Tempest (Destroyers #1)

Feb 05, 2013 Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars

What to say, what to say. This book was alright, when it wasn't "fall asleep boring" it was "so much damn action gotta read twice." Anyway the story line was good but it was to much, like bread butter bread butter bread butter bread .... you get my point, had no juice goodness inside it just kept repeating the same bland flavoring. Let me tell yea, real old real fast. Now there is going to be some spoilers so please if you don't want to read the book in the next paragraph then don't read!!!

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(v ...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Ana Ivkov rated it 5 of 5 stars

I found this while looking for Shakespeare's "The Tempest" online, but the plot seemed interesting so I decided to go for it. A definite good decision! The book was a bit slow to pick up the pace, but once it did, it was FASTPACED. Janelle, the main character, does everything a teenager would do when faced with such difficult circumstances. While many of the books I read have a "love triangle" type of plot, this one definitely doesn't! It's all action, and the fact that Janelle obviously likes G...more

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Feb 23, 2012 BookHookup added it

Janelle has just moved to Florida and within her first week she experiences the terror of a hurricane. She is scared and confused. Her normally over-cautious father, however, seems unfazed by the terrible storm, insisting that there’s no danger for them. This is the beginning of Janelle’s awakening to who and what she is. When she saves a little girl from the terrible storm, she meets Gary and notices he has the exact same birthmark that she does, a gray swirl. And, as she pursues Gary, because...more Janelle has just moved to Florida and within her first week she experiences the terror of a hurricane. She is scared and confused. Her normally over-cautious father, however, seems unfazed by the terrible storm, insisting that there’s no danger for them. This is the beginning of Janelle’s awakening to who and what she is. When she saves a little girl from the terrible storm, she meets Gary and notices he has the exact same birthmark that she does, a gray swirl. And, as she pursues Gary, because the coincidence of the birthmark intrigues her, it is he who provides the answers she needs. In short, Janelle discovers she’s a Tempest, a human who will become a hurricane.

I think the idea that hurricanes come from humans is a fascinating and unique one. After all, hurricanes have names and “live” in specific places…some are strong, some are weak…some are destructive, violent and unpredictable while some follow a straighter path…just like humans. When a Tempest’s name comes up on the list, it is their turn to become a storm. The scary part is that they don’t know how destructive they’ll be since most are unable to control their powers.

This story has some original elements and has some interesting characters. For me, however, it was slow going in the beginning. I felt that it took Janelle too long to accept her fate. I was anxious for her to start fighting for what she believed in and wanted to be. But, at the same time, she does grow and make mistakes and come to conclusions on her own which I always like to see in a main character. The relationship that forms between Gary and Janelle is, at least in this first book, simply friendship. I can see where there might be more later on but the author doesn’t complicate the plot by introducing young love. She stays true to the fact that this is a book about a girl who is a hurricane and the people who try to use her for evil purposes.

This brings me to the other characters in the story. They all have a back story, most are fairly well described and, of course, everyone except Janelle knows how being a Tempest works. I do have a big concern, however, with Andrina. She is the “bad guy” in this story and, unfortunately, isn’t developed enough to bring out the dislike I normally have for villains. I couldn’t see her as more than one dimensional, try as I might. To me, a great evil character is one that has just a small shred of humanity, one that knows better but will still chose to be evil…that’s what makes them scary. I didn’t see any of that in Andrina which impacted my enjoyment of the story.

One other thing I feel must be said is that this story will probably appeal to younger audiences…younger YA’s and tweens. As an adult reading it I had to take some leaps of faith in certain areas, overlook pieces of the puzzle that just didn’t quite fit. The language used is simple, the phrasing straightforward and clear. This makes for a quick easy read but left me longing for more…maybe I just needed a little sophistication in the conversations or the relationships or just a little more emotional depth. But, then again, maybe I’m just a little older than the target audience. If I had been able to read this book as my 12 year old self, I would probably have given it a higher rating.

Overall, I think this story has the potential to grow up with its readers and build the necessary depth for wider audiences but this first book will definitely be enjoyed by younger readers.(less)

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Jan 05, 2012 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hurricanes. Since Katrina, everyone older than 7 knows what a hurricane is and what they do. They
think. Actually, according to the Natural Law, Katrina was a girl who was born a Tempest. All Tempests names come up once in their life and that is their turn to destroy and kill or, if they’re kind-hearted to try not to.

Janelle and her dad had just moved to Florida from Michigan. Mom had passed away years ago and Dad
had a new job. Janelle was amazed by the power and force of Hurricane Gary – the f...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Rida (Raindrop Reflections) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I quite liked Tempest. The unique storyline was refreshing, to say the least, and the writing was unique and well-polished. The only thing I didn’t really like about Tempest was that it took WAY too long for the protagonist Janelle to figure out what she was. After that, though, it was all action and suspense.

And I suppose there wouldn’t have been time for romance while you’re trying to save the world from the biggest hurricane ever, so there wasn’t much romance, even though there was an eligib...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Robert Duperre rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rating: 4 out of 5

There seems to be a growing trend in young adult fiction where the love story is the main crux of the plot. The main characters do grow in these instances, but their growth is charted by their feelings for the “other” in their lives. The hero or heroine therefore becomes defined by this other and fails to be a viable personality any longer. They turn into puppets on the strings of love and lust, and any real change they experience is nullified because the journey isn’t a person...more

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Mar 25, 2011 Avery rated it 5 of 5 stars

To start off with yes yes the cover is pretty creepy and not like the typical young adult cover we see nowadays with the beautiful and kick-butt female character being held by the swoon-worthy male lead on it, but as the old saying goes don't judge a book by its cover... the story contained within this book pretty awesome and if you pass this one over solely based on the cover, well I think that you are really missing out (and hey, if you buy the E-book you really don't have to look at the cover...more

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Dec 21, 2010 s0nicfreak rated it 3 of 5 stars

I’m on the fence about whether I should give this book 3 or 4 stars. This story is very original. It can be enjoyed by all ages (as long as you don’t mind your kids reading a couple of swear words). However that last plus is also a minus; it seems that the author could not decide the main audience of this book. It is written from the first person perspective of Janelle, an intelligent 16 year old girl, but Janelle’s thoughts seem more like that of a girl that is 12 or so. Even if she led somewha...more

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Dec 18, 2010 Grace Krispy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Janelle, a normal teenager who has just made a move from Michigan to Florida with her dad, realizes something's not quite right the day her dad wants to stay in the path of the hurricane to watch its power instead of flee to safety. With the help of a police escort and a mandatory evacuation, they make it to safety just in time ... just in time, that is, to see a boy come out of the eye of the hurricane. Janelle's initial shock and confusion turn to anger and fear as she realizes there is more,...more

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Oct 16, 2010 Kristi-The Book Faery rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: ages 12 and up

Recommended to Kristi-The Book Faery by: Author

Shelves: written-reviews

Tempest by Holly Hook is a suspensful tale of a young girls journey of self-exploration and identity brought on by a secret that has been withheld from her all her life. Everything she thought she knew was a lie and it has left her questioning who she really is and just what she is really capable of.
Janelle Duvall has lived a somewhat normal life in Flint, Michigan. When economic times go bad, her father moves her to Florida where they settle in just as Hurricane Gary makes its way through. Jan...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Young Teens

Shelves: freebies, kindlebooks, just-random-books, love-the-cover, paranormal-novels, self-discovery-novels, series-i-might-keep-reading

I promise to be brutally honest with my opinion, but it should not be taken as fact. Any reader should read it for themselves, before they decide if this book has any merit or not. Do not judge this book biased solely on my opinion. If you do, you might miss out on a great read. You never know. It could happen.

1. Strong Main Character/ Female Heroine: Janelle is a lost girl that is caught up in a life or life and death situation. She does not know who or what exactly she is, but she knows tha...more I promise to be brutally honest with my opinion, but it should not be taken as fact. Any reader should read it for themselves, before they decide if this book has any merit or not. Do not judge this book biased solely on my opinion. If you do, you might miss out on a great read. You never know. It could happen.

1. Strong Main Character/ Female Heroine: Janelle is a lost girl that is caught up in a life or life and death situation. She does not know who or what exactly she is, but she knows that something is not right. This novel highlights her journey in finding out about herself and what she truly is with the help of a teenaged boy named Gary, who she soon finds herself having feelings for. She pushes those feelings aside and they keep returning. Although if I were her, I would have kept those feelings away and focused more about the dangerous situation at hand. Janelle is indecisive and naïve. She believes that nothing bad can happen and this whole thing is a dream. She is not that believable of a main character and she is not much of a heroine. She does not even really save the day either. Other people have to risk their lives and even then, she is not the one to extinguish the evilness from the world. 2 out of 5 stars

2. Strong Minor Characters: Gary is the real hero of this story and I would have enjoyed it a lot better if it was from his point of view. There are so many unanswered questions about Gary’s treatment for all of those years and I am really interested in knowing those answers. He is the really rebellious one and tries to help Janelle. Even though he fails, he never gives up or loses hope. (Even when the narrator states that he does, I do not believe it. He always has a plan and he seems like a great actor to me.) His life remains a mystery to me and I would read the second book just to find out what happens to him next. The other characters in the story do not have a bigger role than Gary. They have lesser really unimportant ones. I am still confused with who is really the good guys in this book, because it seems like nothing is really black and white and maybe that is the point. If that is the point, then the author should really state that more clearly, instead of having the novel be one big goose chase with nothing really happening. The other characters were not fully developed and they lacked realism. 3 out of 5 stars

3. The Setting: Always a fun of new and exciting places, this book has it all. It has sunny Florida and a weird mysterious island. The places were very interesting and I like how some of the book took place in the middle of the ocean; however, none of the scenes and places were really vivid to me. They were not described in detail, where you could picture it in your mind. I mean, I got the basics down, but I could not really picture sinister places being dark and scary, when there was not a lot of details to go on to make that happen. 3 out of 5 stars

4. The Plot: The storyline is interesting with the hurricanes and it is unique. I have never read another paranormal novel like this before and maybe that is for a good reason. There are no real legends or mythology behind this tale or really any concrete facts that makes any sense. There is a lot of conflicting information in this novel like a category two hurricane being very destructive, when in reality it would not incur as much damage as the novel states. I also think that the whole taking over the world thing is far-fetched since they would only rule the coast lines. There would never be any real threat inland, so they would be like pirates doomed only to control the seas. Now that I think about it though, they would control all import and out port all over the world. Maybe it would not be as farfetched as I think or maybe people would actually come together and work off of the land they have. 3 out of 5 stars

5. The Artwork: The cover is breathtaking. It caught my eye to read this book and I believe that it is very misleading. You would think that this novel is very dark and brooding, but it is not. It is actually sort of light with little pinpricks of darkness that only ever really come out until the end. 4 out of 5 stars

6. The Writing: The author could use some development and maybe a mythology class or creative writing class or two or both. The writing is mediocre at best and seems very adolescent and more suited for preteens or children under the age of sixteen. It is not for true young adults aged seventeen and older, because it lacks depth and intrigue needed to keep that audience’s interest. Since I am still in the category for young adult myself, I am an expert on what I am talking about and also because I am majoring in English. This book screams debut to me and not in a good way. 2 out of 5 stars

7. The Dialogue: For some reason, the dialogue is very engaging to me and it is, among other aspects, why I kept reading the story. It is fresh and sharp with intriguing communication between everyone. I enjoy the miscommunications as well and I believe if the writing was as well as the dialogue, then this could have been a very well written and engaging novel. Too bad that it was not although I do believe that there is hope that the author will improve in the second installment. 4 out of 5 stars

Overall, I give this novel 3 stars. It was not the best that I have ever read, but it was by no means the worst. I am considering reading the second book, if and when it is ever available for free. There is no way that I would spend more than a buck on it, since I did not find the first book very good or was super ecstatic about it.
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Nov 24, 2010 Glenn Bullion rated it 4 of 5 stars

The first thing I noticed when I started reading Tempest was the unusual formatting. No paragraph was indented, with a double space in between each paragraph. I wondered if it would interfere with my enjoyment of the book. A few pages into it, I didn't even notice the formatting any longer. Always the sign of a good book.

Tempest is about a teenage girl who discovers she has unusual powers relating to hurricanes, and also an unusual family history and purpose. The characters are well defined. We...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Sarah Snyder rated it 3 of 5 stars

Tempest is the story of Janelle, a teenage girl who discovers she is in fact, a hurricane. Janelle was a difficult character to like. I understand that she was frightened by her situation, but to me, she came off as incredibly selfish. If she would have just taken in all the facts and made a decision based on them, she could have avoided the majority of her problems. I just felt like it took her too long to just accept her life for what it is. Instead she runs around for more than half the book,...more Tempest is the story of Janelle, a teenage girl who discovers she is in fact, a hurricane. Janelle was a difficult character to like. I understand that she was frightened by her situation, but to me, she came off as incredibly selfish. If she would have just taken in all the facts and made a decision based on them, she could have avoided the majority of her problems. I just felt like it took her too long to just accept her life for what it is. Instead she runs around for more than half the book, avoiding the help that people are giving her.

I did enjoy the fact that the romance between Janelle and Gary was slow moving. They certainly have a connection, but at this point, that’s all it really is. The two hurricanes did not have time for a romance – they were much more concerned with saving themselves and the world. I feel like if the relationship were more developed, it would have felt forced and out of place.
In my opinion, Tempest is targeted towards pre-teens and younger teens. The storyline was incredibly over the top and grandiose. In a sense, it reminded me of the overall feel of Percy Jackson. I am not saying I did not enjoy Tempest, because I did. I just feel like the older audiences will have a harder time accepting the string of events (and reasons behind them), than a younger audience. There were a couple of instances when I was reading Tempest that I had to take a huge leap of faith with where the storyline was progressing; I caught myself thinking “that is incredibly unlikely” or “that doesn’t make any sense”. I simply had to sit back and think, is this book written for you? Would you have thought it made sense at 12? Once I did that, I was able to sit back and enjoy Tempest for what it was – an exciting and extravagant adventure story.

The same thinking can be applied to the villain of the story, Andrina. To me, she was not fleshed out and was rather one dimensional. But again, if you digress back to the state of a 12 year old, I am sure you will love her. I know I certainly didn’t care if my villains were fleshed out then. I just wanted them to be evil and for them to loose in the end.

Unfortunately, I think it is difficult for some people to look at a book like this. They cannot read as a younger self; they cannot accept it for what it is. If you read Tempest wanting a young-adult paranormal romance with tons of character development, a sensible plot and fleshed out villains, then I can tell you right now, you are not going to like it. But if you can go into it as a pre-teen and simply enjoy the ride, you will find it rather entertaining. Tempest certainly isn’t my favorite book of all time, but I did enjoy it.(less)

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Sep 19, 2011 Brandy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, shapeshifters, young-adult

This book was OK. I didn't hate it, but I definitely didn't heart it either. This was another of my .99 cent books I bought on a whim out of the Kindle store and I definitely got what I paid for. The book is about humans who turn into hurricanes and you've got your one moralistic human who tries to save the world, yadda yadda yadda. The thing that bothered me most about the book is that it just seemed too teenage. The book should not be young adult, but just young in general. The characters were...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Bungle Midnight Reads rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

Janelle Duvall has been in Palm Grove, Florida a week when a hurricane hits. Janelle is confused by her usual safety-conscious father who wants to just stay put in their home, but after her pleas and a little help from the police they finally make it to a safety shelter. While there Janelle is forced to leave the shelter as she rescues a child, and as she does Gary falls out of the hurricane. The first thing she notices is that he has a gray spiral birthmark which matches the one she ha...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Sandra Glenn rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book... Is amazing. It brought a childhood question and fantasy of mine to life: What if nature, acts of nature, etc, were controlled by people? What if every day natural events were the cause of people just like us, with special abilities? And Holly did an absolutely amazing job doing this.

It was a little unrealistic at times, and sometimes too slow paced, but the plot, story, and overall originality were refreshing. The suspense held you glued to the book, and it was nice to see a novel...more

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Jun 28, 2011 Reading Vacation rated it 5 of 5 stars

When a Tempest touches sea water, they change from a human to a hurricane. Sometimes a Tempest doesn’t want to make the change, but they have no choice. In fact, every Tempest must become a hurricane at least once in their life, when their name comes up on the list of hurricane names for the new storm season.

The idea of human hurricanes is fascinating and I think Holly Hook has one wicked imagination. The most interesting part for me was how different Tempests reacted to their powers. Some, like...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Lauree Waldrop rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't like trashing a book but I want my review to be honest. I gave this book 3 stars and I was being generous. The general idea of the book was unique and interesting. Characters who turn into hurricanes. I just couldn't get into the story! Maybe, hurricanes just aren't my thing but I had a real problem connecting with the characters and ,as awful as hurricanes can be, the author went way overboard with the drama. The story begins with the main character (Janelle) freaking out and saying she...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Bob Craton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Okay, the concept of a teenager growing up without knowing her (or his) own true identity or what special powers she has is not new. For those young enough to think that Harry Potter was the first, it's actually the concept behind King Arthur's childhood from medieval legends. That said, this is a good take on the idea. People who turn into hurricanes -- they don't cause storms, they ARE the storms -- now that's an original idea. I like the lack of vampires, werewolves, and other cliches, and th...more

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Dec 03, 2010 Patricia Puddle rated it 5 of 5 stars

I quite enjoyed this book and I recommend it for adults as well as kids. I found it fast paced and the action had me on the edge of my seat right to the end.

The author has come up with a unique idea. Your heart goes out to Janelle, a young girl who finds out she can turn into a hurricane and has powers she never knew about. Andrena, the antagonist is great and you can't help but hate her. There's even a teange romance and Janelle's parents are total weirdos.

I loved all the twists and turns and...more

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Feb 25, 2013 JenniferJ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, 2013d-170, freebie, kindle, setting-florida, shifter, young-adult

I loved this story! The whole storm shifter angle was new to me and a bit scary. Janelle and her dad just moved to Florida when a hurricane hits and her father starts acting really weird and doesn't think they need to go to a shelter. Janelle is flipping out scared like any "normal" person would be only poor Janelle doesn't find out until much later that she is in fact not normal at all and her world really gets turned upside down when Gary arrives on the scene wrapped up in a twister storm fall...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, powers

When the story opens up, we find Janelle in the midst of Hurricane Gary. Her father is surprisingly calm, even though police have advised citizens to relocate to a safe shelter. Their town is falling apart, but Janelle and her father, Lucas, are just hanging out in their home. At first I thought, Wow, Janelle's father is a PHYSCO what is he doing? But then, we are introduced to the world of Tempests. A Tempest is a human being that can turn into a hurricane when they touch the water. They all ha...more When the story opens up, we find Janelle in the midst of Hurricane Gary. Her father is surprisingly calm, even though police have advised citizens to relocate to a safe shelter. Their town is falling apart, but Janelle and her father, Lucas, are just hanging out in their home. At first I thought, Wow, Janelle's father is a PHYSCO what is he doing? But then, we are introduced to the world of Tempests. A Tempest is a human being that can turn into a hurricane when they touch the water. They all have a spiral birthmark, and then Janelle sees this boy 'pop' out of the hurricane, and HE has a birthmark just like hers! It's all just a craaazzzzy coincidence.

So she visits this boy in the hospital and guess what his name is. GARY! As in, Hurricane Gary. As in, he was the hurricane. Then we're introduced to Andrina, who is Gary's guardian. She wants Janelle, and then it's just a big whirlwind (no pun intended) of action, angst, and boats.

Although I enjoyed Tempest, there were a few things that I did not like. Lucas treated Janelle like a baby for half the novel. Like, she would ask him questions about the birthmarks and such, and he'd be like, "Not now, Janelle." Or just ignore her. Now, this girl has a lot going on. Her hormones are raging because of Gary, and then there's that little hurricane thing. Give her some credit, man. Give her some answers. Oh, and I'd like to point out that her father was going to just throw her in the water and let her deal with it then. Not even explain it to her. I'd be more pissed about that than anything else.

And then there's Janelle. The problem I had with her was that she was really stubborn, and babyish at times. For instance, when Gary explained to her about the Tempests, she didn't want to talk to her father, isntead decided to run away. Maybe being a hurricane isn't such a bad thing. Her father even explains to her that it's a good experiance and it's quick and easy. If she didn't run away like a little baby, she'd understand it and she wouldn't have gone through all the trouble with Andrina. All I could think was, If you just listened to your father, and not jumped to conclusions, your life wouldn't be in danger right now.

I really liked that Holly didn't rush the relationship between Gary and Janelle. He comforted her throughout the book, but I hope we get to learn a little more about him in the sequel, Inferno. There are enough twists and turns to keep your interested. I was shocked at the ending, but nonetheless happy for her. Holly Hook will definitely be on my reading list in the future. (less)

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Dec 19, 2012 Kelsey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: out-of-my-head, my-reads-no-classics

(Review originally posted on Verbosity Book Reviews)

Destroyers, Book One

Sixteen-year-old Janelle never thought the gray spiral birthmark on her arm meant anything special. That is, until she meets Gary, a boy her age with a birthmark exactly like hers. Gary’s attractive, brooding, and perfectly normal…except for the fact that he materialized out of a dangerous hurricane right in front of her. Janelle’s certain of only one thing. Gary’s mark—and hers, too—mean something, but he’s reluctant to te...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Bailee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books, young-adult

Tempest by Holly Hook. Even the name sounds intriguing and intense. Of course, those two words correctly describe this book. I went into this novel, thinking that it would be an interesting read though it probably would be just like any other young adult book out there. Girl meets boy, they fall in love, they live happily ever after. That idea creates a certain amount of comfort in the back of my mind as I start any book. It caught me off guard how much more than romance this story was.

Janelle i...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Ana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Janelle has just moved to Florida and within her first week she experiences the terror of a hurricane. She is scared and confused. Her normally over-cautious father, however, seems unfazed by the terrible storm, insisting that there’s no danger for them. This is the beginning of Janelle’s awakening to who and what she is. When she saves a little girl from the terrible storm, she meets Gary and notices he has the exact same birthmark that she does, a gray swirl. And, as she pursues Gary, because...more Janelle has just moved to Florida and within her first week she experiences the terror of a hurricane. She is scared and confused. Her normally over-cautious father, however, seems unfazed by the terrible storm, insisting that there’s no danger for them. This is the beginning of Janelle’s awakening to who and what she is. When she saves a little girl from the terrible storm, she meets Gary and notices he has the exact same birthmark that she does, a gray swirl. And, as she pursues Gary, because the coincidence of the birthmark intrigues her, it is he who provides the answers she needs. In short, Janelle discovers she’s a Tempest, a human who will become a hurricane.

I think the idea that hurricanes come from humans is a fascinating and unique one. After all, hurricanes have names and “live” in specific places…some are strong, some are weak…some are destructive, violent and unpredictable while some follow a straighter path…just like humans. When a Tempest’s name comes up on the list, it is their turn to become a storm. The scary part is that they don’t know how destructive they’ll be since most are unable to control their powers.

This story has some original elements and has some interesting characters. For me, however, it was slow going in the beginning. I felt that it took Janelle too long to accept her fate. I was anxious for her to start fighting for what she believed in and wanted to be. But, at the same time, she does grow and make mistakes and come to conclusions on her own which I always like to see in a main character. The relationship that forms between Gary and Janelle is, at least in this first book, simply friendship. I can see where there might be more later on but the author doesn’t complicate the plot by introducing young love. She stays true to the fact that this is a book about a girl who is a hurricane and the people who try to use her for evil purposes.

This brings me to the other characters in the story. They all have a back story, most are fairly well described and, of course, everyone except Janelle knows how being a Tempest works. I do have a big concern, however, with Andrina. She is the “bad guy” in this story and, unfortunately, isn’t developed enough to bring out the dislike I normally have for villains. I couldn’t see her as more than one dimensional, try as I might. To me, a great evil character is one that has just a small shred of humanity, one that knows better but will still chose to be evil…that’s what makes them scary. I didn’t see any of that in Andrina which impacted my enjoyment of the story.

One other thing I feel must be said is that this story will probably appeal to younger audiences…younger YA’s and tweens. As an adult reading it I had to take some leaps of faith in certain areas, overlook pieces of the puzzle that just didn’t quite fit. The language used is simple, the phrasing straightforward and clear. This makes for a quick easy read but left me longing for more…maybe I just needed a little sophistication in the conversations or the relationships or just a little more emotional depth. But, then again, maybe I’m just a little older than the target audience. If I had been able to read this book as my 12 year old self, I would probably have given it a higher rating.

Overall, I think this story has the potential to grow up with its readers and build the necessary depth for wider audiences but this first book will definitely be enjoyed by younger readers.(less)

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Jan 04, 2012 Angela Fristoe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-books

I really loved this concept. The idea of hurricanes as people was really interesting and I think that it's an original idea in a market flooded with vampires, angels, and witches. The action gets going right away and there's very little down time in it. It really felt like a fast read and that was a nice change after some of the other books I've read lately.

The characters were interesting and I really liked that there was no love triangle. The only issue I did have was with Janelle's voice. It w...more

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May 04, 2012 Priya (Sweet Picks) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-bookshelf, for-review

Loved it! This first book in the Destroyer series makes me see hurricanes everywhere. Just kidding. But I'll always look at them differently. Such as thinking that anyone with hurricane names is one. Janelle is also a very strong main character. She doesn't let anyone walkover her. Example: her crazy mother who wants to destroy the world. The Tempests are like their own civilization with their own god and way of life. Hurricanes are also needed for many people near the coast. They provide rain d...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Myvampfiction rated it 2 of 5 stars

review by Megsly

*Warning: possible spoilers ahead.*

So, after I finished Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs, I saw that this was right below it and was like, “What the hell, lets read some more tempesty goodness.” Sometimes, you shouldn’t judge a book on other’s with a similar name...

Tempest, by Holly Hook, still centers around the oceans and the turmoil within them, but it follows a totally different mythology. Actually, I’m kinda sad to say it follows any legitimate mythology, no matter how the auth...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Vampires? So five years ago. Werewolves? Way overdone. Hurricanes? Yes.

Tempest's are humans that turn into hurricanes when they touch sea water. How crazy is that? Hurricanes are dangerous, and often deadly, so you can see where that doesn't sit well with our main character Janelle. At first, she has no idea what's wrong with her. All she knows is that she's caught in the middle of Hurricane Gary, and that her dad is acting strangely, infuriatingly calm. Then, Janelle sees a boy her age appear f...more Vampires? So five years ago. Werewolves? Way overdone. Hurricanes? Yes.

Tempest's are humans that turn into hurricanes when they touch sea water. How crazy is that? Hurricanes are dangerous, and often deadly, so you can see where that doesn't sit well with our main character Janelle. At first, she has no idea what's wrong with her. All she knows is that she's caught in the middle of Hurricane Gary, and that her dad is acting strangely, infuriatingly calm. Then, Janelle sees a boy her age appear from the middle of a tornado... and he has a swirl-shaped birthmark just like her. She has to get answers from him, but when she tries, she's only left with more questions. To add to it all, the name of the boy who appeared out of Hurricane Gary is... Gary. Soon, Janelle finds herself running away from everyone, including her own father, to try and avoid the inevitable: her transformation into the most powerful hurricane in history. Only problem is that she's being followed by a woman that wants to exploit her power to use it for mass destruction.

I liked Janelle, she was tough and determined, even when she was faced with life-threatening danger, and she thought she couldn't trust anyone, not even her own dad. I was a bit annoyed with her, though, on the whole dad thing, because she never gave him a chance to explain anything. She just ran away from him with Gary, who at this point had filled her in on what Tempests were and wanted to help her avoid killing people if she transformed. I felt that she at least could've given her dad a chance, but then the story would have gone a completely different way. By the end of the book, Janelle had come to terms with what she was, after fighting it for so long.

Janelle makes her journey with Gary, and throughout the novel, they grow steadily closer to each other. But, what I really loved is that they didn't immediately fall for each other. They didn't even kiss at all in the novel! They came really close once, but it didn't happen. I think they're a cute couple, and I can't wait to read how they're relationship progresses in the rest of the series. They need to kiss!

There was never a moment of boredom. The action just kept coming and coming, although towards the end, I felt like the build up to Janelle changing was drawn out a bit too long, and I found myself thinking "All right, bring on the hurricane already." But I really enjoyed reading Tempest, and I just downloaded the sequel Inferno on my Nook, so I'll be sure to read that as soon as possible. I give this novel 4 out of 5 stars.(less)

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Apr 26, 2012 Ramplo rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-review

Quick and Dirty:

-Bizarre story that I could not enjoy
-Annoying main character, like you want to violently hurt her annoying.
-Would not suggest this book, I do not plan on continuing the series

Long and Wordy:
If you want to know more about what I thought, you can check it out here:
http://ramplosreviews.tumblr.com/post...

Overall, 2/5
***This was received as an Advance Reader, this did not influence my review or rating of the book.***

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title link	preview: Tempest
avg rating	preview: Tempest Goodreads rating: 3.56 (470 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9411579-tempest?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1370633543l/9411579.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9411579-tempest?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Tempest by Holly Hook[/url]

Tempest (Destroyers #1)

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