"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.