Don’t Call Me A Hurricane | Ellen Hagan

 

Five years after a hurricane tore through her Jersey Shore town, Eliza Marino is still piecing her life back together. Channeling her grief and fear into activism, she becomes determined to protect Clam Cove Reserve—a fragile stretch of marshland threatened by developers. Fighting to save the island is more than a cause; it’s how Eliza copes with the storm’s aftermath and the lingering dread that disaster could strike again.

When Eliza meets Milo at a party, he’s everything she resents: wealthy, a summer tourist, just passing through. She wants to hate him. But when she agrees—reluctantly—to teach him to surf, something shifts. As they spend time together, Eliza starts to let down her guard. Still, trust doesn’t come easy, and letting someone new into her carefully rebuilt life feels risky. Especially when Milo is hiding a painful secret of his own.

Told in lyrical verse, this poignant YA novel explores love, loss and resilience. Set against the backdrop of rising tides and vanishing shorelines, Eliza’s story is a powerful reflection on healing, community, and learning to connect with someone whose view of the world challenges—and maybe completes—your own.