Title: Storm
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Series: Elemental #1
Genre: Paranormal YA
Publisher: Kensington Teen
Challenge: DAC
Source: ARC from Tara @ Hobbitsies
Summary: Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys all the ones she doesn’t want. Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.
And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.
Secrets are hard to keep when your life’s at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who’s hiding the most dangerous truth of all.
The storm is coming.
I know that I have mentioned before that I’m basically a slave to any weather-related anything. So I knew without question that I needed to get my hands on Brigid Kemmerer‘s debut, STORM, the first book in the Elemental series about four brothers who can each control an element–earth, air, fire, and water. This creates lots of drama, as you might imagine, for the Merrick boys, who must live in constant vigilance of controlling their gifts and living without their parents. I pretty much devoured STORM. It’s that kind of fast-paced, fresh story that has lots of action and feelings. Also WEATHER-RELATED PHENOMENA. *dies*
STORM has really great elements (crap! Pun! Unintended, I promise) that kept my interest and never stagnated. The mythology of the elementals was clever without being complicated, and I appreciated that. Suffice it to say that the Merrick boys basically have a full tank of gas when it comes to controlling each of their elements. Which means, of course, that there are people who think that their powers are too great and so want to kill them. Whipping up some extra personal drama are also here are also GIRLS and dead parents (the four brothers are orphans who are under the guardianship of the oldest, Michael, who’s in his early 20s and EMO, BROODY hot).
I loved reading about the brothers’ dynamic because they love each other fiercely but sometimes they hate each other’s guts. Brigid Kemmerer has given them double-hard things to deal with: paranormal gifts that put them in danger as well as regular hardships, like money and no parents and social workers and bullies at school. I can’t say that I would mind any of them being MY brother, although I feel like it would be one of those things where ALL my girl friends had crushes on my brother(s) because the Merrick boys are, without exception, HOT. I’m not complaining.
Although there are four brothers–Michael, Nick, Gabriel, and Chris–STORM focuses on Chris, the water guy, and his relationship with Becca Chandler. They meet one night in the school parking lot when Chris is getting his ass handed to him by some kids at school who are in league with the group of people out to kill the Elementals at the first sign of them losing control of their gifts. Unknowingly stumbling into a steaming pile of shizz, Becca rescues Chris and the rest is pretty much history, even though there is ANOTHER guy who also has some secrets/gifts named Hunter who muddies the water and sets up the triangle. Which wasn’t as bothersome to me in STORM as it has been in other books. I find that I’m generally less abhorrent of love triangles as long as the couple who winds up together has to work at it. I HATE it when they’re easy or instant. Chris and Becca aren’t either, and so I was pretty caught up in their slowly building relationship in STORM.
Friends, if you’re looking for something fast-paced but with great depth and drama and action, then STORM by Brigid Kemmerer is a really great book to pick up. Because not only does STORM have some crazy weather-related danger, it also has family issues, a romance that takes time, and four brothers who are loyal and troubled. The characters are well-rounded, and while the bad guy isn’t a surprise, there was still plenty of drama. Thankfully this is a series, friends, because I’m ready for MORE.
Great review. I really enjoyed Storm. It’s the brothers – they are freakin awesome:)
Awesome, I’m glad you really liked this!! It was something that sounded really interesting to me and I’ve been kind of unsure of it, but I think I really need to pick it up!
YAY. You know, when this book first came out and everyone was gushing over it, I was so turned off by that cover (it’s slightly grown on me, but I still don’t like it) that I refuse to read it. Period. Zip.
But then it happened to come into the bookshop where I work and I decided to give it a chance. SO glad I did. 🙂 I absolutely loved it! The second I saw Spark I pounced, but haven’t had a chance to read it yet.
I loved this book a whole lot! I can’t wait to read Spark, the next book in the series.
Slow build. HOLLA.
I won’t even lie, I was going to pass this over because the cover is cheesy to me, but Amy, you are super convincing, so this one can go on my TBR.