Secret - Brigid Kemmerer

Secret (Elementals #4) - Brigid Kemmerer
Grade: YA
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

EARTH. FIRE. AIR. WATER.

Nick Merrick is stretched to breaking point. He's trying to keep his grades sky-high or he won't get in to college. He's trying to keep his brother's business afloat or the Merricks will be out on the street. He's trying to keep the secret of where he's going in the evenings from his twin brother Gabriel - or he fears he'll lose his family. And he's trying to keep his mind off the hot, self-assured dancer who is his 'girlfriend's' partner.

And then Quinn takes to hanging around his sworn enemy, and an Elemental Guide is counting the hours until he can try again to kill the Merrick brothers. Storms are brewing. On all sides.

SECRETS IN THE WIND. DANGER IN THE AIR (Description from Goodreads)

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And the Merrick boys do it again!

I can't express how happy I was when I found out there were going to be more books to this series, especially when I was so sad that two of the fabulous Merrick brothers didn't get their own books. But then this happened and I could jump for joy again. It's definitely worth extending the series.

I had a rocky relationship with Nick. I loved him in Storm, was so damn pissed at him in Spark, was learning to love him again in Spirit...and then his novella happened and I was back in the OMG! NICK! fan club for good. Secret only made that stronger. I love how vulnerable he becomes, when we're inside his head; and how loyal he is to his family - despite the sometimes rocky relationship with Gabriel. But, as a twin myself, I know it happens. You like to think your twin is you in another body, but they don't always do things the way you would.

In terms of characters, I thought Secret was flawless. Nick, Adam, Michael - the other Merricks and their girlfriends - it was all perfect for me. While I'm still not sure I'm a fan of Quinn and I didn't totally warm to Tyler (although I liked him more than Quinn) they all had an edge that just screamed "I'm a 3D character. I have substance." But it was Adam and Nick that blew me away with their love for each other, the way they found comfort in their sexuality and just the whole exploration of self. Nick had his crazy moments, taking on so many secrets and responsibilities - I couldn't blame him for losing his cool every now and then.

But it wasn't all about Nick. I was a little surprised that the main POV switches were only between Nick and Quinn. We usually get the love interests - Boy and Girl in the past - but with Nick's growing feelings for Adam, I was a tad sad we were getting a chance to be in Adam's head too. While I found Quinn's scenes weren't really making me love her any more than before. My biggest problem with Quinn is her constant cries for sympathy. She acted like the only one with issues in the world. And I know teens sometimes need someone else to reach out to them first, to feel like someone cares enough to listen, but it just annoyed me so much.

I really liked this book, and while I LOVED the character development and relationships, I was a little disappointed with the plot. We're introduced to another new Guide at the very start of the story - surprise, surprise, the Guides are coming to town - but then there's nothing for almost the entire book. I know it was important for Nick to come to terms with who he was and what he wanted in life; but the way the Guide story was brushed over - slotted in almost as an afterthought - well, I just wanted more. I love the Merricks, but I don't read the story for them alone. I love the world Brigid Kemmerer has created and I LOVE the tension between the Elementals and the Guides. We've had four books with that tension, I just feel like the wasn't enough continued momentum for that part of the story.

I did really love the semi-cliff hanger. What a shocker! Can't wait for Michael's book, it's going to be epic.

4.5/5 stars


Kim
(also posted on Goodreads)

Spark (Elemental #2) - Brigid Kemmerer

Spark (Elemental #2)- Brigid Kemmerer
Grade- YA
Rating- 5/ 5 Stars

Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally. Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can't. Gabriel has always had his brothers to rely on, especially his twin, Nick. But when an arsonist starts wreaking havoc on their town, all the signs point to Gabriel. Only he's not doing it. And no one seems to believe him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Because Layne has a few secrets of her own...
(Description from Goodreads)
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Brigid Kemmerer has done it again with another breath-taking, un-putdown-able novel.

If you haven’t started this series… what are you waiting for? I mean seriously, four hot brothers, each controlling an element but being so powerful that others fear them. The series has plenty of action (both the Elemental Guide and other Elementals are trying to kill them), and romance to get the heart pumping.

Spark is told through Gabriel’s (the “hot- head” brother, the one more likely to throw punches first and ask questions later) eyes, so I always suspected it would be different from Storm. What I didn’t expect was Gabriel’s angst. There were a few scenes where I felt my heart break for Gabriel, and I found myself drawn to this “troubled” brother. In Storm, we got a taste of Gabriel’s relationship with his brothers, but in Spark we really understand just how much their parents deaths affected Gabriel and his relationship with his brothers.

I want to go on record to say I really LOVE Michael. We are given a good indication on just how hard things were for the eldest brother as he tried to keep his family together.

Just like comparing Gabriel to his brothers, everything about this book was even more intense than Storm (and let me tell you, I LOVED Storm). I could not put this book down. Spark is just amazing. Everything about this book, from the romance (*fans self* HOT HOT HOT) to Gabriel’s relationship with his brothers, had me craving for more. I don’t want this series to end, but at the same time I can’t wait for the next books in the series.

5 out of 5. A brilliant read!

Kerrie

Originally Posted on Goodreads

Storm - Brigid Kemmerer

Storm (Elementals #1) - Brigid Kemmerer
Grade: YA
Rating: 5/5 stars

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 . . . (Description from Goodreads)

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I first discovered Brigid Kemmerer’s series via blog friends who told me to read the prequel novella to ‘Storm’ (Elemental) Since then I’ve been dying to get my hands on the first book in the series, desperate for more of the fantastic world we were teased with in the novella. My expectations were extremely high for ‘Storm’, but not to worry, the book definitely lived up to them. Told in third person from the perspectives of Chris Merrick and Becca Chandler, ‘Storm’ brings to life the raw power of the elements, while displaying an amazing hidden lifestyle that runs parallel to the “normal” world. Family, fights and friendship, this book has it all and more.

Becca Chandler stumbles upon a good, old-fashioned teenage fist fight late at night in the school parking lot. She doesn’t know who it is fighting, but it doesn’t matter; she has to help the victim, has to try and stop someone from getting hurt beyond repair. That someone is Chris Merrick. What Becca doesn’t realise is that by stepping in to stop the fight, she’s about to be caught up in the biggest secret being kept by her town, and more than she could ever imagine. What I loved about ‘Storm’ was that you’re thrown into the story immediately. There’s no waiting to find out who the characters are or what their situations are like, you’re just in and there’s no getting out. I adore those sorts of starts, and the rest of the book is just the same. You’re pushed and pulled through an endless amount of action and discovery, and there’s never a dull moment for this book.

Let’s face it; we’re mostly reading these reviews to find out more about the Merrick bothers. Ok, I kid – there’s a lot more to this book than just them – but it’s hard to ignore the fact that there is something strangely enchanting about the Merrick family, and not just because of their super powers. An incredibly broken family, they sure have their fair share of disaster hanging over their heads; but the fact that they still manage to be so close and can rely on each other to lend strength and support shows a family connection some people who die for. Michael, the strong and protective one. The twins; Gabriel, the sporty play-boy with hidden emotions and Nick, who calms the rest and keeps Gabriel focused. And Chris, who never gives in and never gives up; who is brave in the face of danger. I could go on, but really, you’d have to read them to truly understand them. I cannot stress enough how amazing these brothers are and I can’t wait to see more of them in the next book.

I’ve always had an interest in elemental magic, so I was already a fan before coming into ‘Storm’. Even so, I was a little wary when I started ‘Storm’ believing that it’d be hard to bring something new and different to something as basic as the elements – it’s not exactly an unknown idea waiting to be explored – but Brigid Kemmerer managed to make forget my worries. It’s not just controlling the elements that Brigid’s characters seem to be able to do; they take strength, energy and healing powers from the element they identify with most. The Elementals – people gifted with a connection one of the 5 elements: earth, air, water, fire or spirit – do just as much internally by fixing themselves and taking comfort from their element, as they do externally – although there’s no shortage of extreme weather disruptions and “natural” disasters. I can’t stress enough how exciting it is to come across a supernatural world with such a well developed magical concept. It can make or break a series, and it definitely worked in Kemmerer’s favour.

I loved the hidden nature of it all. That there’s a secret community living parallel to the rest of the town; with an entire different set of rules for those with powers, all intent on keeping the community away from the public eye. And their connection to the elements makes them more intriguing than you could ever imagine. Who is the mysterious governing body? Just how do they get their powers? What happens when someone becomes too powerful? You can’t stop the questions from coming and you can’t stop being pulling into the story, desperate to find out the answers and to see what happens next.

My only issue with ‘Storm’ was the way it ended. I wish there had been more. What we were given fit so well with the characters and direction of the story, I just didn’t want it to finish yet. But I guess this is why it’s a series, there’s always more to come.

Amazing start - I can’t wait for ‘Spark’. I’m sure Gabriel’s story will be just as addictive as Chris and Becca’s.

5/5 stars


Kim
(Originally posted on Goodreads)