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Hurricane Girl
A propulsive and daring new novel by the author of Very Nice about a woman on the run from catastrophe, searching for love, home, a swimming pool, and for someone who can perhaps stop the bleeding from her head.
Allison Brody is thirty-two and newly arrived on the East Coast after just managing to flee her movie producer boyfriend. She has some money, saved up from years of writing and waitressing, and so she spends it, buying a small house on the beach. But then a Category 3 hurricane makes landfall and scatters her home up and down the shore, leaving Allison adrift.
Should she go home from the bar with the strange cameraman and stay in his guest room? Is that a glass vase he smashed on her skull? Can she wipe the blood from her eyes, get in her car, and drive to her mother’s? Does she really love the brain surgeon who saved her, or is she just using him for his swimming pool? And is it possible to ever truly heal without seeking some measure of revenge?
A gripping, provocative novel that walks a knife’s edge between comedy and horror, Hurricane Girl is the work of a singular talent, a novelist unafraid to explore the intersection of love, sex, violence, and freedom—while celebrating the true joy that can be found in a great swim and a good turkey sandwich.
Allison Brody is thirty-two and newly arrived on the East Coast after just managing to flee her movie producer boyfriend. She has some money, saved up from years of writing and waitressing, and so she spends it, buying a small house on the beach. But then a Category 3 hurricane makes landfall and scatters her home up and down the shore, leaving Allison adrift.
Should she go home from the bar with the strange cameraman and stay in his guest room? Is that a glass vase he smashed on her skull? Can she wipe the blood from her eyes, get in her car, and drive to her mother’s? Does she really love the brain surgeon who saved her, or is she just using him for his swimming pool? And is it possible to ever truly heal without seeking some measure of revenge?
A gripping, provocative novel that walks a knife’s edge between comedy and horror, Hurricane Girl is the work of a singular talent, a novelist unafraid to explore the intersection of love, sex, violence, and freedom—while celebrating the true joy that can be found in a great swim and a good turkey sandwich.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 14, 2022
222 people are currently reading
18141 people want to read
About the author
Marcy Dermansky
9 books29.1k followersMarcy Dermansky is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Hurricane Girl, Very Nice, The Red Car, Bad Marie and Twins. Her new novel Hot Air will be released in the spring of 2025.
Marcy has received fellowships from MacDowell and The Edward Albee Foundation. She lives in Montclair, New Jersey with her daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,317 reviews
May 7, 2022
Marcy Dermansky remains one of my favorite writers. What I love most is Alllison, the protagonist, in the aftermath of a violent attack, dealing with a traumatic brain injury and how we see the world through her eyes and her mind. I held my breath as I read this I one sitting. This novel is outstanding in every way.
August 6, 2022
Whoa! This book was a ton of fun! Seriously, I didn’t know what to expect, but it most definitely wasn’t this. It’s deceptively simple – and I don’t mean that in a bad way at all. At first I thought this was going to be light and breezy. A thirty-something leaves her boyfriend in LA to buy a house on the beach in North Carolina. Her needs are minimal – turkey sandwiches and an occasional bottle of wine. She’s kind of done with people at the moment. Especially men… and particularly the asshole variety. Oh, and she loves to swim – she’s pretty obsessed with it!
“She had a weakness for swimming pools the way some people need to pet every dog they see.”
But then a hurricane destroys her dream home after just a week and a half. What happens after this… well, it’s completely wild! I’m not going to tell you any more details. Don’t read the blurb for the book. I didn’t, so a lot of this came as a surprise. I totally welcomed it! I loved being caught off guard more than once! I will say that at times this became dark – often funny, sometimes sad. I was completely engrossed in Allison’s life. Her interactions with other people were sometimes relatable, sometimes puzzling. She made me laugh. She tries to take a positive approach to her misfortune. But the reader can sense something deeper underlying what she tells herself (and therefore us).
“She had been out in the world. She did not particularly like it. For a long time, Allison had not felt safe, loved, looked out for, taken care of, respected.”
This was a really compulsive reading experience. Marcy Dermansky is one clever and talented writer. As much as I love lyrical prose, I’m also crazy about something minimalist – if done properly, as it is here. I was a pretty satisfied reader, but wondered a bit where this was heading. And then… I was completely floored by the ending. Yes! I thought I was going to go with four stars, but what the hell! I’m going with all five. Kudos to Ms. Dermansky. Pass me another, please!
Thanks to my Goodreads friend Debbie for hauling out her pogo stick and sharing this one with me!
“Anyway, she was fine. She still had her health. That was what people liked to say. She had her health.”
“She had a weakness for swimming pools the way some people need to pet every dog they see.”
But then a hurricane destroys her dream home after just a week and a half. What happens after this… well, it’s completely wild! I’m not going to tell you any more details. Don’t read the blurb for the book. I didn’t, so a lot of this came as a surprise. I totally welcomed it! I loved being caught off guard more than once! I will say that at times this became dark – often funny, sometimes sad. I was completely engrossed in Allison’s life. Her interactions with other people were sometimes relatable, sometimes puzzling. She made me laugh. She tries to take a positive approach to her misfortune. But the reader can sense something deeper underlying what she tells herself (and therefore us).
“She had been out in the world. She did not particularly like it. For a long time, Allison had not felt safe, loved, looked out for, taken care of, respected.”
This was a really compulsive reading experience. Marcy Dermansky is one clever and talented writer. As much as I love lyrical prose, I’m also crazy about something minimalist – if done properly, as it is here. I was a pretty satisfied reader, but wondered a bit where this was heading. And then… I was completely floored by the ending. Yes! I thought I was going to go with four stars, but what the hell! I’m going with all five. Kudos to Ms. Dermansky. Pass me another, please!
Thanks to my Goodreads friend Debbie for hauling out her pogo stick and sharing this one with me!
“Anyway, she was fine. She still had her health. That was what people liked to say. She had her health.”
March 3, 2022
Weird and horrifying, also oh-so-funny at times!
At first, I couldn't tell if I was reading a setup for a horror film or a story about a good luck/bad luck girl.
Allison Brody is thirty and trying to find some stability in her life. The problem is she has her share of bad luck, along with making some very poor choices. She purchases a beach house in North Carolina because her favorite pastime is swimming. It was perfect, until the Category Five hurricane hit. This sets the stage for a string of bad luck and bad choices - her cell phone dies, she meets cameraman, she takes dumb risks, her world turns to black...... eek!
Just like a horror movie, you may find yourself wanting to yell at Allison, "STOP, NO, What are you thinking?!" If this was a movie, I would have covered my eyes, "What are you doing girl?!!"
Once I got used to the unique writing style and voice, I couldn't read fast enough to find out where Allison would wind up and what predicament she'd find herself in. Read to follow Allison and see if she gets the do-over that she craves and that perfect swimming pool of her dreams.
Thanks NG and the publisher for my arc! OUT June 14, 2022
At first, I couldn't tell if I was reading a setup for a horror film or a story about a good luck/bad luck girl.
Allison Brody is thirty and trying to find some stability in her life. The problem is she has her share of bad luck, along with making some very poor choices. She purchases a beach house in North Carolina because her favorite pastime is swimming. It was perfect, until the Category Five hurricane hit. This sets the stage for a string of bad luck and bad choices - her cell phone dies, she meets cameraman, she takes dumb risks, her world turns to black...... eek!
Just like a horror movie, you may find yourself wanting to yell at Allison, "STOP, NO, What are you thinking?!" If this was a movie, I would have covered my eyes, "What are you doing girl?!!"
Once I got used to the unique writing style and voice, I couldn't read fast enough to find out where Allison would wind up and what predicament she'd find herself in. Read to follow Allison and see if she gets the do-over that she craves and that perfect swimming pool of her dreams.
Thanks NG and the publisher for my arc! OUT June 14, 2022
July 23, 2022
So, WOW, this book was weird but amazing! I was captivated and engrossed in this book from the very beginning. I read it in a few hours. I could NOT put it down. It was a crazy ride, and I had to keep reading to know what was going to happen next. This book was so back and forth with emotions, some parts were funny and then there were other parts where my jaw dropped, and I felt awful for Allison. This is not normally a book I feel like I would choose to read but I saw a couple excellent reviews and was intrigued and had to give it a read. I am so glad I did! This was a gem! It is a shorter, quick read. I am going now to check out the authors other books.
Thank you, Net Galley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, for a gifted ARC of this book in return for my honest opinion.
Thank you, Net Galley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, for a gifted ARC of this book in return for my honest opinion.
July 29, 2022
In the mood for a dark comedy? Rom-coms not your style? Look no further.
Allison, a screenwriter, escapes an abusive relationship, and buys her dream beach house in NC. Her passion and escape from reality is swimming, so what could be more perfect?
Less than a week later, a Category 3 hurricane wipes her house out.
Things can’t get worse, right? WRONG! Things go from bad to worse when Allison suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Allison trusts most people and is a people-pleaser to a fault, which lands her in a situation where she suffers a horrific brain injury. (No spoilers as to how this happens!)
Ok, so, as a nurse, I had to suspend some disbelief at her getting behind the wheel of a car and driving from NC to NJ afterwards, but for the sake of the story I’m willing to set that aside. Never mind that a barista at Starbucks tells her that she can see her brain from a hole in her head.....
Allison’s thought processes are almost childlike, which I would attribute to the TBI, except for the fact she thought this way before the injury. Yet, she was an accomplished screenwriter. Was her childlike approach to life and people the result of repeated traumas?
At first, I thought she was neurodivergent, but I‘m not so sure. It took me a while to accustom myself to the childlike way Allison thinks and talks. This worked especially well on audio. I had to sit back and just enjoy the storytelling.
I won’t say how the story develops but know Allison repeatedly tells herself, she was fine. She had her health.
Note: she is clearly NOT fine.
Allison may seem meek and mild, but how does she take her power back? That is the overriding theme of the story.
This is a short, weird, funny, quirky read which I read as an allegory. Not my usual type of read but one that grew on me as I read. I found myself thinking about it for days after finishing.
Allison, a screenwriter, escapes an abusive relationship, and buys her dream beach house in NC. Her passion and escape from reality is swimming, so what could be more perfect?
Less than a week later, a Category 3 hurricane wipes her house out.
Things can’t get worse, right? WRONG! Things go from bad to worse when Allison suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Allison trusts most people and is a people-pleaser to a fault, which lands her in a situation where she suffers a horrific brain injury. (No spoilers as to how this happens!)
Ok, so, as a nurse, I had to suspend some disbelief at her getting behind the wheel of a car and driving from NC to NJ afterwards, but for the sake of the story I’m willing to set that aside. Never mind that a barista at Starbucks tells her that she can see her brain from a hole in her head.....
Allison’s thought processes are almost childlike, which I would attribute to the TBI, except for the fact she thought this way before the injury. Yet, she was an accomplished screenwriter. Was her childlike approach to life and people the result of repeated traumas?
At first, I thought she was neurodivergent, but I‘m not so sure. It took me a while to accustom myself to the childlike way Allison thinks and talks. This worked especially well on audio. I had to sit back and just enjoy the storytelling.
I won’t say how the story develops but know Allison repeatedly tells herself, she was fine. She had her health.
Note: she is clearly NOT fine.
Allison may seem meek and mild, but how does she take her power back? That is the overriding theme of the story.
This is a short, weird, funny, quirky read which I read as an allegory. Not my usual type of read but one that grew on me as I read. I found myself thinking about it for days after finishing.
June 29, 2022
4.5, happily rounded up
Wow! What a fun ride this was!
I’m not always crazy about a millennial whose life is a mess, but Allison, the star of the show, pulled me right into her mess and I couldn’t put the book down. The story has pizazz—it’s witty and edgy, funny yet horrific, and it moves fast. And Allison is just so damn likable, you’re rooting for her from page 1.
Allison has just bought a house, which is a huge deal, and in just a week, a hurricane, like the big bad wolf, blows her house down. She’s shocked, trying to figure out what to do, when suddenly she gets herself into big trouble. Yeah, she makes a bad choice—and lol, I’m already thinking how I won’t be able to sell this book to a friend, because she just hates reading about women who make stupid choices. I know my friend would want to shake Allison; knock some sense into her. Hell, I wanted to shake her. “Hey, knock it off! That’s a really bad idea!” But in Allison’s defense, a lot of single 30-somethings would do the same thing and just not be unlucky like she was. The dumb things Allison decides to do after her first bad decision aren’t her fault. They’re bad, though, and it made me super nervous. But suddenly the cat’s got my tongue; you’re not going to get another word out of me about what’s going on. And don’t, I repeat, don’t, read the blurb, which is spoiler city. (Very annoyed that the marketers did that. Argh!)
All I’ll say is that early on, there’s a harrowing car trip as Allison drives from North Carolina to New Jersey, heading for her mom’s. I was glued to her side, sitting in the passenger seat, worried and attached more than I thought I’d be because, damn, the book had just begun. It’s tricky how Dermansky did that—Allison was my best friend all the sudden, and I wanted to help her. Ha, but Allison had no intention of listening to me or anyone else.
This book is part light and funny and part dark and scary, with a twist of the absurd thrown in. There’s a kind mom who makes endless turkey sandwiches for Allison, and an attentive neurosurgeon who offers Allison his swimming pool, which gives her some peace. (Swimming is her natural Xanax, I think.) The book lets you see a realistic and complex reaction to trauma, and although I’m making that sound all abstract and medical, it’s not. It’s vivid as hell and gets under your skin. And I’ll throw out a teaser: you’ll see Allison touch her head a lot, and sometimes utter a dramatic, catchy phrase at the same time (like both her fingers and her mouth have mantras). It’s an image that’s stuck in my mind. Another cool thing is that you’ll never figure out where the story is going. There’s suspense, because Allison, who most of the time is upfront, suddenly isn’t telling us what her plan is, and we want to know—now! My one complaint is that I sort of wanted an epilogue. I say "sort of" because the ending is so powerful, an epilogue might be a comedown and detract from the zap.
Marcy Dermansky, you’ve found yourself another fan. I want to—no, have to—read everything you’ve written. Our famous Roxane Gay as well as our popular Kevin Wilson (who wrote Nothing to See Here, one of my favorite books) both loved this novel, so I’m pretending I’m hanging out with them and we’re all raving about your gem of a book together. Oh, and by the way, even though I don’t love the gazillion “girls” that you see in titles, I do love the name you gave this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Edelweiss for advance copies.
Wow! What a fun ride this was!
I’m not always crazy about a millennial whose life is a mess, but Allison, the star of the show, pulled me right into her mess and I couldn’t put the book down. The story has pizazz—it’s witty and edgy, funny yet horrific, and it moves fast. And Allison is just so damn likable, you’re rooting for her from page 1.
Allison has just bought a house, which is a huge deal, and in just a week, a hurricane, like the big bad wolf, blows her house down. She’s shocked, trying to figure out what to do, when suddenly she gets herself into big trouble. Yeah, she makes a bad choice—and lol, I’m already thinking how I won’t be able to sell this book to a friend, because she just hates reading about women who make stupid choices. I know my friend would want to shake Allison; knock some sense into her. Hell, I wanted to shake her. “Hey, knock it off! That’s a really bad idea!” But in Allison’s defense, a lot of single 30-somethings would do the same thing and just not be unlucky like she was. The dumb things Allison decides to do after her first bad decision aren’t her fault. They’re bad, though, and it made me super nervous. But suddenly the cat’s got my tongue; you’re not going to get another word out of me about what’s going on. And don’t, I repeat, don’t, read the blurb, which is spoiler city. (Very annoyed that the marketers did that. Argh!)
All I’ll say is that early on, there’s a harrowing car trip as Allison drives from North Carolina to New Jersey, heading for her mom’s. I was glued to her side, sitting in the passenger seat, worried and attached more than I thought I’d be because, damn, the book had just begun. It’s tricky how Dermansky did that—Allison was my best friend all the sudden, and I wanted to help her. Ha, but Allison had no intention of listening to me or anyone else.
This book is part light and funny and part dark and scary, with a twist of the absurd thrown in. There’s a kind mom who makes endless turkey sandwiches for Allison, and an attentive neurosurgeon who offers Allison his swimming pool, which gives her some peace. (Swimming is her natural Xanax, I think.) The book lets you see a realistic and complex reaction to trauma, and although I’m making that sound all abstract and medical, it’s not. It’s vivid as hell and gets under your skin. And I’ll throw out a teaser: you’ll see Allison touch her head a lot, and sometimes utter a dramatic, catchy phrase at the same time (like both her fingers and her mouth have mantras). It’s an image that’s stuck in my mind. Another cool thing is that you’ll never figure out where the story is going. There’s suspense, because Allison, who most of the time is upfront, suddenly isn’t telling us what her plan is, and we want to know—now! My one complaint is that I sort of wanted an epilogue. I say "sort of" because the ending is so powerful, an epilogue might be a comedown and detract from the zap.
Marcy Dermansky, you’ve found yourself another fan. I want to—no, have to—read everything you’ve written. Our famous Roxane Gay as well as our popular Kevin Wilson (who wrote Nothing to See Here, one of my favorite books) both loved this novel, so I’m pretending I’m hanging out with them and we’re all raving about your gem of a book together. Oh, and by the way, even though I don’t love the gazillion “girls” that you see in titles, I do love the name you gave this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Edelweiss for advance copies.
August 22, 2022
The title of this vaguely irritates me, and the cover screams cutesy rom-com. Normally, I would be running for the hills. However, one of my GR buddy's penned a review that somehow reeled me in. And what do you know? I loved it. Do not read the synopsis attached to the book, nor any accompanying blurbs. At the age of 32, Allison's true loves are simple. Swimming pools and turkey sandwiches. Just dive on in and gobble up every bit of it.
Simple, lighthearted (for the most part), and satisfying. Even relatable in a few ways. I liked it so well that I have already requested two more of Dermansky's novels from the library. This one put me in the mind of how I felt upon finishing Lily King's Writers and Lovers.
Simple, lighthearted (for the most part), and satisfying. Even relatable in a few ways. I liked it so well that I have already requested two more of Dermansky's novels from the library. This one put me in the mind of how I felt upon finishing Lily King's Writers and Lovers.
July 24, 2022
I adore this book!!!!!
I just found it totally delightful…the right book at the right time for the right mood.
It was as satisfying in the way an ice cold drink feels going down,when thirsty.
Yep….
“Hurricane Girl” was thirst quenching delicious!
“You operated on my brain without asking me first. That was such a violation. And now we are together. It feels creepy. It feels wrong — like you are taking advantage of me”.
“Awww, Allison, Danny said. I explained this to you. I didn’t have a choice”.
“I didn’t have a choice either, Alison said”.
“You can choose now, Danny said”.
“I am no Harvey Weinstein”.
“Allison laughed”.
“Let’s have hotel sex, Danny said”.
“I am not a bad guy, Danny said to Allison”.
“I never said you were”.
“But you are thinking of leaving me”.
“Don’t leave me just because the swimming pool is closed”.
“How did you know that?”
“I know you, Danny said”.
“You know the eighteen-year-old me. I’m not the same person”.
“Neither am I, Danny said”.
Allison didn’t like to think of herself as a person who might leave Danny, just because the swimming pool closed for the season. She tried to rationalize if she owed him anything or not. He saved her life. Was she obligated to love him, be with him? Spend her entire life with him in New Jersey? She had been helpless and he stepped in to the help at an apropos time.
I’ve left many aspects out —- the weird - funny - and interesting parts: The hurricane- the damaged house - Keith the camerman. Keith back in LA….the producer boyfriend.
Lori, Allison‘s best friend, her mother, thoughts about her dad, growing up in New Jersey,……
Danny Yany - the Brain surgeon who knew Allison from when they were in college…. (he had always been in love with Allison)……
Allison‘s desire and passion for swimming… (She is a girl after my own heart when it comes to swimming and swimming pools)…. Loving them like pets!
She hated nothing more than vomiting. How did she know?—me Too!!!
A little Star Trek… A little chatter about Ashley Judd…..
A wedding in Miami…..
A couple of times and North Carolina….(but I can’t tell you why)….
Purely Fun!!!!
Creepy - weird - wonderful!!!!
I just found it totally delightful…the right book at the right time for the right mood.
It was as satisfying in the way an ice cold drink feels going down,when thirsty.
Yep….
“Hurricane Girl” was thirst quenching delicious!
“You operated on my brain without asking me first. That was such a violation. And now we are together. It feels creepy. It feels wrong — like you are taking advantage of me”.
“Awww, Allison, Danny said. I explained this to you. I didn’t have a choice”.
“I didn’t have a choice either, Alison said”.
“You can choose now, Danny said”.
“I am no Harvey Weinstein”.
“Allison laughed”.
“Let’s have hotel sex, Danny said”.
“I am not a bad guy, Danny said to Allison”.
“I never said you were”.
“But you are thinking of leaving me”.
“Don’t leave me just because the swimming pool is closed”.
“How did you know that?”
“I know you, Danny said”.
“You know the eighteen-year-old me. I’m not the same person”.
“Neither am I, Danny said”.
Allison didn’t like to think of herself as a person who might leave Danny, just because the swimming pool closed for the season. She tried to rationalize if she owed him anything or not. He saved her life. Was she obligated to love him, be with him? Spend her entire life with him in New Jersey? She had been helpless and he stepped in to the help at an apropos time.
I’ve left many aspects out —- the weird - funny - and interesting parts: The hurricane- the damaged house - Keith the camerman. Keith back in LA….the producer boyfriend.
Lori, Allison‘s best friend, her mother, thoughts about her dad, growing up in New Jersey,……
Danny Yany - the Brain surgeon who knew Allison from when they were in college…. (he had always been in love with Allison)……
Allison‘s desire and passion for swimming… (She is a girl after my own heart when it comes to swimming and swimming pools)…. Loving them like pets!
She hated nothing more than vomiting. How did she know?—me Too!!!
A little Star Trek… A little chatter about Ashley Judd…..
A wedding in Miami…..
A couple of times and North Carolina….(but I can’t tell you why)….
Purely Fun!!!!
Creepy - weird - wonderful!!!!
August 11, 2022
Just tell me what happened to you, Allison.
Oh, my.......
Hurricane Girl is a little sleeper of a read. I had no clue as to what was waiting for me within these pages. Marcy Dermansky unfolds this complicated storyline with a female main character who will grab your heart and then curl your toes. Dermansky has a very different writing style that lulls you into a soft swing on a cushy hammock only to thrust you roughly out to hit the hard ground below.
Allison is leaving it all behind. She's finally decided that living with an abusive movie producer in California no longer has its perks. But what agonizes her from without and from within, is this guy's Olympic size pool. Dermansky has made swimming laps part of Allison's DNA.....no matter where she goes or where she winds up. It's always been the pool, Buster.
So Allison takes every nickel and dime that she owns and buys a beachfront property in North Carolina. She's smitten with the place, but Mother Nature has other plans. After only a week and a half of sheer bliss on the beach, Allison's little casa is blown to bits by a hurricane.
With no money and no place to go, our Allison has her back against the wall. Allison has never made too many sound decisions in thirty-two years. This time she bends completely in the wrong direction of common sense. Common sense is not so common nowadays. And the consequences of that night will now live with Allison for the rest of her days.
The result? A brain injury that will require surgery. Allison is back home in New Jersey trying to bumble through the aftermath with her strange family dynamics. Dermansky writes like a time bomb is ticking away as the weeks go by. And as readers, we feel that the oxygen is leaving the room as we keep gulping the diminishing air in these pages. Oh, Allison......just where and why?
I read this one in one sitting. It's that much of a grabber. A quick little treasure waiting for you at the library.....just came out. Even more of an impact than the howl of that hurricane. Whew!
Oh, my.......
Hurricane Girl is a little sleeper of a read. I had no clue as to what was waiting for me within these pages. Marcy Dermansky unfolds this complicated storyline with a female main character who will grab your heart and then curl your toes. Dermansky has a very different writing style that lulls you into a soft swing on a cushy hammock only to thrust you roughly out to hit the hard ground below.
Allison is leaving it all behind. She's finally decided that living with an abusive movie producer in California no longer has its perks. But what agonizes her from without and from within, is this guy's Olympic size pool. Dermansky has made swimming laps part of Allison's DNA.....no matter where she goes or where she winds up. It's always been the pool, Buster.
So Allison takes every nickel and dime that she owns and buys a beachfront property in North Carolina. She's smitten with the place, but Mother Nature has other plans. After only a week and a half of sheer bliss on the beach, Allison's little casa is blown to bits by a hurricane.
With no money and no place to go, our Allison has her back against the wall. Allison has never made too many sound decisions in thirty-two years. This time she bends completely in the wrong direction of common sense. Common sense is not so common nowadays. And the consequences of that night will now live with Allison for the rest of her days.
The result? A brain injury that will require surgery. Allison is back home in New Jersey trying to bumble through the aftermath with her strange family dynamics. Dermansky writes like a time bomb is ticking away as the weeks go by. And as readers, we feel that the oxygen is leaving the room as we keep gulping the diminishing air in these pages. Oh, Allison......just where and why?
I read this one in one sitting. It's that much of a grabber. A quick little treasure waiting for you at the library.....just came out. Even more of an impact than the howl of that hurricane. Whew!
April 3, 2023
There’s a flat affect to Hurricane Girl, both the book and the character. I couldn’t help but be infected by her innocence. The perspective is always from her eyes, her mind, in a staccato kind of stream-of-consciousness. This means that delights of the moment, such as waking up in a nice bed, are delivered with the same level of emotion as finding your home shredded inside-out by a hurricane. Allison, the main character, and our guide, mostly stays moment to moment. This gives us conflicting sensations in seconds, highlighting the bizarreness of life, and I laughed in recognition:
“Allison’s mother hugged her hard. Then her mother proceeded to yell at her. It was not the homecoming Allison had been hoping for.”
Allison’s mind darts into the past, using it to support her understanding of the present, and therefore, ours. The story is simple and straightforward. It is told in short sentences, each leading logically to the next, creating a kind of freight-train pace. The short chapters echo the short sentences like a Russian doll, all neatly encased in a compact, protective whole. It’s playful and so satisfying.
But this is a character who experiences devastation. How does one bounce back from that? This is that story.
“Allison’s mother hugged her hard. Then her mother proceeded to yell at her. It was not the homecoming Allison had been hoping for.”
Allison’s mind darts into the past, using it to support her understanding of the present, and therefore, ours. The story is simple and straightforward. It is told in short sentences, each leading logically to the next, creating a kind of freight-train pace. The short chapters echo the short sentences like a Russian doll, all neatly encased in a compact, protective whole. It’s playful and so satisfying.
But this is a character who experiences devastation. How does one bounce back from that? This is that story.
May 4, 2022
Allison left her abusive movie producer boyfriend in L.A. to head out across country to North Carolina where she buys a perfect little blue house by the sea. Only a week and a half after living there a category 5 hurricane comes roaring through requiring the residents to evacuate. Upon returning she finds her little blue seaside home is no longer standing.
From here we follow Allison through various situations some more dangerous than others.
"It was a new day. She was fine. She had her health. It was like a running joke in her head."
This slim little novel is an oddly compelling day in the life of Allison. The quirk meter is off the charts. Allison is a likeable character, one that you want to hug one minute and shake by the shoulders the next. At times I wondered what the point to the story was yet I was never able to put it down. I had to know what would become of Allison. The ending was surprising and vague all at the same time. This may be one of those few occasions in which an epilogue would have been handy. While I liked the book and enjoyed the story it's hard to know who exactly I could recommend this too. If you have eclectic taste in fiction and enjoy the quirky side of life with a hint of darkness then this may be the unconventional book you're looking for. 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for my complimentary copy.
From here we follow Allison through various situations some more dangerous than others.
"It was a new day. She was fine. She had her health. It was like a running joke in her head."
This slim little novel is an oddly compelling day in the life of Allison. The quirk meter is off the charts. Allison is a likeable character, one that you want to hug one minute and shake by the shoulders the next. At times I wondered what the point to the story was yet I was never able to put it down. I had to know what would become of Allison. The ending was surprising and vague all at the same time. This may be one of those few occasions in which an epilogue would have been handy. While I liked the book and enjoyed the story it's hard to know who exactly I could recommend this too. If you have eclectic taste in fiction and enjoy the quirky side of life with a hint of darkness then this may be the unconventional book you're looking for. 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for my complimentary copy.
August 10, 2022
[4.5] What a wonderful and strange ride! Alison Brody's adventure is funny and twisty with a dash of darkness. I couldn't help rooting for her. I adore Dermansky's writing and her piercing view of our culture. The ending was perfect but I couldn't help wishing it could go on and on and on...
October 16, 2022
I'm glad that Marcy Dermansky is getting so much attention for this book.
When I read her Bad Marie a few years back, she had a bit of a lesser known, obscure vibe to her. Now she's the literary celebrity that she deserves to be.
It would be easy to a) be turned off by or b) dismiss her for the narrative style of Hurricane Girl. The style is "simple", with choppy, declarative sentences and less-than-exciting vocabulary choices. There are plenty of one-sentence paragraphs. There are plenty of two-page chapters.
It almost turned me off, and it took a bit to acclimatize myself to it, but I had faith. I knew that she made this choice purposefully, because Dermansky is an accomplished and talented writer. The style is all part of her creating a unique narrative voice, and I believe that the execution of this is anything but "simple".
Many enthusiastic readers have said much already, so I'll just say that I loved the way that she married humour and horror so well, while poignantly showing us a woman's struggles with grief, bad choices and lack of agency.
When it's good, it's soooooo good it smacks you over the head with the force of a glass vase. Other times, I did feel it could have been tighter, plot-wise, as there were parts that felt slightly loosey-goosey.
All in all, though, this is fun, smart, and satisfying. Watch out for those Keiths, ladies.
4.5 stars
When I read her Bad Marie a few years back, she had a bit of a lesser known, obscure vibe to her. Now she's the literary celebrity that she deserves to be.
It would be easy to a) be turned off by or b) dismiss her for the narrative style of Hurricane Girl. The style is "simple", with choppy, declarative sentences and less-than-exciting vocabulary choices. There are plenty of one-sentence paragraphs. There are plenty of two-page chapters.
It almost turned me off, and it took a bit to acclimatize myself to it, but I had faith. I knew that she made this choice purposefully, because Dermansky is an accomplished and talented writer. The style is all part of her creating a unique narrative voice, and I believe that the execution of this is anything but "simple".
Many enthusiastic readers have said much already, so I'll just say that I loved the way that she married humour and horror so well, while poignantly showing us a woman's struggles with grief, bad choices and lack of agency.
When it's good, it's soooooo good it smacks you over the head with the force of a glass vase. Other times, I did feel it could have been tighter, plot-wise, as there were parts that felt slightly loosey-goosey.
All in all, though, this is fun, smart, and satisfying. Watch out for those Keiths, ladies.
4.5 stars
August 20, 2022
First of all, please SKIP the book blurb; let this book surprise you at every turn.
Hurricane Girl is a quick read. Don't let it's sparse prose fool you. It is an artfully controlled novel with strong underlying themes.
Despite being an unreliable narrator, Allison is relatable. I have had moments in my life when I have said something to the equivalent of these statements.
“Life had brought her here. This was not the worst place.”
"Reality was out there waiting for her, and she wanted none of it."
I get inside her head and want to mother her, question her grip on reality, shout NO, and root for her along her journey.
Marcy Dermansky has the rare ability to merge horror, tragedy and comedy. She propels me along alarmed, appalled, hopeful and laughing at every twist and turn of these several weeks of Allison's life.
And the ending--delicious.
Hurricane Girl is a quick read. Don't let it's sparse prose fool you. It is an artfully controlled novel with strong underlying themes.
Despite being an unreliable narrator, Allison is relatable. I have had moments in my life when I have said something to the equivalent of these statements.
“Life had brought her here. This was not the worst place.”
"Reality was out there waiting for her, and she wanted none of it."
I get inside her head and want to mother her, question her grip on reality, shout NO, and root for her along her journey.
Marcy Dermansky has the rare ability to merge horror, tragedy and comedy. She propels me along alarmed, appalled, hopeful and laughing at every twist and turn of these several weeks of Allison's life.
And the ending--delicious.
August 28, 2022
In theory, this isn’t supposed to work.
If I even try to describe it, you’ll think I’m completely nuts.
The truth, though, is that not only it works but it works beautifully.
Yeeeesss!
What a crazy, funny, original, smart, daring and moving little beast of a book this is!
I’m so happy I live in a planet where someone can come up with a story like this; have such imagination; and be in touch with human nature in such a beautiful and profound way. And still be able to make fun and laugh about it, by the way. Amazing.
That’s what the world really needs at the moment: a good laugh!!
Let’s come up with more inventive stories like this one.
Let’s use our imagination.
Let’s play with language.
Let’s pretend we’re all just children.
And let’s not take ourselves so seriously.
We paid for a single ticket only.
We have our health.
Let’s go for a ride.
If I even try to describe it, you’ll think I’m completely nuts.
The truth, though, is that not only it works but it works beautifully.
Yeeeesss!
What a crazy, funny, original, smart, daring and moving little beast of a book this is!
I’m so happy I live in a planet where someone can come up with a story like this; have such imagination; and be in touch with human nature in such a beautiful and profound way. And still be able to make fun and laugh about it, by the way. Amazing.
That’s what the world really needs at the moment: a good laugh!!
Let’s come up with more inventive stories like this one.
Let’s use our imagination.
Let’s play with language.
Let’s pretend we’re all just children.
And let’s not take ourselves so seriously.
We paid for a single ticket only.
We have our health.
Let’s go for a ride.
October 17, 2022
I had no intention of reading The Hurricane Girl but so many respected GR friends loved it and I finally caved and added it.
It's an odd little book. The writing is very simple and the author seems to dislike pronouns and uses them sparingly, repeating the noun over and over. Normally this would drive me nuts. Instead, it was hypnotic and alluring. I did not want to stop reading it. Something about this simple (seemingly not-all-that-well-written) novel hooked me. I don't think another (better) writing style would have worked for it. It was perfect.
I hated the ending, thus four stars instead of five.
It's an odd little book. The writing is very simple and the author seems to dislike pronouns and uses them sparingly, repeating the noun over and over. Normally this would drive me nuts. Instead, it was hypnotic and alluring. I did not want to stop reading it. Something about this simple (seemingly not-all-that-well-written) novel hooked me. I don't think another (better) writing style would have worked for it. It was perfect.
I hated the ending, thus four stars instead of five.
May 23, 2023
This short novel tells the story of a young woman who is assaulted by two men, loses her home, and has to undergo brain surgery - and the whole thing is somehow wickedly hilarious. With crisp sentences, dry humor and excellent psychological writing, Dermansky repeats what she has achieved in Very Nice, and it's captivating to follow. At the beginning of the text, protagonist Allison Brody has left her abusive movie producer boyfriend and moved from L.A. to her own beach house in North Carolina, which is promptly destroyed by a hurricane. Traumatized and now broke and homeless, Allison stands in the debris of her attempted new beginning when she has a faithful encounter with a cameraman who arrived at the scene to report for the news...
Dermansky shines when she writes about the movements of Allison's mind, first when she gets stuck in a dangerous situation with the cameraman, which causes her to both doubt her judgement and wonder how to act correctly, and then when she gets out of brain surgery with hazy perceptions and episodes of disorientation, thus becoming an entirely unreliable narrator. Generally, the novel ponders what messes with Allison's head, both literally and figuratively, and how she struggles to maintain agency over her own life, with her insecurities, natural disaster, and male violence trying to take it away from her.
A compassionately rendered, smart, and entertaining text that proves that literature does not have to feel difficult in order to be of high quality.
Dermansky shines when she writes about the movements of Allison's mind, first when she gets stuck in a dangerous situation with the cameraman, which causes her to both doubt her judgement and wonder how to act correctly, and then when she gets out of brain surgery with hazy perceptions and episodes of disorientation, thus becoming an entirely unreliable narrator. Generally, the novel ponders what messes with Allison's head, both literally and figuratively, and how she struggles to maintain agency over her own life, with her insecurities, natural disaster, and male violence trying to take it away from her.
A compassionately rendered, smart, and entertaining text that proves that literature does not have to feel difficult in order to be of high quality.
August 27, 2022
Well, I tried, I really did. I never do well with "flavor of the month" books, for some reason. I was seduced by this one because so many of my GR friends with similar tastes seemed to love it. My library had it, it was short, chapters were short, and it was different. But none of that mattered. I just couldn't feel the love. At least I could read it in an afternoon, so didn't lose much time in the effort.
November 21, 2024
I've never read a book like this... it's quirky but honest...Allison's thoughts are in way clearer than others, unfettered and undeterred, guilty but also unapologetic. I enjoyed the whole inner monologue with tongue in cheek amusement.
February 6, 2022
This book turns out to be special to me.
March 27, 2024
I think this book has some powerful themes related to gendered violence and trauma and how these dark experiences can shape our behaviors, both in relationships with others and toward ourselves. However, I found the execution of Hurricane Girl extremely lacking. The main character has a flat affect that I found grating, not because it made me judge the main character but more because it came across as a gimmick from the author instead of a genuine protagonist’s voice. The plot didn’t really go anywhere either; it just seemed like several events stacked on top of one another. In sum, I wish I had nicer things to say but I found the book boring and confusing and I’m thus hoping for a better read next.
August 26, 2022
I read this book in one long binge, broken only by rests to digest.
Usually when I finish a book I’m not wild about (rare, because I usually abandon such books and never mention them) and write a critical review, I say things about overwriting, or a lack of stuff (that ineffable energy that makes readers feel) between the synapses, usually because the author hasn’t left any and instead has tried to explain everything. Or if dialogue is really awful, I’ve commented that “people don’t always say (or even know) what they’re really thinking” and in well-written dialogue, the reader sometimes understands more about subtext than the characters do. Instead of ever writing those criticisms again, I wish I could just will those writers to read a copy of Marcy Dermansky’s Hurricane Girl before they publish again.
This is how it’s done! This is how you marry light and dark, comedy and scariness, evoke/speak the truth that organically arises out the truth of a human condition and character. Marcy Dermansky has chops! Thank you, thank you, and a standing ovation.
While reading this book, I am also binging box sets of the complete Breaking Bad and eventually Better Call Saul series. Vince Gilligan, the creator of this brilliance, is a different artist, but he and Dermansky have this in common: a wonderful ability to write the hilarity in the middle of tense tragedy or violence or scary stuff. Gilligan does it not only with the brilliant writing of these series, but with absolutely every art available to filmmaking—a music track, set design, a camera angle. Dermansky does it without any of those tools. Just words.
I must read more of her work!
Usually when I finish a book I’m not wild about (rare, because I usually abandon such books and never mention them) and write a critical review, I say things about overwriting, or a lack of stuff (that ineffable energy that makes readers feel) between the synapses, usually because the author hasn’t left any and instead has tried to explain everything. Or if dialogue is really awful, I’ve commented that “people don’t always say (or even know) what they’re really thinking” and in well-written dialogue, the reader sometimes understands more about subtext than the characters do. Instead of ever writing those criticisms again, I wish I could just will those writers to read a copy of Marcy Dermansky’s Hurricane Girl before they publish again.
This is how it’s done! This is how you marry light and dark, comedy and scariness, evoke/speak the truth that organically arises out the truth of a human condition and character. Marcy Dermansky has chops! Thank you, thank you, and a standing ovation.
While reading this book, I am also binging box sets of the complete Breaking Bad and eventually Better Call Saul series. Vince Gilligan, the creator of this brilliance, is a different artist, but he and Dermansky have this in common: a wonderful ability to write the hilarity in the middle of tense tragedy or violence or scary stuff. Gilligan does it not only with the brilliant writing of these series, but with absolutely every art available to filmmaking—a music track, set design, a camera angle. Dermansky does it without any of those tools. Just words.
I must read more of her work!
August 10, 2022
This little ride in the protagonist’s, Allison’s, head is driven by Dermansky’s untraditional prose. Like the writing, Allison is disoriented, confused, and entertaining. Allison refuses to accept karma and Dermansky’s point comes to a clear conclusion. This is an easy read but the author’s statement is anything but simple.
October 27, 2022
I wasn't sure what to make of this story as I listened to the audiobook, and by the end I was still wondering 🤔. This is my first book by this author, so I'm not sure if I should've expected such a dark and chaotic storyline. Overall, this is a quirky story that's engaging and at times even entertaining.
Full review at LucyKnowsThings.com.
Full review at LucyKnowsThings.com.
August 18, 2022
“She still had her health,” she thinks. “That was what people liked to say.”
3.5 stars — What a perfect match this turned out to be for my funky mental space lately!
For over a month, I've been battling a nasty case of bronchitis that has placed everything from my social calendar to my professional life on an unplanned and inconvenient hiatus. Such a weird feeling, time standing still, all the while knowing that "Real Life" is still lurking for me just around the corner, for better and for worse.
So how fitting that I'd pick up this savagely funny, slightly deranged little book about a young woman seemingly determined to procrastinate and postpone any kind of showdown with "Reality" for as long as she possibly can.
It was not terrible, her life, it just wasn't what she had thought it would be.
Haven’t we all thought this at least once or twice in our lives?
Allison Brody has just spent her inheritance and entire life savings on a cute little beachfront house in rural North Carolina, packing up her entire life as a screenwriter in LA and leaving her abusive Hollywood producer boyfriend to start a new, simpler life on the East Coast. But less than two weeks later, these plans are completely upended when her new home is destroyed by a hurricane.
Not really a spoiler considering the book's title and the fact that all of this happens within the first couple pages. And because that's really only the beginning of poor Allison's troubles in this wonderfully weird little book that truly defies any kind of genre classification.
Is this a pitch-black comedy with hints of horror? A feministic psychological thriller that also happens to be addictively funny? At its core, it's about a young woman running from grief and coping with trauma as she struggles to reconcile her own needs and goals with the expectations and demands placed upon her by family, society, and, more dangerously, the men in her life.
I think one's enjoyment of this will depend on a few factors:
1) How you feel about Unreliable Narrators. I happen to LOVE them, and this one's a doozy. Dermansky smartly restricts us to a very limited third person POV, which can make this a bit of a dizzying but also intriguing puzzle, since we only get to view the story through Allison's less than reliable eyes (see #2).
2) How you feel about Allison as a character. I found her mix of hilariously blunt honesty, vulnerability, and occasional flashes of empathy as she interacts with the people around her, to be endearing and extremely relatable. It's a brisk, breezy read (I finished in only two sittings), and I hated having to leave this fun and quirky character so soon.
3) How you feel about Dermansky's unique prose. Definitely took me a few chapters to get used to it. It consists almost solely of staccato declarative sentences delivered in a bracingly acerbic tone. I know this kind of thing can make or break a book for some readers.
Thanks to my GR friend Candi for putting this delightfully twisted summer read on my radar! Guess you could say it’s just what the doctor ordered.
3.5 stars — What a perfect match this turned out to be for my funky mental space lately!
For over a month, I've been battling a nasty case of bronchitis that has placed everything from my social calendar to my professional life on an unplanned and inconvenient hiatus. Such a weird feeling, time standing still, all the while knowing that "Real Life" is still lurking for me just around the corner, for better and for worse.
So how fitting that I'd pick up this savagely funny, slightly deranged little book about a young woman seemingly determined to procrastinate and postpone any kind of showdown with "Reality" for as long as she possibly can.
It was not terrible, her life, it just wasn't what she had thought it would be.
Haven’t we all thought this at least once or twice in our lives?
Allison Brody has just spent her inheritance and entire life savings on a cute little beachfront house in rural North Carolina, packing up her entire life as a screenwriter in LA and leaving her abusive Hollywood producer boyfriend to start a new, simpler life on the East Coast. But less than two weeks later, these plans are completely upended when her new home is destroyed by a hurricane.
Not really a spoiler considering the book's title and the fact that all of this happens within the first couple pages. And because that's really only the beginning of poor Allison's troubles in this wonderfully weird little book that truly defies any kind of genre classification.
Is this a pitch-black comedy with hints of horror? A feministic psychological thriller that also happens to be addictively funny? At its core, it's about a young woman running from grief and coping with trauma as she struggles to reconcile her own needs and goals with the expectations and demands placed upon her by family, society, and, more dangerously, the men in her life.
I think one's enjoyment of this will depend on a few factors:
1) How you feel about Unreliable Narrators. I happen to LOVE them, and this one's a doozy. Dermansky smartly restricts us to a very limited third person POV, which can make this a bit of a dizzying but also intriguing puzzle, since we only get to view the story through Allison's less than reliable eyes (see #2).
2) How you feel about Allison as a character. I found her mix of hilariously blunt honesty, vulnerability, and occasional flashes of empathy as she interacts with the people around her, to be endearing and extremely relatable. It's a brisk, breezy read (I finished in only two sittings), and I hated having to leave this fun and quirky character so soon.
3) How you feel about Dermansky's unique prose. Definitely took me a few chapters to get used to it. It consists almost solely of staccato declarative sentences delivered in a bracingly acerbic tone. I know this kind of thing can make or break a book for some readers.
Thanks to my GR friend Candi for putting this delightfully twisted summer read on my radar! Guess you could say it’s just what the doctor ordered.
August 5, 2025
I am not sure what to say about this one. It is unlike anything I (or anyone who has not read this specific book) have ever read before. My son asked me what I was reading and what it was about. I told him the book's name, and told him that it was about unresolved grief, unsuccessful efforts to flee one's problems, how fundamentally self-serving most people are, and head injuries. He asked if any of those were metaphors. My answer was no, no, no, and yes, but only partially.
I loved the ratatat rhythm of the book. I loved the subtlety of the satire, I appreciated the nakedness of the selfishness in every character except Danny (who was basic but kind), the sadness of everyone's privilege, the sympathetic perpetrator and the obnoxious victim. I thought a little something was missing, that too much was left to subtext. This was especially true with regard to how hard it was to tell if Allison was entirely horrible and disconnected (even as compared to her horrible and disconnected friend, mother and brother), or just dealing with the aftereffects of head injury. Because of this feeling of a missing piece, I wavered between a 4 and a 5. I went with a 5, because how often do I read things that completely surprise me in a good way? This book shouldn't work, but boy, does it ever work.
One note though -- this is NOT horror. I cannot figure out why people identify this as horror.
I loved the ratatat rhythm of the book. I loved the subtlety of the satire, I appreciated the nakedness of the selfishness in every character except Danny (who was basic but kind), the sadness of everyone's privilege, the sympathetic perpetrator and the obnoxious victim. I thought a little something was missing, that too much was left to subtext. This was especially true with regard to how hard it was to tell if Allison was entirely horrible and disconnected (even as compared to her horrible and disconnected friend, mother and brother), or just dealing with the aftereffects of head injury. Because of this feeling of a missing piece, I wavered between a 4 and a 5. I went with a 5, because how often do I read things that completely surprise me in a good way? This book shouldn't work, but boy, does it ever work.
One note though -- this is NOT horror. I cannot figure out why people identify this as horror.
June 24, 2022
Most. Annoying. Protagonist. Ever.
Even before the incident that starts the book, the narration is more like a kindergartner than a grown woman. A lot of “She liked X”
Or “She did not like Y.” (Very “See Spot. See Spot run”). Speaking of, WHO DOESN’T USE CONTRACTIONS, when thinking? I mean, how often do you think, “I will go to the store because I do not have milk”? The effect makes the protagonist sound weirdly robotic, like an A.I. wrote this book. Or like someone with a very low I.Q. I did appreciate the originality of the premise, and I did think the inciting incident had a lot of suspense, but the protagonist spends the entire book drifting from thing to thing, taking no actions. By the third part of my five-part audiobook, it was getting boring. Especially since money just magically falls in her lap (we never see her working), she gets exceptional health care, and when she loses her home, there are people banging down her door to house her. We should all be so lucky.
Even before the incident that starts the book, the narration is more like a kindergartner than a grown woman. A lot of “She liked X”
Or “She did not like Y.” (Very “See Spot. See Spot run”). Speaking of, WHO DOESN’T USE CONTRACTIONS, when thinking? I mean, how often do you think, “I will go to the store because I do not have milk”? The effect makes the protagonist sound weirdly robotic, like an A.I. wrote this book. Or like someone with a very low I.Q. I did appreciate the originality of the premise, and I did think the inciting incident had a lot of suspense, but the protagonist spends the entire book drifting from thing to thing, taking no actions. By the third part of my five-part audiobook, it was getting boring. Especially since money just magically falls in her lap (we never see her working), she gets exceptional health care, and when she loses her home, there are people banging down her door to house her. We should all be so lucky.
August 29, 2022
Dear Marcy Dermansky . . . .
Full disclosure – I read this because Jan B said it was good. I didn’t look at the blurb and since I have CRS (Can’t Remember Shit) Disease I didn’t recognize the author’s name. Turns out I have read her before (with Very Nice
Now someone go get me a turkey sammich!
Full disclosure – I read this because Jan B said it was good. I didn’t look at the blurb and since I have CRS (Can’t Remember Shit) Disease I didn’t recognize the author’s name. Turns out I have read her before (with Very Nice
Now someone go get me a turkey sammich!
August 30, 2022
This was a fast and weird read. I read a few reviews but I still had no idea where this one was going until the last few pages. Luckily it is short, I don't know how much longer I could have been inside Allison's head but it is definitely worth a read.
June 11, 2023
one of the best book endings i've ever read
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