Sunday, September 09, 2012

Review Spark by Brigid Kemmerer


Spark (Elemental, #2)Title: Spark
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Published: August 28th, 2012 (K Teen)
Pages: 432
Source: for review
Series: Elemental #2
Rating: 5 stars
Synopsis from Goodreads: 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…


This sequel is what really made me love this series. I loved Storm, Elemental and Fearless, but this book was close to perfect! 

Before I started reading I was afraid Spark would be like Storm: same story, different MC. It's what I see a lot in series with different MC's. But Brigid Kemmerer is an amazing author and this is totally different from Chris's. That was what really made this series my new favorite! Next to the awesome idea behind the books and the amazing writing style!

In Spark Gabriel is the MC. The story starts a couple of weeks after the last events in Storm. Gabriel is feeling guilty about what's happened and he's more determined than ever to find a way to really control his fire power. 
I love Gabriel! You meet him through the eyes of Chris, but I liked getting to know Gabriel through is own story. He's a tough boy and he tends to get in a lot of trouble. But he's also very sweet and he cares about the people around him! He blames himself for the fire their parents died in and that guilt makes things a lot worse. 

Spark is also told from two point of views. The second is Layne, she's a shy girl, but she's some secrets of her own. She's has the sweetest little brother, Simon. It's his first year at a 'normal' school. He's deaf and the bullies won't leave him alone. He's good at sports, but he isn't given a fair chance. 
Gabriel and Layne meet when she's to tutor him, after the new math teacher finds out about the switching places of Nick and Gabriel. And that's the most awesome thing about this series: NO insta-love! It's what makes their relationship feel real. They're so sweet together. Gabriel helps Simon with his sports and the bullies. I loved those fragments!

Gabriel turns towards Hunter to help him control his power. With all his brothers busy elsewhere. So they're practicing together by rescuing people from fires which are started in town. Hunter isn't my most favorite person in the series, but I liked that he did this for Gabriel, even though they get themselves in a lot of danger!

What made this book even better than the first was the tension. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! When Layne was the POV I was curious what happened next with Gabriel and vice versa. Layne came across as this shy girl who needs to watch her deaf brother, but she has quite some secrets of her own. Throughout the story you discover more about her. At first I thought she was sweet and she is, but also a lot more than that! 

I really loved this book, which I hope is obvious by know! So a huge thank you for Brigid Kemmerer for writing this book! And of course K Teen for publishing it. I can't wait for Spirit!

3 comments:

  1. gr8 review. i hope my copy arrives soon

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Helene!! I've seen this series mentioned a few times now. I'm glad you liked it. I am a new follower and if you would like to return the favour, please visit, Marilyn @ Marilyn's Mystery Blog
    Thanx!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. So glad that you enjoyed this book! I'm really loving this series and I can't wait to read the next book. Great review!
    World of Books

    ReplyDelete

Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog. I love to hear your thoughts. They make my day! :) Please leave a link to your blog, so I can pay you a visit!