Review: Storm (Elemental #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

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.

Going into Storm I was expecting action, thrills, and plenty of twists speckled with pure hotness (let's be honest, four sexy brothers? YES. PLEASE) but I didn't get what I expected. I wanted something along the lines of Altered by Jennifer Rush. Four boys in all their elemental glory.

The thing is, I guessed EVERY plot twist by the middle of the novel. How disappointing. The twists were things I saw coming from a mile away. They were good twists, and I can tell why people love this series so much but nothing took me by surprise. Also, I got a little bored in the middle. The action wasn't enough for me to want to keep reading. I just wasn't hooked until the final chapters.

That being said, the characters really pulled through and that's what saved the book for me. The four brothers have this great family connection and even though they fight amongst themselves constantly, there's nothing they wouldn't do for each other and that really comes through in the story. So let me break it down for you. We have Chris, the youngest, who can wield the water element. He's hot and cold with Becca but like in every paranormal YA, it's just for her own safety and when he finally reveals his feelings...OH THE FEELS. Then there's the twins. Yes, you heard me right. TWINS. Gabriel and Nick can wield fire and wind, respectively. Gabriel is the angry, dangerous one and Nick is the one who keeps everything under control and everyone calm. Even though Gabriel can be a douche, he was my favorite because the way he stands up for the people he cares about was outstanding. Finally, we have Michael, the older brother who takes care of them all. He got custody of the brothers when he was 18 and their parents died but he doesn't always handle things in the best way, which is understood since he himself is only 23 having to raise three teenage boys (who can control the elements on top of everything). 

There's also Hunter, who isn't a Merrick brother. He's the new kid in town. He quickly attaches himself to Becca's side, which at first was cute when he defended her but quickly became annoying when he wouldn't let her talk to any of the other guys. It was like he thought she couldn't stand up for herself. And the one time he should have been his over protective self, he fails.

Becca kind of paled in comparison when it came to the boys but she is definitely a strong main character. Becca stands up for herself and others. She doesn't question twice when it comes to protecting or defending innocent people. Even when things are tough she doesn't stand back and let the guys handle the problem.

Aside from the twists I figured out early on, the novel picked up near the end and made me power through it. I loved the snark comments the characters made that had me laughing out loud at times so I can definitely say that I'll be picking up the second one in this series. It's from Gabriel's point of view ;) I will not be missing out on his story.

Rating: 3.5/5