Julie T. Lamana

I had a hard time getting into this book because I knew what was coming (Hurricane Katrina) and all the pre-storm plot seemed slow and cruel to me. The beginning of the book is actually really heartwarming for the most part, but that's what makes it cruel. You see Armani's loving, happy family gathering for her tenth birthday and you just know that they are going to suffer.

And suffer they do. Once Katrina hit I barely put the book down. Survival stories have always held appeal despite how difficult they can be emotionally. I think it's because we long to see our hero triumph in the end, even when it seems impossible. Armani, as the narrator of the book, is sure to survive, but her friends and family? The same can't be said for all of them.

Armani's eventual "triumph" is definitely bittersweet and, in my opinion, truncated. I desperately wanted an epilogue or at least a glimpse into the future, but I didn't get one. The reader is left to imagine what will ultimately happen to Armani and other Katrina survivors.

Though I'd have to go back and reread it to be sure, I think I prefer [b:Ninth Ward|7118768|Ninth Ward|Jewell Parker Rhodes|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1267819800s/7118768.jpg|7379610] to this. They're both good, but Ninth Ward's more poetic style drew out the surreal quality of surviving the storm. Also, there were big moments in this book that fell a little flat for me. I'm seven months pregnant and apt to cry when I hear a sad song on the radio, and this book didn't squeeze a tear out of me. That is unusual. Even when I'm not pregnant I'm a crier! I definitely felt for the characters here, but the flow of the plot and the style of the writing kept me at a bit of a distance.… (plus d'informations)

The most notable event on Armani’s horizon is her tenth birthday party, which is only a few days away. But as a swelling hurricane approaches her hometown of New Orleans, the birthday celebration begins to get overshadowed by a sense of unease, then panic, then desperation.

Over the course of a few short days, Hurricane Katrina redefines what it means to Armani to turn ten years old. Instead of parties and presents, she is swept up in a whirlwind of tragedy and fear that seems too much for a kid. And instead of just getting one year older, she has to grow up all at once.

If you like drama, intensity, honesty, and improbable courage, you’ll want to read about Armani and her family’s Hurricane Katrina experience.… (plus d'informations)

Armani Curtis has one thing on her mind...celebrating her 10th birthday in a big way. But, when one of our country's costliest and biggest disasters strikes on her birthday, staying alive and keeping her family close becomes the most important thing on the family's mind. the state of Louisiana advised residents to evacuate the Ninth Ward in hopes that the storm will take another course. Armani's father chose to ride it out. After all they'd been through hurricanes before. Hurricane Katrina had her eyes set on New Orleans.

As waters rise quickly, Armani's family, her parents, Memaw, and siblings Georgie, Sealy, and the twins, struggle to find a temporary relief and refuge on the roof of their now-floating home. They pull down the attic stairs and gather in the hot cramped space. Her dear, beloved Memaw, dies in her sleep due to the stress of the dire situation. Cricket, the puppy that Armani received as a birthday gift falls off the roof and into the raging and filthy waters. Her brother Georgie, feeling responsible for the puppy's jumping, dives in after him, and Armani's dad follows after. They quickly disappear into the raging , fast flowing water.

Devastated with worry about them, Armani and the rest of the family struggle to escape the fierce waters as they rely on the kindness of strangers and military personnel to get them to dry ground. Dry ground conditions are deplorable and they are strongly advised the Super Bowl is a place of danger for children. One of the twins becomes dangerously sick, so now Armani's mother has to leave 10-year-old Armani to care and protect her younger siblings. The family is now horribly torn apart. Frightened beyond belief and worried about her parents and siblings, Armani puts on a brave face, but must once again rely on the kindness of caring people to help her navigate the uncertainty.

This story is a realistic account of the of horrible events of one of the most tragic disasters this country has ever known. In August of 2005, we all watched in horror as Hurricane Katrina battered and destroyed life as the people in New Orleans once knew, and forever changed the people, landscape, of a nation.
… (plus d'informations)