Book Review: Storm {Elemental # 1} by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: Storm
Series: The Elemental Series # 1
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: Kensington
Date of Publication: April 24, 2012
Format: ebook, 353 pages (also available in paperback)
Source: won from Leigh Ann at Silver Wings Reviews
Get your Own:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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.

-goodreads summary

My Thoughts:
I won this as a choice from Miss Leigh Ann from Silver Wings Reviews and I am so happy that I got it!

Storm is a emotional rollercoaster of so many heavy issues I found myself up and down with every turn of the page.  But I liked this!  I liked the fact that there was so much humanity in this paranormal story with characters that can control the elements.  These people are broken and tortured like a fresh wound that refuses to heal, yet they keep going and try to hold out for something more.
We have four brothers that can control the Elements-water, air, earth, and fire- trying to live in a neighborhood that fears them and bullies them constantly.  And then our female lead, Becca, is also being tortured in her own way.  It is amazing when these people find each other and help the other see the good in themselves.
This story is centered more on Chris Merrick, who can draw strength from water and Becca Chandler, who helps Chris escape from a near death beating by the local bullies.  There is an instant connection between these two but definitely not the "insta-love" syndrome.  You can see the attraction between the two but you can also see that  they don't completely trust each other either.  We actually get to see this relationship and friendship grow and it is refreshing.
One other character that is pretty important (besides the other brothers) is the new guy, nicknamed "New Guy".  That was pretty funny too how Becca and her friend, Quinn, called him that for a while.  For the rest of us, his name is Hunter and he is a pretty cool guy.  I liked him a lot even though we learn some interesting things about him, he is still one of my "dudes" that I would keep.
The plot lines are pretty heavy indeed in Storm.  These are some tough issues these teens have to deal with: bullying, violence, sexual violence, and family problems; not to mention these are some powerfully magic folks too.
If I had one problem with the story, it would be that the attempted rape isn't took very seriously for Becca.  She should have did much more than just pretend it didn't happen.  Unfortunately, I do believe this happens a lot in real life and perhaps that is why Kemmerer wrote Becca like this.  The only other problem I had was the fact that Becca kept drifting between Chris and Hunter a lot.  I felt like she was leading one on and then the other.  But after we figure out more about Becca's mindset then that does help to explain a lot more to me.
Storm kept me guessing to the very end.  There was really only one part that I figured out pretty early but it was because of the very convincing clues left by Kemmerer that I was able to get to that conclusion.
I would encourage everyone to read the novella, Elemental, that comes out before Storm.  It is the small story of Michael, the oldest brother, and it gives us a little background on the bullying.
I am going to tell you right now you will probably cry in this story (I did alot!) but there are some parts you will smile and laugh too.  Kemmerer did an excellent job of writing a moving YA paranormal romance with some serious drama too.  I am totally in love with this series!
The Merrick brothers are those "bad boy" good guys that you can't help but love.  Everyone is against them and yet you can still see the sweet gentle quality in them.  I cannot wait until Nick, one of the twins, has his on book.  That is going to be fun, especially since Nick is the calm one of the family.

All in all, I really appreciate the fact that Kemmerer decided to write about some heavy hitting situations that teenagers have to face in real life, and put it into a YA Paranormal read.  I like that she didn't sugar coat it for us but believed enough in us, the readers, to handle it.
I gave Storm four hearts!

Favorite Quote:

Goddamn, it hurt. He hadn't even broken the skin, and he was already sweating.  "Nick," he said.  "I think I'm going to need you to bite my arm.""I think I'm going to need you to run that by me again."

Book Review: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater {Wolves of Mercy Falls book 3}

Title: forever
Series: Wolves of Mercy Falls
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Date of Publication: July 12, 2011
Format: hardback, 388 pages
Source: borrowed from Leigh Ann at Silver Wings Reviews
Get your copy at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Goodreads Summary:
then.

When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their loved moved from curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives.

now.

That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be kill in one final, spectacular hunt.

forever.

Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment - a moment of death or life, farewell or forever.

My Thoughts:

Everything really comes full circle in the conclusion to this wonderfully sweet and highly emotional YA drama.  I was very impressed with Ms. Stiefvater's writing and I can't wait to delve into more of her worlds she creates.  
I am going to try my best to not include spoilers, but being that this is the third book in the series, that may be hard to do.  So be FOREWARNED: 
there could be some SPOILERS.  
Whew!  I am glad I could get that off my chest!  

I feel like all the mistakes, all the sacrifices, all the betrayals are hashed out and finally put into reason in this last book.  I felt like we did get a lot of closure on many aspects of the story line but the ending : not so much.  

Sam is such a sweet character, so fragile and broken, I didn't think he would ever man up.  I honestly didn't know if he had it in him but I was pleasantly surprised for him.  I found a tough exterior to him I didn't know he had and I actually liked it in him.  I feel like Sam has grown to be the man he was supposed to be, finally leaving his demons to rest.  

Grace seemed to grow a little bit more, though, I don't think she really needed to anymore.  She was already pretty tough and tired of being hurt from the people that she needed the most.  I loved the fact she stood up to her parents and  I feel like they deserved every bit of it.  If not more.  I felt like Grace lost a lot but she also gained something she wanted the most: a real family.  

I absolutely loved Cole!  He was the proverbial "bad boy" that every girl thinks is the best!  But I really enjoyed reading the book through Cole's eyes, experiencing the feelings that he had on the inside.  I feel like he really grew as a character and became someone that was a wonderful addition to the pack and especially to Sam.  

The character that I seen the most improvement throughout the entire series was Isabel.  In the first book, I didn't really like her, and now; I feel like she was the pivotal factor that saved them all.  Besides Cole, I think Isabel ended up stealing my heart, and I didn't even know it until the end.  

I loved the writing, the poetry in it, and the intense love between all of these characters.  
What I couldn't stand was the way it ended!  I felt cheated at the end and no closure at the relationships.  I would have liked a more in depth look at everyone's HEA but instead I felt like we were being pushed out like a guest that has outstayed their welcome.  
It was left wide open but with no promise of another book.  I guess I should just assume everyone got what they were looking for and everything turned out perfect for them.  But it would have been nice to see just a glimpse into the aftermath before we left the world of Mercy Falls.

Forever is a great book with lots of emotion to be felt during this calming read. I enjoyed the series; loved the characters I was introduced to, and enjoyed the descriptive prose throughout the story. 
I couldn't give it five hearts just because of the way the ending made me feel, or didn't as the case may be.  I was left with too much longing....
But I can give it four hearts for everything else!

Book Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater {Book 1 in Wolves of Mercy Falls}

Title: Shiver
Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls book 1
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Date of Publication: August 1, 2009
Source: borrowed from Leigh Ann at Silver Wings Reviews
Format: hardcover, 392 pages
Get your copy: Amazon/ Barnes and Noble

Goodreads Summary:
Grace and Sam share a kinship so close they could be lovers or siblings. But they also share a problem. When the temperature slips towards freezing, Sam reverts to his wolf identity and must retreat into the woods to protect his pack. He worries that eventually his human side will fade away and he will be left howling alone at the lonely moon. A stirring supernatural teen romance



My Feelings:

So this is one of those books that left me gasping for air from the way the story was crafted so breathlessly.  Ms. Stiefvater is a true storyteller in every sense of the word.  
I first fell in love with this book on the cover alone a while back.  I love how we are gazing into the forest, through the brambles and wispy branches, to find a solitary wolf staring back at us.  I love love love the blue tints and it automatically makes me think of winter.  And of course, the only other color is the spot of red which looks closely similar to a drop of blood.  

Alright, I know you guys are telling me to get on with it but I just really loved this cover as well as the others in the series.  
The theme is a well known element: werewolf, but Stiefvater takes this and puts a very unique twist on it creating something completely different and very compelling.  
Our wolves in this story are more dependent upon the seasons and temperatures than the moon.  

Ms. Stiefvater crafts a wonderful tale full of emotion that just spills out everywhere.  And then we have poetry...ahh poetry.  I love poetry and I love how much research she did to find poems that fit Sam and Grace so well.  You can really tell that our author went all the way out with the research on wolves as far as pack structure.  I just cannot get enough of the whole "Alpha-beta-omega" tier that goes with these pristine creatures.
Shiver is a slow paced novel that doesn't rush into anything. It takes its time but that is the beauty in the story.  When I was reading it, I didn't want to rush through the story (even though I only took 2 days reading it) but instead I wanted to enjoy each and every descriptive scene.  I have never been a fan of snow and winter but after reading this novel, I wanted to go wander in a snow filled forest just to hear the crunch of the packed snow under my feet!  

The characters in Shiver are complex in every sense of the word. Sam is so hurt, so fragile and yet I can't help but feeling he is more than what he seems.  I love the fact that Sam doesn't take anything for granted.  He looks at life in a very special sweet way that will make you appreciate the simple things that surround us.  
His HEA, Grace, is the opposite of Sam but his perfect match too.  I guess it is true that opposites attract because these two seem like they were meant for each other.  She is the realist in the relationship and operates on the facts that are presented to her.   This makes it even more interesting for us to see how she processes the fact that Sam is the wolf that saved her so long ago too.  She feels connected to the pack of wolves that live in the woods behind her home.  My most favorite trait of Grace?  Her loyalty to those she cares about.  She will be loyal to the very end, even if it is a losing battle.  

I really liked the other characters in this book too.  I loved Beck, even though I wasn't sure how to feel about him through some of his more questionable acts.
I really enjoyed getting to know the other pack members through Sam's memories.  That made me feel even worse for Sam.  Bless his heart!
  Grace's friends are okay but I couldn't really feel any kind of relation to them.
Her parents actually just ticked me off!  As a mom myself, I felt like her parents were just out of everything.  I am not sure if this lack of parenting is a foreshadowing of events coming up or more of an explanation as to why Grace becomes such a strong female at a very young age.  
The antagonists will definitely surprise you.  Sometimes the ones that start out as "the bad guy" will make you stand up and applaud.  

Was there parts that I felt were a little to emo-isque even for me?  Yeah there was times I thought Sam did wallow in self pity but after you figure out what he went through; hey I can understand why he has so much doubt.  

All in all, Shiver brought a lot of emotion out of me and there were times I couldn't help but cry and gasp at the situations these troubled characters have to go through in their life.  Yeah there is parts that tend to drag a little but the climax is so strong my heart still flutters thinking about it.  

I gave Shiver four hearts!

OFF THE SHELF GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

Alright my book lover friends!  I have teamed up with Leigh Ann from  Flying On Silver Wings to sponsor this totally awesome giveaway!  


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• The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards (paperback)
• The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger  (paperback)                  

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