Review: Spark by Brigid Kemmerer

If you read my review of Brigid Kemmerer's book Storm, you know how much I absolutely ADORED it. My review honestly doesn't do it justice, seriously. If you haven't read it yet, GO READ IT NOW.


Anyway, I was so super excited to get the sequel, Spark from NetGalley!

 Spark by Brigid Kemmerer

Releases August 28, 2012

Source of my copy: NetGalley

Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally.

Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can’t. Like the fire that killed his parents.

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.

More than Gabriel’s pride is at stake -- this could cost him his family, maybe his life. And no one seems to hear him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Layne understands family problems, and she understands secrets. She has a few of her own.

Gabriel can’t let her guess about his brothers, about his abilities, about the danger that’s right at his heels. But there are some risks he can’t help taking.

The fuse is lit…

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Brigid Kemmerer has definitely done it again! Spark is an awesome sequel to an awesome debut!! Storm featured Chris (my favorite of the Merricks ;D) front-and-center, but in Spark, we get to know his big brother Gabriel. 

Before we get going here, let me make something very clear. Gabriel is a butthead. Simple as that. There were points in Spark (and even in Storm) when I wanted to reach into the book and slap him, or kick him, or inflict SOME sort of physical violence on him. But at the same time, I feel bad for him and understand that he is a good guy--when he stops pushing that side of him back. He just doesn't play well with others. 

Fire is hard to control, and so is Gabriel's temper. It's hard to be connected to an element so destructive and so impossible to contain. And that's one of the reasons I sympathize with and love Gabriel in spite of his (previously mentioned) buttheadish tendencies. Gabriel is hard on himself. He sees himself as the family screw-up. He bottles everything up, and when it explodes, it explodes BIG, making him look like a huge jerk. 

But getting inside his head was a very cool experience, and I definitely understand and love him even more than I did in Storm!

Then there's Layne. I looooved Layne. She might not have the same supernatural issues Gabriel's dealing with, but her life isn't all sunshine and daisies. With a father who ignores her, a mother she never felt good enough for, and a handicapped brother whose care falls upon her, plus her (rather lacking) fashion sense, she isn't the type of girl Gabriel would usually look twice at.

Yet somehow, she suddenly is. 

All of our favorite characters from Storm are back, as well, though maybe not as present in the story as I'd hoped. Either way, we still get to see more of Becca, Quinn, the Merrick brothers, and even Hunter. And don't forget the action--There's plenty of action, mysteries, and danger, so never fear on that count!!

All together, Spark more than deserves <*><*><*><*><*>

(:D)

~Mag

Review: Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

STORM!! Oh my word, Storm. From the moment I heard about this book, I was absolutely dying to read it! I mean, think about it. Control over the elements is a favorite theme of mine. Seriously,  my favorite superpower EVER, not to mention just COOL. So, if you give that power to a bunch of hot guys?

Yeah, count me in.

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer 

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 . . . 

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There was so much awesome in this book, it's hard to know where to begin. So I guess I'll continue with where I started in my intro--ELEMENTALS.

So, meet the Merrick brothers: Michael, Gabriel, Nick, and Chris (oh, CHRIS <3). They have power over the elements. (I say again, COOLEST POWER EVER!!!) Because of this fact, they are more powerful than anyone can ever imagine--which is why they're marked for death.

Becca is an average girl, but when she meets the Merricks, its pretty obvious from the get-go that they are far from "average" themselves. And when she gets sucked into their world of secrets and danger and power, secrets will be revealed that nobody saw coming--especially not us, the unsuspecting readers.

I loved everything about Storm. Everything. The story was fast-paced, the whole idea intriguing, and the characters the sort you fall in love with before you even realize what's happening. And once it's sucked you in, this book is not going to let you go. As soon as I finished reading it (which didn't take long, I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN), I wanted more. Quite desperately. Luckily, my copy of Storm (well, my library's copy, but you get what I mean) contained both a sneak peak of Spark, and the novella, Elemental. (At least, I think it was the whole of Elemental. I thought it was, but if it was a sneak peak I want to read more of it, so let me know if you know!)

I fell in love with Chris from the instant he was introduced. (It doesn't hurt that water is my favorite element and I love basically every character trait Chris has.) I loved Becca and Chris's chemistry and the way they acted around each other. Romance is usually one of my favorite parts of a story, and Storm had an excellent balance of romance and other plot features that I loved. And I loved the other Merrick brothers as well--they all had something interesting about them that made them unique and cool and lovable. I'm really looking forward to learning more about all of them, and seeing what happens next with them (most of all Chris and Becca) in the later books.

Of course, I should probably address Hunter, as well. Hunter was awesome, as well. He was interesting and well, hot, and kind of awesome. But of course, I had to kinda-sorta hate him, because I chose Chris as my love and I was angry at anything standing between him and Becca.

But anyway. I can objectively admit that he is awesome, as well :)

ANYHOO, Storm absolutely gets <*><*><*><*><*>

(:D)
~Mag