“My story is now where it belongs. Outside of myself, still a part of me, but narrated in my own voice.”

Jett Jamison tries to be the perfect planner for herself and her family. Growing up amid chaos and a lack of schedule has only made Jett want to account for every minute of the day. She relies on one hundred thirty-three to-do lists to get her by, and yet, she can’t quiet down the voices in her head. The only thing Jett wishes for is peace, and so far, her lists aren’t helping. When Jett befriends Sister Gia, a nun in the local church convent, she is introduced to the mysterious book, Resurrecting the Dragon. Nobody knows who wrote the book, and it has been disappearing from local libraries. Jett believes the book will help her stop the voices in her head, so she is determined to read the book and stop the censorship of it.

Jett Jamison is a wonderfully crafted 6th grade character that I ended up relating to and loving. As she works with Sister G, Jett finally reads a copy of Resurrecting the Dragon and discovers that the book was meant to empower survivors of sexual assault after they read the book and share their own stories in the blank pages provided at the end. Many in the town believe that the topic of sexual assault is only for adults and should not be mentioned around children, leading them to slander and censor the book. This well-crafted parallel to modern society truly struck me, and also brought a necessary awareness to the harms of censorship. Jett experiences true growth throughout the book, not only by speaking her truth, but also in making friends, trusting others, and learning how to manage her own feelings. This book approached the topic of sexual assault delicately and inexplicitly, but that does not stop it from having a heavy impact on readers. Jett is empowered once she confides in Sister G about her own sexual assault and shares her story with her parents and younger brothers. She even creates the Brave Girls Book and Garden Club to have discussions with other survivors and friends. The more that women and girls feel they can share their own stories like Jett, the less daunting these conversations become, and, I hope, the more awareness we can bring to sexual assault. Jett Jamison is a truly remarkable character, and this is the kind of book that I, and many other girls, could have desperately used in middle school.

What a powerful book told in such a short amount of pages (side note: we need more short middle grade). I was given this book by Books Forward and my views are my own.

This book was described on the front as a "Speak" book for preteens and it was. It was a powerful book about assault, finding your voice, and book censorship too. I think it covered the issue of assault well for younger readers-it was enough to know that something happened with a male that was not okay. I also really loved the message at the end about the importance and value of sharing your story and how it can bring people together. This is a second book in a series called Brave Girls and I will be reading the first.

Jett Jamison is a precocious sixth grader. She loves lists, schedules and silence. However, the voices in her head don't always cooperate. Her refuge is the library since her twin brothers are always noisy and her parents aren't exactly the schedule type. One day, Jett stumbles across Sister Gia, a nun working in the gardens. Sister Gia offers Jett a refuge from the noise and a listening ear. Sister Gia wonders if Jett might benefit from a book she knows, but soon after Jett discovers the book at her local library, it disappears. Jett then learns that the other copies of the book have disappeared as well. Jett believes that the book will help all of her problems and decides to fight the censor while fighting for herself.

Jett Jamison & The Secret Storm is a powerful middle grade, coming of age story. Told through an authentic middle school voice, Jett comes alive with relatable struggles and issues that many middle schoolers face. Jett has very strong emotions and is dealing with past trauma while trying to stand up for what is right and learning about who her true friends are. Jett's journey of coming to terms with her trauma through a book really resonated with me. I enjoyed seeing Jett growing as she learned that she would have to be loud and use her voice in order to advocate against the book censorship as well as how the book opened an avenue for Jett finally seeking help. Jett Jamison & The Secret Storm offers a heartfelt and thoughtful look into trauma and recovery.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Kimberly Behre Kenna does a wonderful job in creating a good young adult novel, it had a great feel to it and worked well overall with what I was looking for. I had enjoyed the previous book by the author Artemis Sparke and the Sound Seekers Brigade and thought this was perfect overall.

Jett Jamison and the Secret Storm is a fantastic book. Well written, with a fast-moving story and engaging characters, this book will definitely hold middle grade readers' interest. Some of the message in the story was a bit heavy handed, but it's an important enough message that I wasn't bothered by it.