Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

****1/2

From Kensington:

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…

This is an incredible debut novel.  Storm has everything I look for in a book - hot boys, supernatural abilities, a heroine that I don't want to smack around - a little humor, some drama and intrigue.  Storm is the first in the Elemental Series featuring people who can control the elements.  Storm introduces us to the Merrick brothers.  Chris, the youngest of the Merrick boys controls water and we meet him as he is getting beaten to a pulp by some other elementals.  Becca saves his butt and in return her life gets seriously strange. 

I loved the Merrick brothers (and really, who wouldn't).  Despite their supernatural abilities, the brothers act a lot like I would suspect brothers to act in their situation, with no female influence.  With the exception of Becca and perhaps Hunter, the remaining characters are not fully developed, but I assume we will learn more as the series progresses.  The series will follow the brothers and I am looking forward to figuring out where the author is taking the story.  

If you follow the blog, you know that I am incredibly stingy with my 5 star ratings.  The only one I have given was for Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan.  A book has to completely blow me away to get a 5.  I'm giving Storm 4 1/2 because it was really close to blowing me away.  I read it twice in one weekend - I just could not get it out of my head.  

You can see Michael's (the oldest Merrick brother) story in the prequel Elemental.  

 

Then join me in waiting anxiously for Spark, releasing August 28, 2012.  Check out yet another hot Merrick brother!

We are giving away a copy of Storm from 5/25/12 through 5/31/12 in the Spring Into Summer Hop, so enter for your very own copy of Storm to obsess over!  Also check out our Q & A with Brigid Kemmerer here.

~Shel