The Stormchasers

I don't remember hearing about this at all when it came out; I found it when I was in the stacks, and picked it up because I'd loved Those Who Save Us. This book, though entirely different in setting, is of equal quality. It is a story about 38-year-old Karena and her bipolar, tornado-chasing twin, Charles, told in four parts: Karena in July 2008; Karena and Charles in 1988, the summer after their senior year of high school; Karena and Charles in August 2008; and an epilogue, set a year later, in August 2009.

Karena, a journalist in Minnesota, joins a tornado-watching tour to try to find her brother, who she hasn't seen in twenty years. Reluctantly, she reveals her mission to one of the tour guides, Kevin, who had seen Charles as show more recently as 2001. As they chase storms and Charles, the descriptions of the Midwestern landscape and towns are gorgeous, the descriptions of the storms evocative and awe-inspiring.

The middle section gives the backstory, including a dark event in the twins' past. In the third section, Karena welcomes Charles back into her life, and the epilogue provides resolution. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but this is an exceedingly good book, one I hated to put down for any reason. The parallels the author draws between bipolar disorder and the storms that occur in nature are insightful and thought-provoking.

Quotes:

Memory is a trapdoor. (14)

...Karena reflects as she often does on how strange it is that her twin's disorder is one of just this: moods, the shifting emotional weather healthy people take for granted. (22)

And, always, there is Charles....Charles, the fact of her absent twin like a radio signal that's sometimes stronger, sometimes fainter, but one Karena never stops hearing. (28)

"Fear is your survival instinct kicking in. Fear is your body's primal way of saying I don't have enough information about this situation. How can I get more information? How can I learn more to keep myself safe?" (Kevin to Karena, 60)

CG cloud-to-ground lightning (107)

She resumes her contemplation of the land flowing by, the horizontal layers of blue sky, green grass, clouds. How to explain why it makes her heart leap, her throat hurt with wistfulness and longing, just looking at it? (123-124)

Nature may be beautiful, but it is cruel in its extremes. (155)

It is like being on a game show in a nightmare. (210)

The amount of pretending she'll have to do exhausts her. And she's suddenly unbearably lonely, as though somebody has taken her by the hand and led her away from everyone else on earth. (230-231)

They lie silently for a while, pushing at each other with their minds. Karena things of the axiomatic struggle they learned about in physics class: an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. And she thinks, there must be a way out. (239)

Time will fold over the past, if you let it. (256)

It's Charles's disorder...the way it renders Karena unable to feel. The way it takes you by the hand, nodding and smiling slyly, and leads you back to the same old place every time, so just when you think everything might be all right after all, you come home and open a door to a room full of blood. (331-332)

But if she had dreamed something, it might have looked like this....The knowledge that sometimes when you throw yourself upon the world, it will hold you up. (368) show less

Can you imagine the strange incompleteness one must experience when carrying-on life in the absence of her twin sibling? Factor in that Karena’s twin, Charles, suffers unmedicated bipolar disorder and that she hasn’t seen him for twenty years. And, oh yeah, he left her after a catastrophic event tore them apart—a secret they keep sheltered from the rest of the world.One day, Karena receives a call from an unknown hospital three states away. Her brother is being treated there. Karena rushes to the hospital, feeling a rush of excitement, fear, and longing—only to find that Charles has been discharged. This close brush stirs up feelings that she had long attempted to suppress.Settling back into her normal routine would now be show more impossible. She has to find Charles. But where is he?Karena reasons that the best way to find Charles is to figure out where he will be going, not where he currently is. When manic, Charles chases storms; Karena joins up with a chasing tour, hoping that this dangerous path will reunite the long-separated twins.During this journey, Karena must confront her own fears associated with the adventure and her lingering guilt about the secret they share. She must also figure out what finding Charles will mean for her both practically and emotionally. Despite the risks to body and heart, Karena must find Charles; the gaping emptiness has been leading her life for far too long.“The Storm Chasers” by Jenna Blum is a fantastic read. At times, readers will be tempted to pause and reflect upon the poetically woven passages. At others, they will soar along with the rhythmic, breathing storyline. The most compelling aspect of the novel lies in the juxtaposition of character development and metaphor.As Charles so aptly points out, he likes the storms, because he can relate to them. The parallel between manic-depressiveness and tornadoes is marked. Both can crop up from seemingly nowhere and leave destruction in their wake. Both are at the same time deadly yet beautiful to behold. They are enigmatic, energetic, and exciting. And so is this novel.Besides having the opportunity to read this fabulous book, I also had the pleasure of twitterviewing its author, Ms. Jenna Blum (@jenna_blum). Read on to learn more about Jenna’s writing credits, process, and success.Link to the twitterview here: http://www.emlynchand.com/2011/04/author-interview-jenna-blum-the-stormchasers/ show less

Bipolar disorder is nasty and this book provides amazing insight into the toll it takes on its victims. Jenna Blum provides a deep understanding of the erratic, illogical behavior associated with this condition. From the cover, you expect the story to be about storm chasing, and this does play a part, but more prominent is the story of twins and the special bond and feelings of responsibility that are part of being one. It’s a touching story of one twin’s desperate search for her brother, who is bi-polar. Ms Blum’s descriptions are vivid and intense, allowing the reader to experience the guilt felt by Karena and the turmoil felt by her brother Charles. Her descriptions of the tornados and the colorful cast of storm chasers are show more just as vivid and complex. She also provides great technical information about how tornados develop and progress, fascinating to read about. My main complaint with the book was the detachment I felt for the characters, I prefer passionate entanglement. In summary, Jenna Blum’s first novel “Those Who Save Us” was excellent, with wonderful insight into human nature. My expectations for this book were high and ultimately I must admit I was disappointed. It’s an interesting read but not exceptional. I recommend for those who are interested in Bipolar disorder or have infinity for storm chasing.

Review previously posted at: www.princetonbookreview.com
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After reading her amazing debut novel, Those Who Save Us, I was eagerly anticipating this book; however, for me, it simply didn't work on several levels. I grew up in the midwest, so I well remember the havoc that tornadoes can cause. That said, I found there was way too much meterological information to sustain my interest for seemingly interminable passages. The main characters, a bi-polar, stormchasing man and his twin sister, never captured my interest. I think that Jenna Blum is an extraordinarily talented author who perhaps should have taken more time to write this second novel. Based on her first book, I will read whatever she writes, but I did find this one disappointing.

I did enjoy this, especially the storm aspects and the unexplainable bond the siblings had. However, some of the ways Charles' mental illness was handled and described left a bad taste in my mouth.

Who we are today comes from our past and the relations in our lives. That includes our siblings and families. In this story, Karina is searching for her brother, Charles, who suffers from bi-polar and has been missing for twenty years. His passion? Chasing storms. So, in order to find him, she chases the storms. In the process, she discovers more about herself, her family relations, and her heart.

This is a rather slow read as it is an emotional drama with no suspense plot or mystery to keep you on the edge of your seat. I say this because I easily sat the book down to finish dinner or answer the phone, but the story is well done so you want to go back to it quickly.
I really did like the storyline. The characters were unique and real show more with lots of depth. I also loved the fun banter between some of them making me want to know them even more and become part of the conversation. The story is laid out with the present at the beginning and then the middle third going back in time to the point where Charles disappeared and the history behind it. Then it comes back to the present and the culmination of the past having to be faced.
This is a great story dealing with the love of a sibling and how far one will go for that love. There is some language in it, but it is not heavy and can be overlooked. Just a few scenes had it in it and was there for the intensity it brought with it.

If you are looking for an emotional and deep dramatic read, this is a book you have to check out.
Note: I received this book from a colleague with no expectation of a positive review. show less

I liked the book better once part two began. In the end, I was still indifferent. As a Psychology student, the topic of bipolar disorder is very interesting. However, throughout the book I felt a dislike towards each of the characters. Each seemed to overreact to small things. Knowing someone with bipolar disorder should have the opposite effect. When things can change on a dime, each little action matters less. The way that Wiebke reacted to the motorcycle incident made me think that it was going to have been his close friend or relative that they had actually killed. He seemed so traumatized by the event that he hadn't even begun to understand. They had known each other a few weeks at most, no one in their right mind would have told show more them the biggest secret of their life this early. show less