Blizzard

Med Center #5

by Diane Hoh

In the wake of a terrible blizzard, Kate vows to help a homeless family that seeks refuge at the hospital despite Callie's protests, Abby fears for her wheelchair-bound boyfriend, and Sam risks his life to help someone. Original.

Genres: Young Adult, Thriller, Romance, Medical

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Diane Hoh is the author of fifty-seven novels for young adults. She grew up in Warren, Pennsylvania but currently resides in Austin, Texas. Reading and writing are her favorite things, alongside gardening and grandchildren.

Reviews

[Pastel Paperback · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly fun little series. Like an episode of ER, staffed with teenage volunteers, brought to life.

Blizzard is the first Med Center I've re-read since the 90s and it was easy enough to jump into book 5 without reading the previous volumes. There are a few references to past emergencies and some obvious character backstory but it didn't hinder my read.

And damn, a lot happened in this book! Each chapter had some sort of major medical emergency: an ADA van with a paralyzed driver getting stuck in the snow, an unhoused family searching for shelter, an ambulance that crashes right into the med waiting room and traps a volunteer under it! Truly, if you're looking for excitement, this is it.

Not overly gory either...definitely some medical stuff described but could have been a lot worse.

[Eekind · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid Teen Career read with tons of drama, suspense and heroism

I really enjoyed the premise over Virus, especially the super atomspheric scene at the beginning as the rain storming is turning into an ice storm and blizzard. It does a good job setting up the stakes, especially how unprepared so many of the patients are for the inclement weather and how people like Sid could be caught so unawares and put into such acute danger

Having an ambulance spin out of control on black ice and blow through the Hospital waiting room only to pin one of our main characters between it and a wall in a truly bizzaro scene…God bless Diane Hoh she was truly put on this earth to write the most batshit Final Destination ass scenarios and still make the prose feel accessible and thrilling

The extremely 90’s plot of an unhoused family (resulting from the Fire! previous books refinery fire) coming to the ER but Kate having to circumspectly offer them a dinner because the father’s Pride might be hurt if he feels like he’s receiving charity. I appreciate that we get the line about the kids complaining about being hungry and that gives the dad an out to prioritize the kids. But it’s still dated boomer Pride Because every line is like “ the dad was correct not to want a handout for his family because that would be shameful for some reason”

I feel like I would have enjoyed the Sloan family plot if it was better paced. As it is, it does feel like one plot line that’s cut up into Abby and Kate character bites and then Callie gets to be a villian an call them vagrants, thieves and criminals in her soap opera villian all red outfit. It seems like it could have been a good plot line to focus on Abby and why she wants to be a Physical Therapist or Social Worker when she grows up. But the whole Sid plot line means Abby has to be sitting at the phone for minutes at a time worrying about him and cutting the tension to ribbons. I like that Kate got to be more active in getting them food and helping find the social worker who can get them settled even tho she’s out of commission for a decent chunk of the book because she’s trapped beside the crashed ambulance and then in the ER getting her broken wrist set.

I know it’s another victim of stock 90’s plots, but I do wish the Lily Dolan spotlight was a little more fleshed out. Having her Dad come and harass her at work and then getting the whole tragic backstory about her dead younger brother with Leukemia felt a bit bare. I did like that it challenged Sam Grant IIIs world view, especially when he interacts with the Sloans. It was a small moment but having a teen character recognize his privilege and the fact that his family that owns Med Center never had to consider the impact of taking their sick kids to the ER with no insurance. Even the “My great grandparents were rich, my grandparents wealthy and my parents even richer” felt a lot more introspective that 70% of Susannah storylines, and she’s the one that hates being a Grant

I’m kind of of two minds about the Sid storyline. I wish it didn’t sideline Abby so much, but I like that we bring back a disabled character from a previous book Both as a love interest and as a POV character in danger. Him getting stranded on a back road as a wheelchair user without a Rehab Van cellular phone adds a lot of tension to the overall storyline while not overwhelming the main plot. That said, he is a disabled character that basically has to sit waiting for help for chapters and chapters while we get drip fed “ I read a story about a couple that died from carbon monoxide poisoning while waiting to be rescued in an ice storm” anecdotes that do feel one note.

I’m not sure if Diane Hoh knows what teenage volunteer nurses aides wear bc Susannah is clearly wearing scrubs, Kate is wearing scrubs that are patterned like a dashiki, or is wearing a dashiki over her scrubs and Lily is constantly described as wearing a pale blue pantsuit. And they’re all basically doing the same work in the same areas except I think Lily graduated early and is getting paid to be a nurses aide. But it’s very important for us to know she isn’t in college at Grant U because she’s impoverished and has to work to afford to pay for college next year. I should just count my blessings that none of the teen volunteers are getting imperiled in the hospital besides Kate. I did think it was funny Susannah is like constantly watching the ER team work on the patients coming in, but instead of doing the random ass nurses aide tasks she was doing in Virus, she has to rush off to refill the supply cabinets because she’s a teen volunteer and she probably shouldn’t be taking down vitals for the attending Dr or setting up the Croup tent.

Their lives are nonstop action, inside the hospital and out…
Med Center

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, now there's a blizzard in Grant. Just to add to the explosion, the fire, the virus, and the flood.
* Suzannah drives to the hospital even though it's icy and snowing, and nearly crashes her car. She makes it to the hospital though she carries on as normal.
* Kate notices a family in the waiting room and works out that they are homeless and sheltering from the weather. She makes sure they eat, but Callie goes nuts and sends them running.
* Sid is driving the rehab van for the first time alone since not being able to feel his legs, but in the blizzard gets lost, and crashes the van into a ditch. Unable to get the van back out of the ditch, and without a cell phone, he has to wait for someone to rescue him.
* An ambulance loses control and crashes into the wall of the the ER, pinning Kate between the ambulance and the wall. Fortunately, Damon is on hand to get the ambulance off her and she has her wrist plastered.
* Sam is at the hospital because he's after another different girl - Lily, who also works at the hospital. He gets roped into looking for a missing homeless family by Kate, and feels like he's made a difference for once.
* Lily finally notices Sam when she hears about his heroics, and treats him to a cup of coffee. Unfortunately her drunk father interrupts them, and Sam has to send him on his way.
* Sid and Abby find Sid and rescue him. Luckily he doesn't have carbon monoxide poisoning, even though he had the engine running and the exhaust was blocked by snow.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read these when I was a "tweener," and plan to read them again at the and of this summer. I ordered all 6 from Goodwill's across the country, Jenson's Books, Once Upon a Time Books, etc.

It took me YEARS to remember this series! To find it again, ohhh...I am SO elated! 😊😁

I will edit these reviews once I re-read, as it has been almost a quarter century (omg, I'm getting old! XP)

P.S.

Her two books on the Titanic are on my re-read list as well. I bought them this time on Kindle. ;)

Thank you for all the amazing memories, Diane Hoh, and all the new ones that will be made from

[Miki · Rating 3 out of 5]

First time I've read a book in this series. I really enjoyed it and it kept me turning the pages. I kept getting some of the characters confused (there are quite a few to keep up with) but I think that's because this is not the first book in the series where we "meet" the different characters. I still would say this is a recommended read.

[Amanda Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rich teens (driving around in their Mercedes Benz convertibles of course) volunteer at an ER while navigating one disaster after another in the throes of a destructive blizzard. This felt like tv’s ER (or Grey’s Anatomy for a more current reference) meets Sweet Valley High. I haven’t read any other books in this series and it definitely felt like I was missing character backstory & development

[theperksofbeingmarissa ;) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, I absolutely loved this one. It touched on familial abuse, death, homelessness, and so much more with such care. I'm really sad though because there's only one book left in this series, and ugh, I never want this series to end!

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I must be this series’s biggest fan. I’ve read all six books dozens of times. Lol

Even though these books were published literally ten years before I first found them, somehow they were still on the bookshelf of my library’s YA section. My middle school best friend and I found them and absolutely devoured them. (Shout out to Meghan, hey remember how the librarians said we were the only ones to ever check them out?)

These books are like Grey’s Anatomy for teenagers. I mean it! There’s all the angst, romantic tension, medical science and just general drama. Obviously, implausible, but incredibly angsty and good.

Blizzard is my fave of the series, for what it’s worth.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of six books in the series and I loved them as a teen; I still pick them up off my shelf and read them. They fascinated me with the medical drama going on with those my age and that teens were able to do procedures that in real life, it wouldn't be allowed. I feel in love with these books and sought them out. If you can suspend your concept of reality, you'll find drama, excitement, romance and more. It is even more enjoyable if you like medical fiction.