Review: Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Storm (Elementals #1) by Brigid Kemmerer.
Release Date: April 24th, 2012
Page count: 353 pages
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Format: Paperback
Who I'd Recommend it To: Probably fans of Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Rating: ★★★★

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.

Review...

Prior to reading this, I'd seen this book EVERYWHERE online. I constantly saw it on Goodreads, on Youtube, or blogs.. everywhere. So I finally gave into the hype surrounding it and decided to pick it up, and I'm glad I did. I enjoyed it immensely and devoured it in a day or so. It was fantastic. This novel had many good points, but it had some bad ones, too.


Let's start with the good points, shall we?

• THE. CHARACTERS. Ho-ly crap. I think I loved them all. All of them. Well, the ones we're actually supposed to like, anyway. For once, I actually adored the best friend of the main character. Like, my god, she was awesome. Four for you, Quinn. You go, Quinn! Becca was also great, as were ALL THE BROTHERS. (Please excuse me while I fan myself.) My favourite was Gabriel, by far. And the fact that his element is fire makes him ever hotter. (Yeah, I know, that was a bad excuse for a joke). The only character I liked but not loved was Hunter. But that's probably just because he kept getting in the way of Chris and Becca. So. Infuriating.
• I loved the whole elemental thing. So damn cool. I was expecting it to be a lot like Avatar (not the blue people)  for some reason, but it definitely wasn't. It was very unique and was a refreshing change. 
• Hands down, my favourite thing of the book is the relationship between all the brothers. Some get along, some don't. They have a very dysfunctional family at times, but they all care deeply for each other. Their relationship was very complex and endearing. I especially liked the relationship between Gabriel and Michael. Very realistic. 
• The book was freakin' hilarious at times. Loved the one-liners and the witty banter. It was great.
• Brothers. Hot brothers. Four hot brothers. Four hot brothers with powers. 
• Gabriel. Merrick.
• The romance between Chris and Becca was done very well. It wasn't quite insta-love, like I thought it would be. It developed throughout the book slowly, and I liked that. 
• Did I mention Gabriel Merrick?!

The bad points.

• The love triangle. I'm sorry, but lately, I haven't been so in to love triangles (with the exception of Infernal Devices series). I get why it was there, but I just didn't like it. It didn't help that I didn't care for Becca and Hunter's relationship whatsoever. It annoyed me to no end.
• The ending was too abrupt for my tastes. 
• The story felt a little repetitive at times. Becca would be in danger, boy would save her. Becca would be in danger again, boy would save her again. Repeat this about 2 more times. Got on my nerves a little.

In short: Overall, I thoroughy enjoyed this and it's a fantastic start to what I think is going to be a fantastic series. Great characterization, good romance, cool powers, and four hot brothers. It was thrilling, it was romantic, and full of drama! Looking forward to book 2, Spark!