Book Review: Spirit by Bridgid Kemmerer

Title: Spirit
Author: Brigid Kemmerer (web | twitter)
Series: Elementals #3
Genre: Paranormal YA, Contemporary YA
Amazon || Goodreads
Publisher: K Teen
Release date: May 28, 2013
Source: ARC from the publisher via NetGalley (Thanks K Teen!)

Summary: With power comes enemies. Lots of them.Hunter Garrity just wants to be left alone. He’s learned the hard way that his unusual abilities come at a price. And he can’t seem to afford any allies.He’s up to his neck in hostiles. His grandfather, spoiling for a fight. The Merrick brothers, who think he ratted them out. Calla, the scheming psycho who wants to use him as bait.Then there’s Kate Sullivan, the new girl at school. She’s not hostile. She’s bold. Funny. Hot. But she’s got an agenda, too.With supposedly secret powers rippling to the surface everywhere around him, Hunter knows something ugly is about to go down. But finding out what means he’ll have to find someone he can trust…

You guys should know by now—if you’ve been around here before—that one of my favorite, under the radar series out and about right now is Brigid Kemmerer’s Elementals series, about the Merrick brothers and their ability to each control an element. I flat-out ADORE these brothers. ADORE THEM. They’re complicated and dramatic and strong, and they fight and defend each other in equal measure. While I love the Merrick’s forever (but especially Michael *dies of swoons*), their friends aren’t too shabby, either. Take their friend (well, kinda), Hunter, the focus of SPIRIT. He had a pretty important role in Gabriel’s story, SPARK, at the end of which, things for Hunter and the Merrick’s went downhill a touch. I really enjoyed seeing the aftermath of SPARK in SPIRIT. Hunter is just as effed up as the Merrick brothers are, and things in SPIRIT are pretty bleak for him.

So, Hunter. Hunter, like the Merrick brothers, can control an element, except his element isn’t strictly ONE element like the others. He’s what’s called a Fifth—he can control ALL of the elements. BOOM. In the mythology Brigid Kemmerer has created in this series, Fifths are almost always something called Guides. They’re basically the villains here, because it’s their job to make sure the regular elementals don’t get out of hand and draw attention to themselves, the penalty for which is swimming with the fishes. Of course, the Merrick’s draw attention to themselves ALL THE TIME, although their intentions are always the opposite. Hunter is basically caught in the middle, and in SPIRIT, he’s having a hard time with the elemental stuff AND a hard time with family stuff and it’s all mostly a downer, except for the girl, although she’s got her own secrets, too.

One thing among many that Brigid Kemmerer does really well is create complex emotional situations. Nothing is ever easy for Hunter in SPIRIT, and I can’t really say that things get better by a whole lot by the time things are done. Usually I’d find that kind of thing too much of a bummer to deal with, but I found Hunter to be a pretty empathetic character. Things in his life are pretty dire in SPIRIT: he alienated himself from the Merrick’s at the end of SPARK, so he has no real friends; his grandfather literally BEATS HIM UP in front of his mother, who does nothing about it, and then kicks him out of the house, so he has no family to speak of; there’s a crazy girl who’s trying to kill Hunter and the other Elementals by threatening the lives of innocent people, so he’s dealing with that; and it’s very clear that he’s struggling with his loyalties, but not in an evil-manipulative way—he seems more confused. Is he bound by his abilities as a Fifth to rat the Merricks out, or is he bound by whatever relationships, strained though they might be, with the Merricks to keep them safe? Hunter is swimming near rock-bottom in SPIRIT, friends, and I felt for him.

There are precisely two bright spots in SPIRIT: One of them is Hunter’s dog, Kaiser. He’s the ABSOLUTE BEST. I love dogs, and an animal getting hurt or killed in books is a very real trigger for me. I really can’t handle it; instant dislike. In the event that you, like me, need to know these things before you pick up a book: There was a close call in SPIRIT, but it worked out, THANKFULLY. And not just for me, either—I can’t imagine Hunter losing his dog on top of all the other shizz he’s dealing with. Talk about kicking a kid when he’s down.

The other bright spot is Kate, and when I say “bright,” I really mean bright in comparison to the rest of the crap going on with Hunter. So basically, she’s bright-ish, but it’s relative. She’s got secrets and ulterior motives, and just when she’s starting to get closer to Hunter, A THING happens that I wasn’t expecting that put a damper on their fledgling—and pretty hot—relationship. Props to Brigid Kemmerer for being a drama queen, guys. (Seriously. It’s a major THING.)

Also, it is a requirement on this blog that any mention of this series must be accompanied by a disclaimer noting my fierce, unconditional adoration of Michael Merrick. It’s seriously out of control how much he’s my favorite brother. OUT. OF. CONTROL. I’m not at all surprised that he’s the Merrick brother who reaches out to Hunter during his worst moments and cuts through all the bs. When Michael’s book comes out? Friends, you’ll have to scrape me off the floor. I’ll be a puddle. A heart-palpitating, flaily-arms, weak-kneed puddle (they exist).

I really can’t recommend SPIRIT, and the books before it, enough. This series is the real deal, friends. It’s got a nice paranormal vibe that isn’t overwhelming because the real standouts are the characters and the relationships. The books are fast-paced and the drama is fever-pitched all the time, and SPIRIT is no exception. The series-wide arcs move forward as well. As much as I like Hunter, and I do, I did miss the spotlight being on the Merrick brothers, but that’s a teeny quibble. Brigid Kemmerer is so good at constructing these stories and I am DYING for book number 4.

Check out a few other reviews of Spirit by Brigid Kemmerer!

Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books: “Spirit is a strong addition to the Elemental series, providing a different perspective on just about everything.”

Amber @ Books of Amber: “It turns out that Spirit is exactly what I needed from this series.”

Nikki @ There Were Books Involved: “But I think the Elemental series’s real strength lies in the characters, and in Brigid’s talent for getting into their heads and forcing you to sympathize with them, feel for them.”