Spark by Brigid Kemmerer

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Pages: 350pgs

The Story

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 . . .

The Review

A big thanks to Allen & Unwin Australia for sending me a review copy of this book!

Honestly there's no better word in describing SPARK than it being hot, hot HOT?! Because really that is exactly what it is folks . . . HOT! With the book being far more than light fiery sparks flying across the pages and with me being already in love with the author's previous installment Storm, it's no real secret when I say I'm a huge fan of this series, especially when it comes to Brigid Kemmerer's work and her fabulous ways of entertaining her readers with in-depth characterization, sizzling romances and spine-tingling action! It's just plain awesome!

For the next sequel of the Elemental series, SPARK, this time round the story mainly focuses on Gabriel Merrick, one of the other Merrick brothers that we've read about previously, and unlike his twin-brother, the calm and collective Nick, Gabriel is a hot-tempered, arrogant, and a blunt mess to boot. But as he tries to work on his elemental powers and maintain a normal lifestyle as much as possible, Layne - the sweet, caring and shy girl - suddenly comes into his life, and Gabriel must seriously rethink his situation and what he is really living for. And, like what we have previously experienced from the first book in the series, with many other dangers headed on the horizon for Gabriel and his family, he will soon remember exactly what it means to protect his family, his love and everything lying in-between.

Despite some minor issues I had with Gabriel from the previous book to this one (mostly because of his arrogance and saying the wrong things to certain people in certain situations), I have to say that he really did surprise me in this sequel and he's definitely more than meets the eye. I mean throughout the entire book, SPARK, Gabriel's character continued to slowly evolve into bigger and much better things, and he has faced so many, many challenges that tested him to the ultimate limits - things including studying for the first time in ages, falling in and out with his relationship with his own twin brother Nick, becoming an outcast, and falling in love in the most unexpected places. It was needless to say such a pleasure to read about Gabriel's own story and journey, and finally seeing how different he is compared to his twin, Nick, even when he too shared some of his brother's most likable qualities which surprised me also.

For Gabriel's main love interest, Layne, she was someone I liked straight off the bat, even when I first met with her as a main character. As much as I loved Becca, the other main love interest from the first book Storm, but Layne for me was my favourite kick-ass girl in the series so far and I could relate to her on a lot more levels. She's geeky, she's shy, she's well-balanced (sooooooooo like me at least I would like to think so haha) and she's in all honesty the perfect match for Gabriel as he is quite the opposite to her. It's a great match what can I say? While Layne's father was a total mess for the majority of the book and I so wanted to slap him for being an idiot  but when it came to the relationship between Layne and Gabriel it was just something that may have started out as very rocky and complicated at times, but in the end it ended up being something totally undeniably perfect and I can see why this book was called 'Spark' because there was definitely sparks flying about when you interacted closely with these two main characters and I loved every moment of it!

Overall, SPARK was such a fabulous follow up to the Elemental series and while it wasn't necessarily my favourite in the series but considering we have another book, Spirit, heading our way very soon, I'm still super excited to see what else Brigid Kemmerer has to offer us! I'm sure it'll be a book that will make has swoon like we've never swoon before!

The Rating

4/5 stars

Q&A with Elementals author Brigid Kemmerer

I am so excited to have Brigid Kemmerer joining us today! Like with so many other fans around the world, I too had absolutely LOVED the author's debut novel, Storm, and now her much anticipated sequel, SPARK, being released earlier this month, the Merrick brothers - and in particular the smexy-hottie Gabriel who is now our main hero in this second installment of the Elemental series - are once again bringing sexy back and not to mention much more trouble along with them as well!

So please feel free to check out my interview with the author herself below. I'm sure you will love her answers as much as I do!

Q: You might get this question a lot, but what inspired you to write about the Merrick brothers with very different paranormal powers? How did you manage to come up with such a cool idea?

The first novel I wrote in high school was about four vampire brothers, named Michael, Nicholas, Gabriel, and Christopher. It was a silly story, but I still have most of it on paper. In my twenties, when I really began to take writing seriously, I wrote a few books but was unable to find a literary agent or a publisher. I couldn't get those four brothers out of my head – but I didn't want to do vampires again. I started tossing around ideas that would work with the number four. Four horsemen of the apocalypse. Four leaf clovers. Four, four, four. The four elements of earth, air, fire, and water seemed to work best—and I had a lot of ideas how I could make it fun. Who wouldn't want to be able to control the elements?

Q: In your debut novel, Storm, and in your newly released sequel, Spark, I see that one of your most prominent themes is bullying. Each of your characters - Becca, Quinn, Layne, Simon and even the Merrick brothers themselves - have experienced it in many forms. What made you explore this major theme? Have you put your own high school experiences into the novel or perhaps someone else's?

It’s funny – I didn't really set out to write a novel about bullying. But when I was young, I changed schools every year, so I was constantly the new kid. I was chubby and brainy and bookish, and that doesn't exactly lend itself to being instantly popular. School is all about learning interpersonal dynamics—basically, how to relate to each other. While not everyone is bullied, everyone can relate to the struggle for figuring out who you are and where you fit on the social ladder. Once I started exploring that theme, it kind of took over. 

Q: In Spark, I really enjoyed getting to know Gabriel and Layne and watching these two grow in their relationship. What was your thought process on how this new romance would develop? How did you go about constructing these equally matched and headstrong characters?

Gabriel and Layne were so much fun to write! I knew Gabriel needed a strong girl to match his personality, and I needed to make her complex, because Gabriel himself is so complex. I just kept throwing challenges at them until I thought they might break, because then they’d have the opportunity to save each other.

Q: Do you by any chance plan to write more than 3 books in the Elementals world? Or are you planning to write something outside the paranormal genre?

I definitely would like to have the opportunity to write more Elemental books! I’m working on a proposal for more right now. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Q: If you have any, what music inspirations did you have for you novel/s or in particular your characters, Gabriel and Layne?

There’s a playlist in the back of Spark, but one song that always gets me thinking about the series is Something Beautiful by NeedToBreathe. It’s the perfect theme song for the Elemental Series. 

Q: If you were one of your leading ladies, which Merrick brother would you choose and why?

Oh, wow! They’re all so much fun. When I was in high school, I probably would have gone for Gabriel, but now, I’d definitely be a Michael girl.

Q: Lastly, what can your readers expect from your third installment, Spirit? Any more hottie scenes we should be excited for?

Well, Spirit hasn't gone through my editor yet, so this answer may change. Spirit is by far the most action packed book I've written yet, and it’s full of sexy-times  too. Hunter meets Kate, another Guide, and let’s just say that she’s definitely a challenge for him to keep up with.

A big thanks to Brigid for answering my questions and to the amazing publicist, Lara from Allen & Unwin, for including me on this super fun blog tour!

Don't forget to check out more posts from amazing bloggers

on the rest of the Australian Spark Blog Tour Schedule!

24th September - Eleusinian Mysteries

1st October - Speculating on SpecFic

8th October - Novels on the Run

15th October - The Rest is Still Unwritten

29th October - Badass Bookie

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brigid's Website / Goodreads / Twitter

Brigid Kemmerer finds the time to write somewhere between caring for her family and working at her day job, but sometimes she ends up mothering her coworkers and managing her family. Storm: The Elemental Series is her first novel.

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Pages: 368pgs

The Story

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 Review

A big thanks to Allen & Unwin for sending me a review copy of this book!

STORM, the first installment of the Elementals series, is one of those books that sucks you in instantly and will become a classic hit with fans internationally! Review after review many bloggers I have a lot faith in are telling me what's hot and what's not in books, and they had highly recommended this book to me. While I was still sitting on the fence whether to read this title or not, but then as soon as I received my review copy from the publisher . . . I dived straight into the action, the suspense, the romance, the danger, the world - and yes the hot boys too - and like so many other people whom continued to rave about this book non-stop, I was completely sold with this series as I read the final pages and Brigid Kemmerer has truly created a real shining gem with her debut YA series!

Becca, the main character, was such a blast to read about. I'll be honest with you and say I mightn't have liked her during certain points in the book and all those rushed decisions that she sometimes made (you know those moments where you find yourself yelling at a character saying, "Don't do it, girl! Just don't! Oh - you did it! You didn't listen to me, did you?), but throughout the book Becca continuously proved herself worthy as a female heroine and presented to her readers that fierce and courageous young woman that she is, but she also gave us a completely different side to her . . . this rare vulnerability which made her even more human to me and eventually, in the end, she had won me over for a main character. But as much as I love Becca, but the spotlight is totally owned by the Merrick brothers and they were my favourite part of the book. Obviously.

The Merrick brothers and the relationships shared between each and every brother was so believable. Their individual personalities meshed so well together and it brought this already close-knit family only much more closer together to truly hit home, showing what it truly means with the value of family and the lengths you would go to. While the brothers Chris, Gabriel, Nick and Michael constantly fight - like almost too violently for their own good - but as soon as trouble comes up on the horizon, each brother is always there for one another and always wanting to use their fists and elemental magics on the attackers crossing their brothers territory. It was rather sweet on thier part! Now as for their scenes together, I know writing group scenes can comes as a big challenge for any writer and for Kemmerer to tackle four insanely hot brothers I would have to say she's pretty darn talented and I don't know how she does it but she's goooooooooddddddd at it. And then there's another note-worthy character named Hunter, the mysterious new boy on the scene. Now I adored his character from the beginning because he was so complexed and yet so yummy at the same time that it definitely challenged me to be either Team Hunter or Team Chris . . . but either way you look at it both boys were so worthy of our young hearts!

The only real problem I had with STORM - one that possibly affected my overall review rating - was a certain issue raised in the book. That being the issue of rape. While readers have an idea placed into their minds regarding Becca's situation and a certain 'something' that supposedly happened to her in the past that involved a group of boys (which then led to a nasty rumor and so forth), but for a slight spoiler here there is a touchy almost gang-rape scene towards the last half of the book. Now that scene didn't bother as such since I've read plenty of books dealing with similar situtions, but considering this is a young adult book I was still taken back by this certain scene, and it was quite uncomfortable as well. I might think it was unncessary for this particular scene to be included because I kind of got the point of what was happening and I didn't think it needed any more details, but since it's in there, I would highly recommend this book for older readers. It's not to say it's bad or anything because the issue of rape is real and happening in today's society, but it's still something I wanted to make note of and let you to be aware of for those younger readers out there.

Overall, this book has taken me by surprise on several occasions which doesn't often happen with YA paranormal stories. Both refreshing, new, fast-paced, twist-turning, action-packed and containing a variety of many loveable things readers want and need from a YA storyline, STORM will most definitely not disappoint you. While STORM didn't leave me hanging with a cliffhanger (I guess since the next book is going to be told from different perspectives), but I'm still very eager to get my hands on a copy of the sequel, Spark, which, thankfully, comes out in September so be on the look out for that!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars