Secret by Brigid Kemmerer

Secret by Brigid Kemmerer
Elemental #4
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Publisher: Kensington Teen
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
Star Rating: ★★★★

Rating: Essential

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.

Gareth Brody sat in a chipped plastic chair in the prison waiting room, listening for the guard to call his name.

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Since reading the novella, I have been very excited for Nick's story. He was never my favourite Merrick brother; in fact, while I certainly liked him, he was always my least favourite. I didn't feel as though I knew enough about him to really like him. But the novella changed that, and after reading it I had hoped that he would grow on me more. 

Elemental by Antony John

Elemental by Antony John
Release Date: November 21 2012
Publisher: Dial
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads Stars: 3
Rating: Enjoyable

A lost colony is reborn in this heart-pounding fantasy adventure set in the near future . . .

Sixteen-year-old Thomas has always been an outsider. The first child born without the power of an Element—earth, water, wind or fire—he has little to offer his tiny, remote Outer Banks colony. Or so the Guardians would have him believe.

In the wake of an unforeseen storm, desperate pirates kidnap the Guardians, intent on claiming the island as their own. Caught between the plague-ridden mainland and the advancing pirates, Thomas and his friends fight for survival in the battered remains of a mysterious abandoned settlement. But the secrets they unearth will turn Thomas’ world upside-down, and bring to light not only a treacherous past but also a future more dangerous than he can possibly imagine. - Goodreads

YESSSS another book about elemental powers! Have I told you how much I love those? I read Storm and Spark by Brigid Kemmerer purely because of the elemental stuff, and I am quite obsessed. The elemental stuff in this book was definitely my favourite part. I loved learning about all the abilities and their different limits.

Thomas had a really boring voice, which sent me to sleep during the parts where it was just him. Yawn. I didn't feel connected to him at all until the very end. I liked the other characters though, particularly Rose and someone who turns up halfway through the book. 

Also PIRATES! They were awesome, but I wish we had gotten to see more of them up close and personally. Thomas should have been kidnapped and tortured! Yes, I'm mean to characters, but at least it might have made Thomas a little more interesting.

There's a sort of love triangle, although it was difficult to tell whether or not the two ladies - Alice and Rose - were legitimate love interests or if they were just kinda there. Alice was all right (apart from her nagging and whining), but personally I preferred Rose, despite her being underdeveloped. I hope we get to see her more in the next book.

But honestly, there was little romance anyway because it all took a back seat to the action packed plot. Aside from when Thomas was wandering around by himself and we were stuck with just him, there wasn't a dull moment. 

There's an epilogue (which could have just been a normal chapter, but whatever) in which there's a shocking reveal, which I LOVED. I had thought that this book would be a standalone, because it wrapped things up pretty nicely, while also leaving a lot of mystery to interpretation. But nope, this is gonna be a trilogy (I think) and EEP! I'm definitely going to be reading the second book to see where it goes. Hopefully now that Thomas has discovered more about himself he'll be more interesting.