Chasing Helicity – Through the Storm (Book 3)
Ginger Zee, Author
Disney-Hyperion, Fiction, Apr. 21, 2020
Pages: 224
Suitable for ages: 10-14
Themes: Weather, Storms, Meteorology, Survival, Hot Air Balloon Festival, Addiction, Bullying, Family relationships, Friendships
Book Jacket Synopsis:
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 Same 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.
Author Ginger Zee, chief meteorologist for ABC, once again captivates readers with the final book in her Chasing Helicity trilogy. It is the perfect adventure novel for readers who like cool science, and are intrigued by storms, unusual weather phenomenon, and meteorology. Zee makes science fun and approachable.
The plot is a thrilling and fast-paced adventure. Through the Storm, picks up where the second novel, Into the Wind, leaves off with Helicity trapped and isolated in an old lighthouse with a raging hurricane plummeting the Texas coastline. Zee’s writing is filled with vivid imagery of the storm as Helicity experiences both the terror and the beauty of looking directly up into the “eye” of the hurricane before the raging winds return.
The characters are convincing. Helicity is a smart, curious, and self-taught weather junkie who befriends storm chasers, Lana and Ray. She is a survivor and not a victim. Her older brother Andy is recovering from an addiction to painkillers following an injury in a Michigan tornado (Book 1). Helicity is also a vulnerable, especially when she and Andy are bullied on social media by a mean-spirited Michigan classmate, Kate. Sam is a good friend and nice balance for Helicity. He supports her through tough times and there is a hint of romance. Zee accurately portrays the teen drama and readers will relate to the situation with empathy.
But the excitement isn’t over. The book ends with Helicity and Andy visiting the International Hot Air Balloon Festival in Albuquerque. No spoilers! There is a mention in the above synopsis, but I don’t want to give away this riveting and suspenseful conclusion. With the unpredictable weather patterns we have throughout the country — hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, draughts, and forest fires — Chasing Helicity Through the Storm is a perfect read. Readers will learn to recognize weather patterns that may just keep them safe. It also makes STEM subjects more exciting and relatable to readers. I hope we see more exciting weather/survival stories from Ginger Zee!
Ginger Zee is Good Morning America’s chief meteorologist, reporting on the nation’s weather throughout the morning broadcast. Since joining ABC News, Zee has covered almost every major weather event and dozens of historic storms. She broadcasted from the devastated Jersey Shore during Hurricane Sandy, the Colorado floods and wildfires, and covered the wreckage from tornadoes in Moore and El Reno, Oklahoma.
Zee’s love of adventure does not stop at studying the atmosphere in the center of a storm. She has parahawked in Nepal, paraglided from the Himalayas to the Andes, dived with sharks in the Bahamas, rappelled twenty-seven stories down the exterior facade of the Wit Hotel in Chicago, and even gone ice-boat racing and surfing.
Greg Pattridge hosts Marvelous Middle Grade Monday posts on his wonderful Always in the Middle website. Check out the link to see all of the wonderful reviews by KidLit bloggers and authors.
*Reviewed from a library copy.
Nice to see a book involving science by someone involved in the field. Thanks for reviewing!
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Yes, Zee’s background adds so much credibility to her exciting weather adventures.
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I’ve had this series on my to read list for much too long. Weather forecasting is still such an inexact science and having weather the focus of a story is sure to please many readers. Thanks for featuring on MMGM. I’ll get to this eventually!
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I hope you do, because I know you’ll enjoy the adventure and learn a lot of science. I loved all of the books, but I think this book is my favorite because of Helicity’s knowledge of an extreme weather event and her ability to help many. The ending is really exciting! And a week after reading the book, I’m still thinking about the characters!
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There is a lot going on in this story. A hurricane, a rescued dog, hot air balloons and a dust storm. Sounds exciting!
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Darlene, you’d appreciate this series as an author. Particularly the book I just read. Thought about Amanda in New Mexico, as I was reading.
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I was thinking the same. Will check it out.
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Especially Helicity’s trip to the International Balloon Festival in New Mexico. Hope you do check it out!
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I think kids will really enjoy this one with the focus on the weather, which is so much a part of many families lives these days.
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I can’t say enough about how well-written and engaging this series is. I believe this book is my favorite. I hope we read more books by Ginger Zee.
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What a totally cool series! I like that this is an adventure story that is not fantasy (which I don’t love) and not full-on survival (which I don’t love either). It sounds like there are a lot of cool details in this book as well! Thanks for the great review!
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So you love fantasy and survival stories! 🙂 I do to. But I found this exciting adventure series full of danger and life-threatening situations caused by extreme weather events. The final event towards the end was a page-turner.
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I haven’t read this series, but I will put it on my list. I really like survivor stories and this sounds like a good one. Thanks for the heads up.
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Yes, it is an excellent weather and survival series! Am still thinking about the characters. I believe you’d enjoy this story — page turner.
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I haven’t read any of the books in this series- but it sounds intriguing. I like that the author has firsthand science knowledge. Also- the cover looks great. Thanks for putting this on my radar. 🙂
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Yes, the cover is gorgeous. It is an exciting read with characters you won’t forget. I loved learning about science and weather from someone credible. Zee sounds quite adventurous!
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Sounds like an exciting book! Love that cover 🙂
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It is an exciting adventure. Agree with you on the gorgeous cover!
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