Review: Storm (Elementals #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

The Merrick brothers have officially ruined me for any other fictional hot boys.

Kidding aside, this book just blew my mind away, and then some. It's easily one of my favorites this year. Storm is such an explosive book! (Pardon the pun, but you'll get it when you read the book.)

Title: Storm (Elementals #1) by Brigid Kemmerer
Pages: 353
Release Date: April 24th 2012
Published by: Kensington Teen
Source: Author (thanks Brigid!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they have more power than you dream.

Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys—all the ones she doesn't want. 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 don't know what else to say to convince you to buy this book, but let me give it a try. There are people who can control all four elements, Earth, Fire, Air and Water, and the Merrick Brothers just happen to control all of four of them. Chris' power comes from Water, and in a random violence filled night, his paths crossed with Becca Chandler, a girl with a questionable reputation. Becca inadvertently saves his life, and tangling her life with his in the process. But Chris has to keep his power a secret, while Becca keeps on getting pulled into Chris' mysterious home life with run-ins with the bad guys. As Becca tries to figure out just who Chris is and what he's capable of doing, some secrets of her own surfaces, and Becca finds herself caught up with something a lot bigger than a fist fight stopped in the middle of the night.

I'm all for strong female leads who can put their foot down when needed and still be fragile deep inside. That girl is Becca. Every day she goes to school trying to show everyone she's not an easy girl, or someone who sleeps with guys, to prove the rumors were wrong. That's a challenge she was willing to take head on and she has my respect for that. Growing up without a father has toughened her up in a lot of ways, and I think a lot of people can relate to Becca and what she has gone through. Bullying, her wrong choice of friends, spontaneous decisions leading to dangerous consequences, and that yearning to just be loved and accepted for who she really is. I admire her. She's got a certain spark in her, and I loved seeing how she tries to figure out her life, her love life, friends, and a shifting reality and a new awareness of who and what she really is.

Chris, oh Chris, you highly flawed male protagonist you. What I liked about Chris is how he's not pretending to be all tough. Yes he exchange blows with guys who bully him and he will not back down if he has the option. But he doesn't, because of his powers. What made me love reading about Chris so much is his tendency to make these wrong decisions one moment, and then make up for it the next. He's not perfect. He tries to make do with a family that's composed of short tempered guys, and he's a teenager getting through some tough things in school, living in a community where everyone perceives of him as a threat and trying to stay out of trouble but failing at it. He can be awkward at times, confusing in another, and he's very protective with those he loves. What more can you ask for in a male lead?

Hunter, on the other hand, is a character I still have mixed feelings about. He's got this air of mystery that seems to cling to him all the time and that's one of the reasons why people take interest in him. I still have reservations over him as a character though, he can be a foe or a friend and what frustrates and makes me like him the most is his ability to make the readers come up with conclusions about him, but nothing is really certain. 

Every single element (no pun intended) in this book is worth reading. I have developed such a strange, powerful fascination with the rest of the Merrick Brothers. How can they be in one family and be so different from each other? Where Nick is calm, Gabriel is like a time bomb waiting to explode, while Michael is their brooding, powerful brother trying to keep it together and be a parent at the same time. All four of the brothers will steal each other's spotlight in the book and you'll feel yourself torn with who you will like, hate, be intrigued of and ultimately crush on the most. Each of them have something that will call out to the readers and make them want to find out more about this family and the strange community they live in.

There is a never ending supply of high octane action in this book. Just like the effect that the highly volatile, unstable powers of the brothers causes, you'll find yourself breathless with all the tension and thrill you'll experience as you go through the story with such complex characters and intriguing storyline. Storm has the right blend of action, romance and mystery with such unexpected twists and turns that will surprise its readers. It's such a wonder how all these simple components give birth to such a great read! The power of Brigid Kemmerer's writing is clearly shown with how engaging the story is!

Storm is a new, refreshing series that will get you addicted! I've read the prequel and this book and I still can't get enough of the brothers! This book just took my breath away. I am under the Merrick's brothers spell and I don't think I want to be rid of it anytime soon! I can't wait for Spark to come out!

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

I have a new favorite author!

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

Chris is so hot in the cover.

I received this book free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.