A Sudden Storm
Published on 5. October 2023
72 pages
978-1-80090-319-7 (ISBN)
Description
An innocent night out to celebrate a sixteenth birthday turns to tragedy in this powerful story of racial intolerance from award-winning author Bali Rai.
It's Arjan's sixteenth birthday and he's celebrating with his mates - going to see a film and then get a Nando's. He's looking forward to some good banter and wondering what might happen with Jem, who's been looking at him differently these days ...
But the night comes to a dramatic and violent end when Arjan is targeted by a group of racist thugs, who single him out due to the colour of his skin and the turban that he wears as a symbol of his commitment to his faith and culture.
Is the life of a good friend and beloved son really worth so little?
Please note that this book contains mature content (with themes of racially motivated violence) and language that some may find offensive.
Particularly suitable for readers aged 13+ with a reading age of 7.
It's Arjan's sixteenth birthday and he's celebrating with his mates - going to see a film and then get a Nando's. He's looking forward to some good banter and wondering what might happen with Jem, who's been looking at him differently these days ...
But the night comes to a dramatic and violent end when Arjan is targeted by a group of racist thugs, who single him out due to the colour of his skin and the turban that he wears as a symbol of his commitment to his faith and culture.
Is the life of a good friend and beloved son really worth so little?
Please note that this book contains mature content (with themes of racially motivated violence) and language that some may find offensive.
Particularly suitable for readers aged 13+ with a reading age of 7.
Reviews / Votes
"This short but powerful read plunges you into the midst of Arjan's sixteenth birthday, but a celebration full of hope for the future turns into a shocking tragedy. Inspired by true events, and with its themes of acceptance, racism and violence explored with care, this is a perfect read to get younger teens thoughtfully discussing ideas of tolerance and empathy. A dyslexia-friendly read, with emotive illustrations throughout, it makes an ideal transition text and is perfect for engaging more reluctant readers." - The Open University"Bali Rai's storytelling is both raw and compelling ... serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of prejudice and the importance of empathy. This novella is not just a story; it's a call to action, encouraging readers to think critically about their own beliefs and attitudes toward others." - Wordy Witterings, blog
"Powerful and heart-breaking ... Bali Rai ... forces the reader to think. A Sudden Storm will stay with you long after you have turned the last page - a fantastic, important and unfortunately necessary read." - Librarian
"God does it pack a punch ... I struggled to reconcile those feelings of such anger with how well-written and beautiful the story is ... I highly recommend this one." - Richmond Libraries, The Current: Coming of Age - YA book recommendations by librarians
"With a heart-wrenching and devastating portrayal of systematic racism this book will stay with the reader for a long time ... Accompanied with stunning black and white illustrations by David Shepherd which help bring this story to life." - Little Blog of Library Treasures
"A powerful but sad story to read. It was a brilliant, hard-hitting book, and well worth the time it took to read it." - Lancashire Book of the Year Award Student Judge
"It was dark, disturbing, and based on a real tragedy. It was a hard book to read but led to important discussions and conversations." - Lancashire Book of the Year Award Student Judge
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Target group
Children/juvenile
Young adult
Reading Age: 7 years
Product notice
Reflowable
ISBN-13
978-1-80090-319-7 (9781800903197)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Persons
Bali Rai was born in Leicester where he grew up in a multicultural community dreaming of playing football for Liverpool FC, being Bob Marley or becoming a writer. He writes the books he would have enjoyed as a teenager and his book Rani and Sukh is a set-text for GCSE English. His novel, Killing Honour, won the North East Teenage Book Award, and was described as "utterly compelling" by The Bookseller.
