Eye of the Storm

Jul 19, 2012 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: future-dragon-rec, strong-girls, scifisummer, science-fiction, middle-grade, 2012-publication, favorites

This is going to be on my "recommend right away" list for my students in the fall. A great mix of mystery, adventure, and science fiction. Fabulous!

Set in the "not too distant" future, Eye of the Storm captures a world where climate change has completely altered the landscape. Immense storms sweep through everywhere, altering life as we've known it. Jaden is sent to live with her father in StormSafe community to attend a cutting edge science camp when she uncovers secrets her father is hiding ab...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Mrs.Heise rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: conf-ncte-alan-2011, dystopian, middle-grade

Review originally posted on Heise Reads & Recommends

This is my first Kate Messner book and I hope to read many more! I've known her through twitter (she's also a middle school teacher) and now that I know her as an author I'm even more excited. I loved this story full of suspense and great characters. It was exciting and engaging and informative and entertaining and scary and hopeful. Jaden is a kick-butt girl who is smart and strong, and only gets more confident throughout the events of thi...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Kellee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, dystopian-apocalyptic-or-post, middle-grade, teach-mentor-texts, website-review-done, my-best-of-2012

Reviewed at:
http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2012/...

*Summary: Jaden lives in the not too distant future where tornadoes have intensified and are a constant threat. Jaden's father is the head of a corporation that studies tornadoes and that built a StormSafe neighborhood where the storms cannot get in. Jaden's father has not been too active in her life for the last couple of years, but when she is invited to visit him and attend a world-renowned science camp in a neighborhood that doesn't get to...more Reviewed at:
http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2012/...

*Summary: Jaden lives in the not too distant future where tornadoes have intensified and are a constant threat. Jaden's father is the head of a corporation that studies tornadoes and that built a StormSafe neighborhood where the storms cannot get in. Jaden's father has not been too active in her life for the last couple of years, but when she is invited to visit him and attend a world-renowned science camp in a neighborhood that doesn't get tornadoes- it is a win-win situation. And everything is going really well. Jaden has been grouped into the meteorology section of the camp, she has made friends and is partnered with a really brilliant, nice boy named Alex. It is great. Except that something really weird is going on with her dad. He isn't himself- he only talks about work, is really intense, and isn't the comforting man that Jaden remembers. The tornadoes, the neighborhood and his company have become his obsession. So Jaden decides to discover the truth behind her father's obsession and the truth is horrible- worse than she could even imagine.

What I Think: Wow! This book jumps right in! Within the first couple of paragraphs you are thrown in the middle of a tornado that is barreling down on Jaden and her father. And the terror never ceases. Even when you start to get comfortable, you are on the edge of your seat because you know that something is going on.

This future in general terrifies me. Tornadoes are the thing that I probably fear the most. I lived in tornado alley until I was 14 and have been too close to tornadoes. I had reoccurring nightmares about them all of my childhood. They were an obsession and a fear. So Jaden's future is fascinating, but also my worst nightmare. And what makes Jaden's world even worse is that with the addition of the intense tornadoes, it seems like most joy was taken from her world- no more museums, ballet, poetry, Disney, pleasure reading, classroom learning. All of the things that make our world a place that I love- gone. My reaction to this aspect of the book reminded me of the same reaction I have with The Giver when I was in middle school. I cannot imagine a world where these joys are sucked away.

Oh, and I haven't even mentioned how well Kate writes. The imagery that she creates, specifically when it comes to the tornadoes, is what makes the book. The ability to visualize what she has created so you feel like you are there with Jaden moves the story to the next level.

"A wall of death-black cloud sits on the horizon. Slow-swirling charcoal fingers reach down from it. They point to the ground, hungry for dust and trees and buildings. The fingers close into thick fists, swirling, churning toward the farms." (p. 215-216)(less)

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Apr 10, 2013 Michelle King rated it 4 of 5 stars

***4.5 stars***
I am excited for the appeal this book will have for those dystopian-loving kids but also the appeal it will have to guys and girls equally!

It is 2050 and the weather across the world has gone haywire. Strong, frequent hurricanes, tornadoes, typhoons, etc., have changed the way everyone lives: people rarely venture outside, playgrounds are underground, and DNA altered food is delivered to your house.

Jaden has the opportunity to spend the summer with her father and his new family wh...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Carol Owen rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's 2050 and global warming has caused monster storms to pop up all over, to the point that it's not safe to do everyday activities like ride your bike, go to public events such as concerts or dances, or ever be caught far from a safe room. Everyone carries a DataSlate so they have instant notice of a storm moving into the area. Jaden has just come to spend her summer with her dad in Oklahoma, an area that has many more storms than her homestate of Vermont, but her Dad assures her that there wi...more

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May 10, 2012 Barb Middleton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia, mystery

Tornadoes can be fascinating... and frightening. Usually, there is an eerie calmness before the sky turns a greenish hue and blackens. A stinging wind stirs the air with dead leaves and dirt before sirens wail. Panicked, you scramble indoors to safety.

Now, close your eyes and imagine a future where tornadoes occur so frequently that you can't even ride a bike outdoors. Or go on a hike. Or feel the wind on your face as you swing. Instead, you live in concrete bunkers or underground where it is sa...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jaden loves living in Vermont with her mom, a scientist who studies frogs, but when her mother needs to spend the summer in Costa Rica, she's excited to spend the summer with her father, stepmother and baby half sister in Placid Meadows, Oklamhoma. This is a community that her father's company, StormSafe, has created in a world that is constantly rocked by tornadoes and hurricanes. At a vague point in the future, the weather has become so bad that children no longer are allowed to ride their bik...more Jaden loves living in Vermont with her mom, a scientist who studies frogs, but when her mother needs to spend the summer in Costa Rica, she's excited to spend the summer with her father, stepmother and baby half sister in Placid Meadows, Oklamhoma. This is a community that her father's company, StormSafe, has created in a world that is constantly rocked by tornadoes and hurricanes. At a vague point in the future, the weather has become so bad that children no longer are allowed to ride their bikes, all houses have safe areas, and crops are predominately "DN-ature"; hybrids produced to be grown more quickly and uniformly. Jaden gets accepted into a summer meteorological program that StormSafe runs for children, and meets Risha, Alex and Tomas, who are all interested in figuring out how storms work as well. For Alex, it's very personal, because his family runs a farm that is quite battered by the storms, but which they do not want to sell to StormSafe. When Jaden is trying to figure out how to run her storm simulations, she runs across information that leads her to believe her father might not have the best interests of everyone at heart. Can Jaden and her friends safe Alex's farm, or will the increasingly bad storms wipe out everything they love, even Placid Meadows?
Strengths: Wow. Of course, I loved The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. And Sugar and Ice was fantastic. So I thought "Hmmm. Can Messner really pull off science fiction?" Boy, howdy, can she ever. I don't want to give away the plot, so couldn't really describe the entire last half of the book, but the list of brilliant touches in this is lengthy. The exact date when this takes place is vague, although we do have Jaden's grandfather killed right after 9/11. The every day technology that Messner introduces is brilliant. Data Slates that everyone carries, the genetically modified food-- and every time I would come across one, I would think "Hmmm. This could happen, and soon!" The names aren't overly goofy-- brilliant. The fact that several important characters turn out to be rather evil was a marvelous touch, and there was even some light romance. The suspense and action at the end were fantastic. While the main character is a girl, I see this being equally popular with the boys. Ms. Messner, you have hit this one right out of the park! If you want to quit teaching now and devote yourself to writing full time, you have my full support!
Weaknesses: Messner deserves better covers. And I wasn't wild about the name Jaden for a girl, even though it has a good, futuristic quality to it. (less)

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Mar 30, 2012 Anne Broyles rated it 5 of 5 stars

This fast-moving book will appeal equally to boys and girls, science nerds and kids who haste science but care about the environment. Jaden Meggs lives in a future that seems probable given the climate change that is already happening. Big storms like Hurricane Katrina have changed not only the physical landscape, but in Jaden’s world, the way life is lived. Jayden goes to spend the summer with her father, a world-famous storm expert who has designed and is profiting from a storm-proof community...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Brandy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, dystopian-post-apocalyptic, speculative-fiction, teen, friendship

Jaden is excited to be spending the summer with her father, but also nervous: he's assured both her and her mom that she'll be perfectly safe from the tornadoes that have become a part of everyday life all across the country, but being told that is different from really understanding how that could be possible. She's nervous about being away from her mom for the whole summer, and away from her home, which could be destroyed if a storm comes while they're not there. But mostly, she's excited: thi...more Jaden is excited to be spending the summer with her father, but also nervous: he's assured both her and her mom that she'll be perfectly safe from the tornadoes that have become a part of everyday life all across the country, but being told that is different from really understanding how that could be possible. She's nervous about being away from her mom for the whole summer, and away from her home, which could be destroyed if a storm comes while they're not there. But mostly, she's excited: this is a chance to really spend time with her dad and get to know him again, and share their passion for science while Jaden attends the Eye on Tomorrow summer science camp that her dad founded. Her dad has been researching storm dissipation, and that's where Jaden's interests lie, too--and so do Alex's, the boy Jaden partners with in their camp research. Unfortunately, their research turns up some troubling data about the work Jaden's dad has been doing, and Jaden will have to decide if her loyalties lie with her father, or with the science that could save thousands of lives.

Post-apocalyptic in that we've somehow trashed the planet to the extent that tornadoes form all the time, everywhere across the US and Europe. Entire swaths of land are destroyed each time tornadoes rip through. Farms are destroyed, which doesn't matter much thanks to DNAture produce, perfectly engineered to remove seeds, bitterness, asymmetry, and all those other terrible things that are the reasons kids won't eat vegetables. (Spoiler alert: farm food is totally delicious; DNAture stuff, not so much. Picture the difference between fresh, local, wild strawberries and supermarket, California-sourced strawberries in January, times about a zillion.) Dystopian in that Jaden's father has built himself a little town that is somehow impervious to bad weather, and has pretty tight surveillance over student researchers just in case they come a little too close to finding the truth about the town.

Upper elementary/middle school appeal, particularly good for science-minded girls who don't generally see themselves represented in books very often. Comparisons to Calpurnia Tate will be thick on the ground, as well as to the movie Twister. And, I dunno, something having to do with real estate development?

From ARC generously provided by the author. (Thanks!)(less)

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May 14, 2012 MaryBookSwarm rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, arc

Oh, I am so recommending this one to my science teacher friends. SuperStorms and brainy teens trying to save the family farm? Yes, please.

Jaden is a wonderfully constructed character--smart and sweet, with the best of intentions even though her loyalty is torn between family and doing what's right. She grows up a lot in this story, moving from the typical eye-rolling teen who has to spend time with an absentee father to a fierce storm warrior who isn't afraid to risk it all to help those who ne...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

Middle grade dystopias are generally much lighter fare, not just in reading level. They tend to be less violent, less terrifying. Eye of the Storm definitely fits this mold, but is no less interesting for that. Don't think it's too sweet and fluffy; there are definitely a couple of intense scenes.

Jaden's father is the worst. I mean, seriously. He doesn't seem to make an effort with his family (either Jaden or his new wife and baby) at all. Whenever he has a bad day at work, which seems to be a l...more Middle grade dystopias are generally much lighter fare, not just in reading level. They tend to be less violent, less terrifying. Eye of the Storm definitely fits this mold, but is no less interesting for that. Don't think it's too sweet and fluffy; there are definitely a couple of intense scenes.

Jaden's father is the worst. I mean, seriously. He doesn't seem to make an effort with his family (either Jaden or his new wife and baby) at all. Whenever he has a bad day at work, which seems to be a lot, he blusters at them. He spends most of his time in his locked office, rather than with his family. It had been years since he spent any real time with Jaden, because he was researching in Russia, and yet now that she's there he only holds brief conversations with her. That's it. Plus, he doesn't do anything to make his wife happy; she loves dancing, and even though there are small amateur groups they could see live locally, he won't take her. What a completely awful man.

I loved that the central idea for the dystopia was one that I had not encountered before. The weather has gone bonkers in many, but this one focused specifically on tornadoes, although acknowledging that in other parts of the world cyclones and typhoons were just as much of a problem. After the huge storms in Japan this past year and Katrina's crazy damage to New Orleans, it's terrifying to consider what it would be like if storms like these only got more powerful and now went everywhere. Of course, it's also impossible for me to read this without constantly replaying the movie Twister in my head, haha.

Also cool is that Messner added some other scientific developments into the dystopian elements of the story. For example, along with building communities that are safe from tornadoes, Jaden's dad's company StormSafe also develops genetically engineered food. While this is in no way the focus, I think these little tidbits of other developments really set the atmosphere for where the world was headed.

Eye of the Storm is a good, swift dystopian read for younger (or older) readers. Especially recommended to those who enjoy stories about really clever kids, such as The Mysterious Benedict Society. (less)

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Jun 14, 2012 Sharon Looby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this book. This book could definitely be captivating to 4th graders thru 8 th graders. Set in the not so distant future, it reveals some very strong characters that deal with the reality of friendships, and family and doing the right thing. For the science lovers, this book will not disappoint as the setting is in a time when the weather has warmed so much that there is constant tornadoes. Jaden, risha and Alex are very bright teenagers that are attending a camp where they can put...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Cassi aka Snow White Haggard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, read-in-2012, galleys, middle-grade

Eye of the Storm is an older middle grade dystopian novel. It follows in the recent trend of dystopian novels with a basis in science. Which makes me smile happily every time.

In the not so distance future due to climate change, tornados have become the greatest threat to mankind. Formerly regulated tornado alley in the Midwest, they're everywhere now. The storms have gotten so bad that their are roadside shelters along every Interstate, students are homeschooled via computers and playing outsid...more Eye of the Storm is an older middle grade dystopian novel. It follows in the recent trend of dystopian novels with a basis in science. Which makes me smile happily every time.

In the not so distance future due to climate change, tornados have become the greatest threat to mankind. Formerly regulated tornado alley in the Midwest, they're everywhere now. The storms have gotten so bad that their are roadside shelters along every Interstate, students are homeschooled via computers and playing outside has ceased to exist (okay that might be the present). The day after I finished this book we had tornado warnings in Kentucky. Let's just say this book did not help my weather-panic.

This book is near flawless. The characters, even the bad guys, have believable motivations. The pacing was spot-on, the first half of the book slowly building then the second half everything coming to fruition. Once the rising action and main plotline started rolling I had trouble stopping reading.

Probably the only real flaw in this book, in my opinion, was that I had trouble believing the characters were only 13. They were the brightest minds of their generation, but they were trying to solve scientific concepts that I had trouble grasping (storm dissipation using satellites and focused microwave energy). But honestly, in the grand scope of flaws that's something I can live with. I'd rather read a novel with smart kids than a novel that treats kids like they are stupid.

Great dystopian for the younger sect. With science, the tingles of first crushes and the terror or tornados where can you really go wrong?

On the Friday after I finished this book Kentucky had a massive tornado outbreak. Just 20 miles up the interstate East Bernstadt was hit with an F2 tornado. Five people died, many were injured and lots of families lost their homes. If you are interested in helping the people of East Bernstadt check out this link: www.helpforeb.com. Many of the injured lived in trailers so they lost everything in the storm. However I'm so proud to be a Kentuckian. People from all over the region are pitching in because we believe in taking care of our own. (less)

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Jan 01, 2013 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5th-grade-preview-books

"In the not-too-distant future, huge tornadoes and monster storms are a part of everyday life. Sent to spend the summer in the heart of storm country with her father in the special StormSafe community his company has developed, Jaden Meggs is excited to reconnect with her dad after he spent years researching storm technology in Russia. She’ll also be attending the exclusive summer science camp, Eye On Tomorrow, that her dad founded. There, Jaden meets Alex, a boy whose passion for science matche...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Ellie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade, girls, boys, dystopia, science-fiction, adventure, weather, disaster, mystery

GUYS!!! THIS BOOK WAS SO GREAT!

Middle-grade book with a female protagonist who loves science and is ENCOURAGED in her scientific pursuits!

Futuristic (though not too long in the future - someone my age now (24) would be a grandma in this book - about 40 years) dystopia where climate change has really become a big problem, especially in the past few years, and huge storms/tornadoes happen at least every day. No one is really safe going outside much anymore, so everyone has moved inside and pretty...more GUYS!!! THIS BOOK WAS SO GREAT!

Middle-grade book with a female protagonist who loves science and is ENCOURAGED in her scientific pursuits!

Futuristic (though not too long in the future - someone my age now (24) would be a grandma in this book - about 40 years) dystopia where climate change has really become a big problem, especially in the past few years, and huge storms/tornadoes happen at least every day. No one is really safe going outside much anymore, so everyone has moved inside and pretty much does everything inside (no more bike rides, ballet and theater shows are shown over the tv and never in person, etc).

Jaden's father is a leading meteorologist in the field and he and his company have created a town where the storms CANNOT hit. They just do not hit! They always veer away from the town, and for this reason, they can charge oodles of money for people to live there. Jaden goes to spend the summer with her dad and attend the Eyes On Tomorrow summer science camp for tweens/teens, where kids are provided with top-of-the-line research equipment and they study the things they are interested in that will some day change the world! Like, real science stuff! Cloning and bio-engineering food and robotics, and of course, weather (specifically storm dissipation)! Jaden chooses to study weather systems as she spends the summer trying to get to know her dad (and a cute boy who lives outside of the town).

This book had everything: mystery, adventure, science fiction, a touch of romance (nothing more than a kiss!), and a strong female protagonist who loves and is good at science (plus a boy who appreciates that!).

The only thing that makes me wary about recommending this book to kids whose parents I do not know is that there is one line where the kids are talking about global warming and climate change and they say that back when their grandparents were kids (aka now), they should have cared more about climate change/global warming instead of fighting for ages about who gets to marry whom when in the end, they just decided that people could marry whoever they want. Honestly, I think this is probably true, but it is a touchy subject with some people and I'd rather not offend.(less)

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Mar 26, 2012 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, books-i-own, mundie-kids-reviews, signed-books-arcs, 2012-100-book-challenge

With it's blend of science, intelligent kids, mystery and set in a dystopian world, Eye of the Storm makes for an exciting read for both older middle grade readers and older fans of MG books. Kate Messner does a fabulous job at creating a not so distant feature were the characters not only genetically engineer their food, but they control the weather and live in communities that are safe havens for the increasingly strong storms, unlike what we see in our day. Kate's blend of science with her dy...more With it's blend of science, intelligent kids, mystery and set in a dystopian world, Eye of the Storm makes for an exciting read for both older middle grade readers and older fans of MG books. Kate Messner does a fabulous job at creating a not so distant feature were the characters not only genetically engineer their food, but they control the weather and live in communities that are safe havens for the increasingly strong storms, unlike what we see in our day. Kate's blend of science with her dystopian world make for an incredibly intriguing setting and story. I really enjoy the way Kate was able to explain the meteorology & scientific part of her story line so that someone like myself was able to understand what was going on and what Jaden was both working on and working to uncover.

Jaden is a fun character to get to know. When the story starts she's sent to spend some time with her workaholic father in the storm safe community of StormSafe. Not only did her father create this place, but it's a place that protects the select people who live there from the monstrous storms that now plague every day life. While there, she's also going to be attending the elite science camp, Eye on Tomorrow, a camp her father also founded, to learn how to control and stop these monstrous storms. Jaden isn't just an intelligent kid, she's fun, she thinks things out, is a loyal friend, and is a heroine. During Jaden's time with her father and time at camp she starts to uncover some startling discoveries with her father's company. I really admired Jaden's desire to find the truth and help save those who are in the path of a seriously deadly storm.

Aside from the characters and the setting, I really liked the scientific part of this story. While reading it, it felt believable. What if we could control the weather? What if we could build communities that were safe havens from deadly storms? I was fascinated with what Kate came up with and her ability to help me understand the scientific part of the storms that Jaden's father was working with and what Jaden and her friend Alex were also working on. I can only imagine all the time Kate put into researching storms, and the science behind them for her story. This is definitely an exciting read with a few intense scenes with a few storms that hit close to home. Eye of the Storm is a book I'd definitely recommend to fans of dystopians, science and well written, engaging MG book. (less)

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Oct 25, 2012 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, 2012-reading-challenge, science-fiction

Eye of the Storm is a futuristic thriller about weather! If you had told me I would like a book about weather, I would have said, "You're crazy!" but this IS a book about wild tornadoes set sometime in the future, and I didn't want to put it down. A great read aloud choice too!

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Nov 24, 2011 katsok rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-releases, 2012-nerdy-book-club-nominees, science-fiction

I adore Kate Messner and everything she writes, so it is unsurprising I would love this one. Except this isn't like anything she's written before. The book takes place in the "not too-distant future." Storms have become monstrous. Jaden's dad studies storms. She has gone to spend the summer at a community he has created where people are safe from storms and study them at the same time. At the camp Jaden makes two friends and together they begin to try and figure out where these storms are coming...more

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May 23, 2012 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012-13

5-23-12
Finished reading Eye of the Storm today. Really got sucked in by the mystery, so after a bit (I think I started it two days ago...), I couldn't put it down. Seems like this would be a good dystopian novel for a little younger crowd than many of the other books that are out there--possibly as young as upper elementary. Definitely a message about our environment (and the government) in there, but the mystery was captivating. (And the storms were frightening! Just the thought of a tornado is...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Mrs. ReaderPants rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

More reviews at http://readerpants.blogspot.com.

WHAT I LIKED: Eye of the Storm started out promising. Jaden is a young girl--a very smart girl, bonus!--who goes to live with her dad after he has been studying storm development in Russia for years. He has a new wife and baby daughter, neither of whom Jaden has met before (cue adolescent angst). Jaden attends science camp, and quickly befriends Risha and falls in like with Alex. All this against a backdrop of killer tornadoes and sinister science,...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Adam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, middle-grade, novels, reviewed, favorites, net-galley, classroom-read-alouds

Rereading as a classroom read aloud, November-December, 2012.

Review appears on the TMCE Guys Read blog:

http://guysread.wordpress.com/2012/02...

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Aug 17, 2012 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2112, middle-ya

This is a different look at Kate Messner's writing history, a novel set in the future where the world holds huge thunderstorms and tornadoes. These storms have forced most to move into safe areas with managed weather, but a few rebels hold out, trying desperately to keep their land. I love that there is a female protagonist, Jaden. She is the daughter of a scientist who runs this laboratory and who manages the storms using satellite power.

Aiden, on this her first visit with her father for a lo...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Jeff Raymond rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-manuscripts, books-i-own, read-ya-sci-fi

At this point, I think I consider myself a Kate Messner fan.

This is a sci-fi book that takes place in a future where superstorms are the norm, and the government is trying to figure out a way to stop them. The kids in the book are part of a camp that study these storms, and the main character's father is up in the hierarchy. Of course, the kids do uncover something rather sinister, and they take it upon themselves to stop it.

It's a fun, surprising read, and something that's not always well cover...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Kristi rated it 3 of 5 stars

What an amazing idea and I love that it is really appropriate for younger readers- not too scary or disturbing for MG, but still dealing with a completely plausible future.

Messner did a wonderful job of weaving in all the clues and details without it sounding too much like science class. I would have given this book a higher rating if the ending hadn't been so dramatic. I understand why it all had to happen the way it did, but I felt like it was laid on a bit too think at the ending. Otherwise,...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Nanci Booher rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book, set in the future, deals with the ever changing climate and it's affects on the population. Jaden has always been interested in the weather and after not seeing her father for 4 years, she spend the summer with him in a storm safe community that he has created. She has also been accepted to the summer camp run by her father's company. She is quickly making friends with other campers but learns that her friend's family farms are at risk. Jaden discovers secrets about her family she was...more

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May 04, 2012 Mindi Ridgeway rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

I guess this is more of a tween book (found it in the juvenile section), probably because it focuses less on crushing & more on science. I learned a lot about tornados while reading this, & i loved the geeky/techie aspect! If you are worried about the effects of global warming, this is the book for you. It's one possible future that feels like it could become reality fairly easily. Luckily there are brilliant young minds out there that worry more about atmospheric pressure than which boy...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Robyn rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile, sci-fi

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Hmm...

I kept seeing this book pop up on blogs, so I was super hopeful that this would be a great dystopian story for middler schoolers and down who are not quite ready for The Hunger Games, but could read something just as engaging and thrilling.

Eye of the Storm fell flat for me. The characters are not developed enough for the reader to make an emotional connection. The setting is in the future, but never explicitly stated. 2050s? People have HVs, DateSlates, bioengineered food, and... bicycle...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Peg rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, kids_fiction, science-fiction, survival, young-adult

Tween Jaden is spending the summer with her father, whom she hasn’t seen in over four years. He’s been in Russia conducting storm research and now lives in Oklahoma, where he lives in a StormSafe community with his new wife and infant daughter. Jaden’s looking forward to reconnecting with him and studying in the Eye on Tomorrow Summer Camp for the best and brightest young science minds. She quickly makes friends with Risha, Alex, and Tomas but finds herself increasingly uncomfortable around her...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Betsy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Pity the science geeks, the math geeks, and other kids that love a ripping yarn with a grounding in something other than fantasy. When I troll the shelves of the children’s room in my local library it’s just a sea of realistic non-sciencey fiction or tales too outlandish to play with any real world concepts in a satisfying way. The designation “science fiction” often just means that the book is set in the future or contains aliens. There’s not going to be a ton of real science involved. Enter, o...more Pity the science geeks, the math geeks, and other kids that love a ripping yarn with a grounding in something other than fantasy. When I troll the shelves of the children’s room in my local library it’s just a sea of realistic non-sciencey fiction or tales too outlandish to play with any real world concepts in a satisfying way. The designation “science fiction” often just means that the book is set in the future or contains aliens. There’s not going to be a ton of real science involved. Enter, of all authors, Kate Messner. Best known up until this point for her picture books, and chapter titles featuring plucky young women who go against the grain (Marty McGuire, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z, Sugar & Ice, etc.) Messner tries something a little different with a true dystopian tale. There’s still the requisite plucky young girl in place, but her tale really hinges on the true-to-life science found in Eye of the Storm’s core. For all those kids that found the tornado at the beginning of MGM’s The Wizard of Oz super freaky, prepare for some serious turbine terror.

The cool thing about having a mom who’s a scientist is that she gets to do projects deep into the jungles. The bad thing is that when she does this you could wind up stuck with a father you doesn’t eve know. Years ago Jaden's parents split up and ever since then she’s lived with her mom while her dad followed his weather research. It’s the near future and due to global warming the weather has gone mildly insane. Tornadoes spring up with frightening regularity in middle America and Jaden has learned to fear them. That’s why when her dad takes her to a community named Placid Meadows she has a hard time believing that the place is impervious to storms. Yet somehow that seems to be the case and Jaden is convinced that the technology behind it could be used to dissipate all tornadoes. What she doesn’t expect is to find that her father is a man clearly different from the one who left her behind all those years ago. This one seems driven to an almost fanatical point and whatever it is he’s planning, Jaden is becoming convinced it isn’t for the greater good.

Authors who write books set in the future are in a bind. On the one hand, if you want a danger like an ecological meltdown to feel immediate then setting your book in the near (rather than distant) future is the way to go. On the other hand, if you write a book and it contains words along the lines of “In the year 2025” your novel is going to be anything but timeless when old 2025 rolls around. Maybe the only real solution is to do away with a distinct year altogether. In Eye of the Storm we don’t open the book to a particular year. Instead we get little clues that hint at the year. The poet Rita Dove is thought by Jaden to be “in her nineties now”. Jaden’s grandfather apparently enlisted in the military after 9/11. So even if this book sticks around for a hundred years, the time period won't age all that badly.

Now the science in this book is intense. In the course of this novel Jaden joins a kind of summer camp university where kids can test out their theories on storm dissipation in cool and costly labs. Messner clearly did her research (her Acknowledgements even act as a partial Bibliography, which is nice) since the kids in her book know their chops. I admit that I did zone out once or twice when the technical aspects of tornado formation were bandied about, or the logic behind the kids’ experiments escaped me. These passages may prove fascinating to a certain breed of Weather Channel watcher, but happily those who wish to skim them will be none the worse for the wear as a result. I also liked the incorporation of poetry with science too. It seems strange to say that you would have to sell kids on the notion of literature and science coming together when they’re already reading this book, but a little additional positive reinforcement couldn’t hurt any.

For the most part I was on board with the story from start to finish. There was a high stakes moment near the end when I thought it mighty strange that Jaden didn’t call her father (she knew he had the power to change the problem she was facing) but other than that the book reads well. Basically what we’ve got here is a weather mystery. Such a genre does not technically exist (YET!) but as our own environment succumbs to our wasteful whims we could be seeing more books along Messner’s lines being produced in the future for the 9-14 set. Seems to me that sometimes we should separate our fiction into science fiction and science-science fiction. Eye of the Storm is certainly in the latter category and will prove to be interesting to both science lovers and those readers who just like a whole lot of destructive tornadoes bashing about wrecking havoc. Exciting and informative by terms, this is one little hard-to-categorize novel that slips easily into the “great read” slot. Future meteorologists rejoice!

For ages 9-14.
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Feb 21, 2012 Linda Lakshminaryanan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book, one that I was lucky enough to win from a Goodreads give away, came just in time for the start of our school break and it is a good thing it did because I would surely have been late for work when the excitement grew to hefty for me to stop reading for something as mundane as classes to teach. Having read Kate Messner's Sugar and Ice, I was expecting a sweet, good book about nice kids with moderate issues. In short, I did not expect to be blown away.

But I was blown away by how the exc...more This book, one that I was lucky enough to win from a Goodreads give away, came just in time for the start of our school break and it is a good thing it did because I would surely have been late for work when the excitement grew to hefty for me to stop reading for something as mundane as classes to teach. Having read Kate Messner's Sugar and Ice, I was expecting a sweet, good book about nice kids with moderate issues. In short, I did not expect to be blown away.

But I was blown away by how the excitement grew to a fever pitch as kids in 2050 battled with the frequent ravages of tornadoes. As someone raised in Montana where funnel clouds were rare, I never have thought much about this weather phenomena, even after moving to the Midwest. I will never think about tornadoes the same way again after reading this book.

Jaden is sent to spend the summer with her father, a world famous meteorologist who works for the government on storm dissipation. The world is now ravaged by the effects of climate change, making storm cellars a must for every home, business, and gathering spot. Every home, that is, except the ones in the special community of Placid Meadows that her father has created. Jaden has come to a part of a special program for smart, scientific kids. There is romantic interest and some very minor issues settling in with her father and his new wife, but the thrust of the story is the study of these tornadoes and the shocking realization that all is not as it should be. Jaden's father has a deep and horrible secret, or maybe several secrets. Jaden and her friends must determine what is really going on at STormSafe Headquarters and then stop the unthinkable from happening.

I loved the references to the "old" days of 2012 such as appreciation of gas driven vehicles and paper books. Messner does a great job of naming items like the DataSlate and BeatBuds so we know exactly what they are without needing further description.

The only folks luckier than I am that I won this are the students at my school who will now get to see the versatility and talent of Kate Messner and will be waiting with me for her next book to appear.(less)

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