Storm by Brigid Kemmerer (Elemental #1): DNF Review

Title: Storm (Elemental #1)
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: Much-in-Little
Buy This Book: Book Depository / Amazon


Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at stake.
Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys; all the ones she doesn't want. When she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot, everything is about to change. Chris is different from the guys at school... really different. He can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. The brothers are powerful and dangerous. And now that Becca knows the truth, so is she.
When the mysterious new kid, Hunter, turns up, Becca thinks she can trust him. But when he goes head-to-head with Chris, Becca's left wondering who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all. (Goodreads summary.)

It's been quite a while since I had to DNF a book, and I am actually really surprised that Storm turned out to be one of those books. It has a really interesting premise, a great average rating on Goodreads and is the start of a series that I have heard a lot of praise for. It just didn't work for me, right now at the very least. This does seem like one of those books that I might be able to revisit at another time and really enjoy. But, in my defence, I did make my way through over 70% of the book, I just honestly couldn't go further than that.

My main problem with the book was that it left me feeling quite lost from the very beginning. It jumps straight into the story and I found myself trying to keep up with it. It didn't lead you in slowly, it made you dive straight in and I was left feeling very lost and confused. You're immediately introduced to so many different characters, I wasn't able to keep them all straight in my head. Chris had twin brothers and Becca couldn't tell them apart, she wasn't the only one because neither could I.

I love action in a book but, in the first book in a series especially, it's important to introduce the character and their back story before jumping right to the action. Imagine if Harry Potter got his acceptance letter and went off to Hogwarts straight away, no back story of how he came to be at Privet Drive, no insight into his life with the Dursley's. Or if Katniss started the book at the reaping and went straight off to the Games, no insight into how bad things in her District were or her relationship with Gale. They aren't action packed scenes, but they are really important to the story and getting you into the story. That felt lost with Storm, I was thrown straight in and I wanted that slower, less action packed introduction.

I am surprised to see this book is only 320 pages long because, after getting about 70% of the way in, I felt like I had been reading for 400 pages or so. The book did feel very long, not a lot was really happening. This reminded me of the Twilight books actually, I felt like it would have the same slow pace until right near the very end when all of the action would happen. It would then leave it open to the sequels. But I just couldn't last long enough to make it to the end and see for myself.

I like things to be explained more, especially in a series where people have elemental powers. There were explanations but they came very late into the story. It felt like everyone in the book was in on it, and I was just the outside who was completely confused. I needed more information on the characters and where Becca fitted into it all. I was also frustrated to see that this had another pointless, irritating love triangle. I can't commit myself to yet another series where the girl can't decide between two guys. It will just drive me over the edge.

DNF at 70%

I won't rate the book because I didn't read the whole thing. It left me a little lost because it jumped straight into the action, it didn't get you into the story slowly. I felt like it wasn't letting me get to know Becca very well, so I ended up feeling no connection to her. The pacing was too slow for me, I got really bored and was having to struggle through it. There is also a pointless love triangle, I can't have yet another series to read where the main character can't choose between two guys. This might be one I can go back to and really enjoy at another time, but for now it needs to be a DNF. 

*I received a copy of this novel from the author/publisher/publicist via Netgalley in exchange for a free and honest review and received no monetary compensation for this review.