BOOK REVIEW: STORM BY BRIGID KEMMERER

Hey All!!!
I just finished reading Storm by Brigid Kemmerer. The introductory blurb is below:



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 definitely enjoyed this book. Ms. Kemmerer brings to life the idea of Elementals being a common occurrence. But what's great is that even in this growing community that's right under our noses, there are a few that are special - more so than those who have a cursory ability to control certain elements. And that's what makes this story special.

I won't give away too many details. I enjoyed the interaction between our main character, Becca, and the main love interest, Chris. They have a snarky and fun exchange with one another that I always appreciated in books like this. I also enjoyed how the author plays with the misunderstandings between the two. There's a lot of great conflict in the story, outside of what is going on with the boys being "Marked for death".

I also enjoyed the love triangle and how Becca handled it. The confusion and feelings of being tugged between the two guys felt genuine to me...and relatable. Ms. Kemmerer developed well thought out characters with detailed story lines.

Now, for my one big issue with the story. There's a sensitive situation that happens to Becca and  that's key to her storyline, and I didn't feel that it was handled well. It turns out that Becca got herself into a dicey situation with her boyfriend during the past few months and ever since then he's been spreading some pretty nasty rumors around about her. As a reader, you get the impression that one thing occurred - even the other characters in the book are given that same impression - only to find that what you thought happened never did. I'm not saying that what did happen wasn't bad - it was - but it pales in comparison. And as a reader, I really felt duped. I'm not saying that Becca's reaction felt false, or anything along those lines, just that the way she revealed the details - in a way that didn't give the full story - did feel false...like telling a white lie, or something. That's the best way I can describe how I felt about it without straight giving away the details.

Overall, I'd give Storm a solid 3.5 stars!!!

Happy Reading and Writing!!!