an adventure.

[Maggie Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read Harder Challenge by Book Riot 2020 task - read a book about climate

I have loved all three of these Helicity books a lot. While they started off as middle grade, she's now in high school and the themes that could lead to discussion are abundant. Ginger Zee really is a phenomenal author, weaving science and meteorology into the stories leaving them both fun to read and educational.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was ok. I was really interested in a book about a storm, especially with one written by a meteorologist. However, it was written as a middle grade book and I felt like most of the book was drama. It dealt a lot with the main character's brother being addicted to pills, going through rehab and how people can use social media to be mean to others. In addition to that, the 15 year old main character was also talking about her first kiss with one boy but how she was now possibly dating someone else who was a high school senior.
The beginning and end were good as they involved disasters and you could definitely tell there were scientific details about them. I also thought it was weird how she mentioned things like harmful bacteria and toxins being in standing water. Or airborne bacteria and fungi being breathed in dust storms.
I liked how the story made her "a survivor" and made her character develop in that way, but I definitely wish it was a lot more of her learning more about storms or something instead of the personal/high school drama. Or at the very least not dealing with boyfriends and addiction for a middle grade book.
Cautionary content: addiction, storm devastation, storm injuries, high school drama, first kiss, teen dating, social media shaming, (most of these are subtle, but since it is categorized as a middle school read, I wanted to mention these)

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the third book so many characters are fully developed and you begin to see why the three books were needed to tell this story. This trilogy needs to be read in order for the most power and, being quick reads, I suggest getting all of them at once before starting them. I did not have this third title right away and it was a bit agonizing until I could get my hands on this one. (Cliffhangers!)

In this title all story lines are addressed and issues left hanging in the first or second book are neatly tied together. I am still most drawn to Helicity, the main character, and think that is by design. Great scientific facts throughout this series which have led me to check out some science books for more information. I sincerely hope it spurs my students to do the same.

[Whitney Shanley]

Helicity Dunlap, is a teenage girl who is extremely interested in and knowledgeable about weather patterns and anomalies. After surviving a hurricane in Texas and saving a dog, she gains notoriety. Through her new found fame she discovers that being famous, comes with a price. This book doesn't just explore weather in an engaging way, it also develops a story line on addiction and recovery. Ginger Zee does a great job exploring the issues of social media abuse and and drug abuse while providing a wealth of information about. This book was so much more than I thought it was going to be.

[Breanna Neault · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book but it took a long time for it to get to the point that there was a storm all the books are based off of storms in so is this one and there was only like a few pages that the storm was happening and that was the last book in the series and she did not except the same as her boyfriend so I was very disappointed because they would make a awesome couple and I was able to like think about what they look like in there voices and stuff so this book was really good because I was able to figure things out and it wasn’t like two over my age or two under my age as I am a tween

[Lauryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

That's a generous three stars.

Everything was... okay, but I did find it hard to swallow that Helicity was always the one with the answers. And everything just seemed so easy. To me, it read as a fantasy scenario not really based in reality which was only underscored by the fact it was supposed to be all about science and facts.

But I do see it being a story kids could get behind, but probably a younger reader, not upper middle grade like the character's ages suggest. (Which is probably weakened by the depth of romance plots.)

[Sean McBride · Rating 4 out of 5]

This installment is the third in the series and gives far more information about the weather than the previous two, which primarily focused on weather. The title is a double entendre, and we get to see some wonderful character growth, along with a really fun plot advancement. This series goes beyond being a YA story about the weather; there is depth and adventure and fun around every turn. If you've liked Roald Dahl, you'll love this series.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this trilogy. Being a science geek as well, I love the explanations and character development. Given to my daughter for her 9th birthday, she read them so fast so I had to check them out. As a fellow Rockford alumni (one year later than Ginger), I have been following her for years. Hope there is more to come!!

[Alli Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow this whole series blew my mind. This one had an Albuquerque tie in too! A great series by Ginger Zee- for weather fans and for kids who have been through something traumatic and are dealing with the aftermath on the other side. Surprisingly poignant. This series does a great job of handling difficult subjects with the care needed in a middle grade novel.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting and satisfying conclusion to this trilogy….it was nice to see how much Helicity and her family has grown since the first book and how little time has passed. I loved the locations and events she attended in this book and all the weather terms I have been learning.

[Marcella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this trilogy! The story was great and I loved learning about the weather from the characters.
Plus the narrator sounded like Ginger herself!

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series.

[Susie Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great STEM book for girls, and great story as well!

[Jeri Silfies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad she decided to make it a trilogy. A fourth book would have been too much. I did enjoy all three, though.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helicity takes us on another weather adventure when a reporter wants to interview her in a hot air balloon. This was a wonderful conclusion to the series but would love more!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good, I'm really impressed on how easy this series are on reading and following and totally learning new concepts and stuff around weather is a plus

[Ranee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish there was more at the end of the book to tie things end in a nice bow with Helecity & Andy's stories but an exciting read!

[Cadee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I like this book because even though she is currently on the air, she still chooses to not answer the question. She chooses to save people's lives." -Cadee, age 12

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first two thirds of this book felt like we were wrapping things up to a conclusion. It seemed like all the threads were going to be tied up in a bow, but then the last third happen. I felt like the haboob was shoehorned in, but it was more like the stepsisters trying on the glass slipper than a new, narrow shoe that needs to be broken in to wear comfortably. It was not smooth fit. I was also puzzled on how things were left with Sam. It was the same feeling I got when I watched the end to Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. I feel like it should have been a longer book to really do this justice. 210 pages felt too short. I am not sure what words I wanted Ginger Zee to end the series with, but I am not sure if the last words were a perfect fit. At the same time, I am not sure what would be a good substitute, especially with what Andy said previously.

Verdict: I did like this series, but I felt like the third book could have been better.

[the pickwick club · Rating 4 out of 5]

helicity going through her 27th weather event in a week: https://pin.it/cDKAlD1L4

[Greta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in this series which is so cool for kids! It makes weather and science extremely entertaining while this character experiences another weather phenomenon immediately following the cliff hanger of the 2nd book in the series. I really enjoyed the story and learning about meteorology and storm chasers! Since it’s written by an expert in the field, the information is reliable and kids won’t even know they’re learning about science but they will walk away thinking weather is much more exciting than they might have thought beforehand!

[Patience Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series so much as a beginning reader. I also loved how the story picked up where they left is and started a whole new exciting adventure!