Storm (Elementals #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys - 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.
 

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...

THOUGHTS:

Fine, I'll admit it - I initially read this book because I found out that it was the first in a series that centered on the lives of four brothers (Chris, Gabriel, Nick and Michael) who can control the elements. Yes, you read that right - this book has FOUR BROTHERS in it, and they have powers! If that doesn't even pique your interest in the slightest, I honestly have no idea what will. 

But hey, let me get this straight - I'm not saying that the book centers on the brothers being hot or anything like that. This book is AMAZING. It has a great plot, characters with depth and emotional background stories, intense action scenes, and of course, like any other first book in a series, this book brings forth a lot of questions - some get answered, but some don't.. yet. Moreover, this book gradually introduced us to the budding relationship between Becca and Chris - their relationship was fleshed out, and I really like how they didn't fall in 'can't live without you' in love after the first few chapters. We really need more of these relationships in YA, don't you guys think so?
  
Anyway, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I started reading Storm. Yes, I did expect that the four brothers would all be hot (come on, don't tell me you didn't), but I certainly didn't expect them to have so much more going on for them. I didn't expect to like the brothers for who they are, hotness aside. I didn't expect to feel sorry for Michael whenever his brothers treated him with disrespect; I didn't expect to empathize with Chris whenever his need to belong was highlighted; I didn't expect to adore the relationship Nick and Gabriel had with each other, and last but definitely not the least, I didn't expect my chest to tighten whenever Becca was bullied or to feel proud whenever Becca stood up for herself. Simply put, I didn't expect to feel so many things while reading this book. 

Becca. Yes, the brothers made Storm interesting, but Becca was the heart and soul of the book. The way Brigid Kemmerer portrayed her through moments when she had to toughen things out, stand her ground, and protect herself was downright realistic. I also loved it when Becca stood up to the brothers instead of cowering in fear - we don't see that enough in YA books.  I truly felt like Becca was a good friend all throughout reading the book - that's how real her character was.

All in all, if it isn't that obvious from my gushing, I loved this book - though I found some plot twists a little predictable - and I can't wait until the next book in the series comes out!


Rating: 4 Stars