Storm

[cmp librarian]

Napoli. D. (2014). Storm.
ISBN-13: 9781481493923 | 342 pages | YA Fiction

I picked up this book in the library the other week. I was intrigued because it is a retelling of the Biblical Noah story with a compelling stowaway character named Sebah. I usually enjoy Biblical retellings but this one was definitely not my favorite. I think it might have been the survival element combined with the choppy thoughts and “matting” elements. This is not a story, in my opinion, for teenagers under the age of sixteen… but I do tend to be more conservative in my views.

The main character, Sebah (later called Shebah), 16, is a Canaanite farmer, and in spite of her lack of religious devotion, is a good and spiritual being, who loves and appreciates all of nature. When the torrential rains start, she takes her pet kit fox "Screamer" and manages to escape the rising waters by climbing higher and higher, finding refuge in a huge cedar tree. She is joined by a village boy, Aban, and after a tense beginning they come to an understanding about helping to take care of each other. She eventually finds her way aboard the ark and meets Noah’s family.