Tempest

Tempest #1

by Julie Cross

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he's in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it's not like the movies — nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there's no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors — it's just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he's stuck in 2007 and can't get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it's not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these "Enemies of Time" will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he's willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

Genres: Young Adult, Time Travel, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romance, Paranormal, Fiction

339 pages, Hardcover

First published January 17, 2012

About the author

Julie Cross is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, including the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, Timestorm (St. Martin's Press). She's also the author of Letters to Nowhere series, Whatever Life Throws at You, Third Degree, Halfway Perfect, and many more!

Reviews

[Wendy Darling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that a lot of readers are going to enjoy Tempest a lot more than I did, judging by the insane marketing efforts planned for this book and by the early reactions I've seen. And to be fair, this is a very readable novel that kept me turning pages so fast you'd think I was eating potato chips. I don't eat many potato chips, however, because eventually they'll just make me feel sick. Unfortunately, my own overall reading experience was a very frustrating one because the story was so confusing and I never really felt a connection with the primary characters.

Jackson Meyer is a college student in 2009 who has recently discovered he can jump back and forth through time. He's just beginning to test the limit of his abilities with the help of his friend Adam when one day, a bunch of weirdos burst into his dorm room and during the struggle, his girlfriend Holly is killed. Now Jackson, who speaks several languages and is filthy rich (of course), has to figure out if he can go back in time to save her, all the while avoiding the dangerous people who are chasing after him.

This is a pretty cool premise, if borrowing heavily from Dr. Who's time lords + the movie Jumper. The fundamental problem with a conceit like this, however, is that if the rules of your time traveling aren't fairly clear and the switches in timeline fairly easy to follow, it's going to be hard to hang onto your audience. I have a rudimentary understanding of the guidelines Jackson has to follow, but the timeline made very little sense and the plot feels as if it's just a jumbled mess of events strung together. The jumps are also far too frequent and short-lived, which makes for very abrupt shifts in setting and action; I calculated that in 352 pages and 43 chapters, this kid jumps nearly every 8 pages.

If that weren't enough, there are also elements of Alias (including shades of Sydney Bristow's dad) thrown in + a dead sister + a whole lotta romance...which really isn't all that romantic. By the time Jackson discovers that he's been lied to his whole life and the conspiracies pile up higher and higher, it becomes a pretty ridiculous exercise to watch him become a super secret, teenaged, time-traveling CIA agent in just eleven days. All so he can battle the bad guys, who are called EOTs, or...wait for it...Enemies of Time! *dun dun dun*

This book is also extremely romance-centered, and there's a lot of wish-fulfillment going on in Jackson's fixation with Holly, who appears to be a nice but fairly ordinary, unremarkable girl. I just didn't find them very compelling individually or together, and it's not until the end that there's even a hint of anything genuinely emotional developing in their relationship. (I do give him some credit for not taking advantage of the "past" Holly when he so easily could have, however.) The two characters that interested me the most were Jackson's long-dead sister Courtney, whom he sees when he travels back to the past, and another mysterious little red-headed girl who appears intermittently in his travels. I really wish the book had done more with those characters instead of trying to randomly hit on so many other, less interesting things in the name of serving a far-fetched, unconvincing plot. This novel is really like an episode of any number of pseudo sci-fi adventure tv shows that specialize in flashy quick cuts and dramatic music, most of which also play fast and loose with pesky elements such as science and logic and character development.

As I said, I think a lot of readers will probably enjoy this more than I did, however, so I'm going to be sharing my ARC with fellow readers. If you're interested in joining an ARC blog tour for Tempest, sign up here for a chance to participate! (If you don't have a blog, you may also post your review to GoodReads instead.) YA readers will likely be hearing about this trilogy quite a bit in the near future, since this is not only the first book in a planned trilogy, but the movie rights have also been snapped up by Summit Entertainment. It will be interesting to compare notes to see whether the majority of readers will be as wowed by this story as the powers-that-be are predicting that they will be.

An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.

[Emily May · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate giving out one star ratings. I really hate it. And thankfully it doesn't occur too often because most books have something redeeming about them, something that I can think "yeah, the book wasn't great, but I enjoyed that one bit". I'm afraid I couldn't find this at all in Tempest. Harsh as it may seem, this is one of those novels that I honestly have no clue how it got published. It made no sense, the characters were one-dimensional, parts were misogynistic... and to top it all off, it was boring. Annoying is forgivable, so is the unexplained, but boring? Big no no.

Oh yeah, and there's something important I should point out. Try as I might to finish this, I only made it to page 300 out of 358 (which I think was pretty decent for a book that didn't hold my interest past page one). But anyway, I'm going to talk about how nothing made any kind of sense and I suppose there is a chance that sense was introduced in the last 58 pages and I missed it by giving up too soon. Oh well. What I read made no sense. It was pointless. So a guy can go back in time and do stuff that he never did before, but then when he returns to the future nothing has been affected by him changing the events of history. As in, whatever he did never happened - so what's the point?

And also, is he really going into the past if what happens doesn't affect the present? Or is he, alternatively, going into a different past/dimension? Perhaps this is explained after page 300, let me know in the comments if it is.

Plus, I'm not sure why that half-arsed romance had to happen. But this is the young adult genre and I suppose I should expect something equally annoying and completely devoid of chemistry by now. What's the point of selling the romantic element in your novel if it is dull as dishwater? I have no idea. I just know that there was nothing about Jackson and Holly's relationship that interested me. And, by the way, if Jackson can go into the past and interact with people without them remembering it in the present, why didn't he just try asking his dad about his strange abilities sooner? I know I would have if I were him.

I think I knew I wouldn't like this book from very near the beginning (chapter one or two) when a character is simply dismissed as being horrible and bitchy with all her "feminist lectures". Gosh, who cares about women and their rights, anyway?? But even that I could have forgotten if it wasn't for some more misogyny later on when Jackson is reluctant to take Holly's virginity: "You want to dump me for some loose chick?" Real nice.

And then this nice little piece:

"I just met this chick last night at my friend's party. She's mega hot and a total airhead."
"Exactly your type right?"
"Yeah, but only if the flakiness is genuine. Not that pretend-I'm-stupid shit. You know it's going to bite you in the ass later. Besides, I love messing with people who just don't get it."


How I wish I could tell you that this interaction was to demonstrate the absolute jackassery of the character. But it's actually brushed off as a bit of good fun by the protagonist. Must I say anything else about this book?

[Steph Sinclair · Rating 2 out of 5]

Until the last ten percent of Tempest, I was resigned to giving it one lonely star and, for once, not having even an inkling to pick up its sequels. I truly believe some people will be captivated with the story Julie Cross has woven together because it's not a bad book, it 's just not a good book either. In all honesty, this is more of a 1.5 star book simply reliant on the principle that it just wasn't for me. However, it really doesn’t fit on my 1.5 star shelf, which is home to some pretty crappy books and Tempest doesn't really deserve to be there among them. Plus, I'm feeling very generous today.

The year is 2009 and Jackson Meyer is your typical college student. He has a beautiful girlfriend named Holly who adores him and an awesome best friend named Adam. He also happens to be the son of a pharmaceutical company CEO, making him an incredibly rich kid. Oh yeah, and he can time travel. He seems to have everything he could ever want until one day mysterious people show up and shoot Holly. Suddenly, Jackson finds himself stuck in the year 2007. As Jackson struggles to find out his way back, he learns truths about his past, present and a possibly disturbing future. What he used to consider a weird ability now seems to have a lot more power over the world's future. Talk about pressure.

Tempest and I got off to a rocky start. First off, I want to say I loved the premise. Time travel is always a difficult topic to cover since there are so many "rules" and loads of possibilities for confused readers. For the most part, by the end of the novel I did feel like I had a pretty good understanding of Cross' universe. However, my issues with this book lie with certain events in the storyline and the characters.

Plot Events:
Tempest starts of very quickly with you immediately learning about Jackson's abilities and a few of the rules. In other words, Tempest got down to business. From the blurb, I knew Holly was going to get shot and I knew Jackson would wind up in 2007. What I didn't expect was for it to happen so soon in the story. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it felt like the story and the plot were taking off before I could connect or care about the characters. When the mysterious men show up in Holly's dorm room looking for Jackson and she's accidentally shot and later we find out she dies (the blurb says this much, but I'm hiding this 'spoiler' anyway), I found myself asking, "Wait. Is this where I should care?" Sadly, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. My gives-a-fuck-o-meter was at a steady zero. In any case, that entire scene seemed entirely too farfetched. Who let those people into the dorm randomly? Why would Jackson and Holly's first reaction be to attack the people when all they did was ask a question? I don't understand. 2009 was only two years ago, but I'm pretty sure we weren't attacking people who asked us questions.

But despite my initial turnoff I continued reading and found that I really like Jackson's sister, Courtney. I was a little sad when she tells Jackson it was her that normally visits him and it wasn't explored more. That would have been really interesting and added another layer of intrigue. In fact, now that I think about it, I'm not sure what the point was in the whole Courtney sub-plot. Was it to make Jackson a more sympathetic protagonist? Hmm...FAIL. Unfortunately, just when I thought the plot was about to actually pick up, this book gets really corny. When he gets stuck in 2007 he affectionately renames that Holly as "007." Yes, this is a good as any place to *facepalm*. Then, Jackson becomes some makeshift time-traveling CIA agent battling the "Enemies of Time."

It all went downhill for me at that point. I was already have a hard enough time connecting with the characters before Jackson became some super speshul badass agent.

With regards to the time traveling, for the most part I kinda sorta understood it, but when they started getting into "time-lines" and "alternate dimensions," they lost me. When Jackson is stuck in 2007 why didn't anything he do affect the future when he got back to 2009 since that was considered a full jump? Add that to the fact that Jackson is constantly jumping from 2007 to 2009 back and forth every few pages, and it gets pretty hard to remember what the hell was going on. The few times where he did stay in one year long enough for me to catch my breath, he is having a flashback to either...you guessed it...2007 or 2009.

The plot was also very predictable. I knew exactly what his dad was hiding. By the time the big plot twist came up I remained unmoved in my boredom.


The Characters:

I think one of the biggest issues with this book is that the characters were underdeveloped. Many times it felt like Cross was so eager to get to "the good parts" that she didn't spend enough time writing believable dialogue and characters.

One part that really bugged me was when Jackson had the conversation with his teacher about dropping out of school and getting his GED. He basically says he's going to drop out and she pretty much goes, "Okay." What teacher would react that way? None that I've had. She didn't even ask him why he wanted to do that:

She laughed again. “That can’t be true. So . . . will I see you roaming the halls soon?”
I forced back the disgusted look I knew was about to take form on my face. No way was I going back to high school.
“Probably not. I’m thinking of taking my GED, just tired of the whole high school scene.” The waitress dropped off my dinner and I picked up the fork and stabbed a spear of asparagus. “Actually, I gave my dad an ultimatum, public school or GED. He’s leaning toward the GED.”
“Public school isn’t that bad. I went to one, and look how I turned out," she said.

Ummm...WHAT? Her reaction is child's play, however, to his father's.

“I want to talk about you dropping out. I understand you have your reasons for coming back from Spain, but at least consider returning to Loyola.”

I'm sorry, who is the parent here? Please consider going back to school? Oh, no, no, no, no. This is pretty much the last time his dad has the "school conversation" with him and Jackson never does go back to school. Anyone else see how unrealistic that is? Please tell me I'm not the only one.

Holly and Adam. Who are these people? The girlfriend and the sidekick. Once again more stereotypes. Can you guess what Holly looks like? She's a blonde haired, blue eyed beauty perfect in every way. You know, like a real life Barbie Doll.

Jackson treats her like crap and she still continues to forgive him and then sleep with him. Nice. That's the perfect message to send to girls.
Adam wasn't much better of a character. He was a nerd/geek/>insert any other insult against a computer techy<. We really never learn anything else about him. I don't even remember his last name. SMH. I just love the smell of FAIL in the morning, don't you?

As I mentioned before the dialogue also was unrealistic. The characters are supposed to be 19 in 2009 and 17 in 2007, but they always felt younger to me, especially Jackson. No doubt some parts were meant to be funny, but I never once cracked a smile.

Jackson (he gets his own section):

I was really excited to learn the story is told from a male protagonist, but I quickly discovered that Jackson isn't really a guy. But wait, Stephanie! Julie Cross said Jackson is a male! The author said he is therefore it must be so, right? And to you sheepies I would reply, "NO."

Jackson sounds like he's trying to be a guy, but I never found his voice to be very convincing. Most of the time it felt like he was trying too hard to prove that he did, in fact, have a Y chromosome. For example, there is a scene in the novel where Jackson and Holly are on the verge of having sex and she mentions she's "never done this before." This immediately turns Jackson off for two reasons. One, because he is afraid of hurting her and for this reason:

The idea that she might not enjoy this was turning me in the other direction. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been with a virgin, even just messing around. Maybe never.

Now, in this flashback he was 17 and maybe it's just me, but that statement gave me pause. At 17-years-old he's had sex with so many girls that he can't even remember if any were virgins? Not only that, but he also says the longest relationship besides Holly he'd been in lasted a month (and the girl was out of the country for two of those weeks). How did Britney put it? Faking like a good one, but I call 'em like I see 'em. I know what you are, what you are, baby. Ironically, I read this scene to my husband to gather a male perspective and the first thing he asked was, "This is supposed to be a guy?" Exactly. I may have been able to accept those things if that corresponded with his apparent personality, but it didn't. It's almost like Cross tried to write a character with these stereotypes (I'm a rich man-whore, but it's gravy 'cause that's what boys my age do!) and at the same time make him a sensitive and caring boyfriend to Holly (but I'd never do that to Holly because...because...because...I just wouldn't, okay?). Boy don't try to front. I...I know just *just* what you are-are-are . I suppose we are to assume (hahaha, see what I did there?) Holly sparked this change in Jackson, but there was nothing remotely special about her that made me go, "Okay, I see it." I could never understand what was so magical about her to cause that sort of change in his personality, especially since he was not a very good boyfriend to begin with. You are concerned enough for her to not hurt her during sex, but not concerned enough to not flirt with other girls or deceive her 2007 self into liking you? Womanizer, woman-womanizer, you're a womanizer. Oh womanizer, oh you're a womanizer, baby. So, no. I did not buy their relationship. If anything I was wondering why Holly, who did seem like a smart girl, was with him in the first place.

The Ending: (This part may or may not contain mild spoilers)

Two words: Thrown together. I did not understand it at all. The sad part is, I finished the book two days ago and I can barely remember the fine details of it. BUT the one thing I do remember is Holly and Jackson's "It's too dangerous for us to be together! I love you so much, I have to break up with you so the bad guys don't use you as a target!" moment. Look, this plan NEVER works. If it didn't work out for Spiderman and Mary Jane, then it's damn sure not gonna work out for you either.

And of course this book happens to have a major marketing campaign and the rights for a movie, with Summit Entertainment no less, have been optioned. I'm left asking, "Why?" This book didn't make me laugh, cry, or even frustrated. I had zero emotions running through me. I had my 'Dark Knight' face on the entire time I read this.

I've added the next books to my shelf, but if I'm being honest here, I'm not sure if I'll ever read them.

*sigh* Oh, well. We win some, we lose some, right?

I want to give a huge thank you to Ms. Wendy Darling for hosting an ARC tour over at her blog The Midnight Garden!

More reviews and more at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.

[Lora]

Update as of 6/25/11: Okay, is it just me or are they trying to mimic the cover for Hush, Hush? And the title? Wasn't Tempest the original title for Silence, the final book in the Hush, Hush series? Geesh! - copycat much?

[Giselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travel is a very tricky subject to get into. (Look at the epic failure of Lost for example). There is the usual paradox of, if we go back in time then what happens must already have happened to make us go back. As well as the endless time loop theories. Tempest battles this with separate timelines. So now my questions are: if we change timeline, then what happens to our self in the original timeline? Does a fake us keep living there? If not, is it as if we never existed there, or do people think we've just disappeared? And what happens to our other self that existed before we got to the new timeline?… Yes, my brain hurts too! These were the sort of questions running through my mind while reading Tempest. You have to spend time pondering what's happening, over keeping track of all the back and forth time traveling. For this reason, I can see why this is not a book that everyone would take to. It would be easy to get overwhelmed by the maze-like story, but due to my constant analyzations and fascination with time travel, I was easily engrossed in the novel. Even though there are some lose ends to my questionings, I was overall impressed by Julie's time travel concepts.

We've got Jackson as our male protagonist. He's a wonderful character that is incredibly easy to like and care for. He's just learning how to work his ability when he gets stuck 2 years in the past, leaving his girlfriend, Holly, in a grave situation. Failing to get back, he tries to recreate his relationship with Holly's younger self. It's definitely an interesting romance set in an peculiar situation. We've got the usual fun and pleasant moments, but also some with a more significant message tied to them. The secondary characters aren't extremely developed, but enough to enjoy their presence. Adam and his theories, Holly and her quirks, even Jackson's father; they are an eclectic mix of entertaining personalities.

Because of the quick time jumps that happen quite often, the book is fast paced from the beginning. It can be easy to get disoriented, but it can be equally easy to get captivated by the commotion. It's not until almost the very end that we get a glimpse of the bigger picture - an unsettling (and mind-boggling) glimpse - which has the potential to make it a much more epic trilogy than I had first envisioned.

Constant action, heartfelt romance, and fascinating plot twists all add up to a promising start of what could end up being a fantastic series. Time travel is never an easy feat, but if you think your brain cells can handle it, you should absolutely give Tempest a try!

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

[Claude's Bookzone (on hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Well lots of other people loved this book and I can understand why.

I was pleased I finished it as a lot of questions about the time travel theory created by this author were cleared up in the last parts. I think this story needed to be edited to make it a bit tighter and less jumbled. I know jumping around between different timelines was the way the author chose to reveal significant pieces of information but it felt like too much work as a Reader, for too little pay off. By pay off I mean I didn't really feel invested in the story or the relationships so the jumping around in time just felt tiresome to me. There was just so much going on that I didn't have time to get anchored into any one aspect. I would have liked it more if either the romance was cut out and it was about saving the sister and exploring what was hinted at in terms of her special ability, or the focus was the entirely the romance. There was just too much happening. I loved the concept I just don't think this execution worked for me.

[Crystal Starr Light · Rating 2 out of 5]

Time Traveler's Wife + Jumper

NOTE: Provided via Amazon Vine Program.

Jackson Meyer has a unique ability: he can jump into the past. But his jumps are only a few minutes or hours into the past, and nothing he does there affects the present. His perception of his abilities change when two men barge in on him and his girlfriend, Holly, and shoot her. Now Jackson is desperately learning what is special about him and how he can use his abilities to save Holly.

I initially selected this book because it was touted to be science fiction. I love science fiction and I love time-travel stuff. But this book ISN'T science fiction. It is yet another tepid YA romance barely disguised in scifi clothing.

The characters were either unlikable or boring. Jackson is our protagonist, and I spent most of my time either hating him or feeling apathetic to him. Like Jacob in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Jackson is a spoiled rich brat that whines about how awful his life is as his chauffeur drives him to his private apartment in New York City from NYU. Oh, and he is pretty damn experienced on the dating scene (as long as it deals only with getting physical and avoiding revealing your emotions OF COURSE), super-duper smart (but NOT nerdy!), and able to learn super speshul spy stuff within a day (enough to overpower a professional CIA agent!!). Towards the end, Jackson does get a bit more likable (especially as he interacts with his sister and his past demons), but it was nowhere near enough to make me care about what happens to him or his boring girlfriend.

Oh yeah, his girlfriend, Holly. Dull as mud. Of COURSE, she is virginal and goody-two-shoes, studious, hard-working, a romantic at heart (must be from all those "romance novels" she reads *eye roll*) and all the "good" qualities in a woman. She was not interesting in the slightest.

As for Jackson and Holly, I have NO idea why these two are together. Sure, they have their "cute meet" (where she dumps a smoothie on his shoes), but honestly, their dating relationship is just that: two people dating. I felt no chemistry between them, no love, no sacrifice, no mature emotions whatsoever. Every scene with them was boring; since most of the book was Jackson trying to get back to Holly, that made most of the book boring as well. I ended up skimming a LOT of the scenes with them in it.

Adam is so stereotypical and cliched, it's embarrassing. Beyond his one role as the friend that Jackson can come to get to ANYTHING nerdy done, Adam is a blank sheet. His parents are conveniently clueless, so their teenaged son can run around and do anything without him having to explain what he is doing (typically, "shoving the parents in the closet" syndrome--the only worse way to do it was if Adam's parents were dead).

Now, Jackson's father, Kevin, is slightly more interesting. As the story progressed, I did get interested in him, and I do appreciate how Cross did NOT make him EVULZ and uncaring to his son. However, lots of cliches surround him (no spoilers).

Other characters, such as the baddies and Miss Stewart, are all sorts of cliche. We have the Dying Sister, the EVUL baddies, the Innocent Child, and even a [possible] contender for Love Interest for the next book.

The story is boring, predictable, and confusing. The rules of Jackson's time jumping are unclear and don't make sense. He can't change anything in the past when he half-jumps, but when he full jumps he does. But that past is not in the same timeline as his home base? How do they return to the same timeline? Is that a special ability? What happens to money he spends in both jumps? What are the rules for him bringing stuff into the past? Why would Jackson want so badly to meet Holly of 2007, when he is trying to save Holly of 2009? Why doesn't he try to find Adam first? Why quit school and become a janitor? Who hires a 17 year-old janitor? Who hires a 17 year-old to teach gymnastics to preschoolers? Why does Jackson avoid his father (I know the father "tried" to kill him in 2003, but if his father is a CEO, maybe he is used to assassination attacks--plus, Jackson WAS in his father's locked office)? I had so many questions about the last 50 pages or so, but I will avoid as they may be spoilerish.

As for story, I pretty much saw where it was going after the first 100 pages. There were a few surprises, but most of the surprises were just my being confused or bored with Jackson trying to woo Holly. Why is he wasting time trying to woo 2007 Holly? It isn't going to save 2009 Holly.

To be fair, there were some things I liked. The concept was very interesting (hence why I chose this book in the first place). I liked how the viewpoint character is a male instead of a female. I really grew to like Jackson's dad--he surprised me by being different than what I expected. The last half is pretty action packed, and if the first half hadn't been so slow, I would probably have liked this part better. And there are some pretty stirring scenes between Jackson and his twin (that did make Jackson not so unlikable for me). Jackson makes a choice at the end that is not expected (though I do wonder how permanent it will be). And although I know they are not targeted to the same audiences, I did like "Tempest" more than a similar time-traveling novel, "The Time Traveler's Wife".

The biggest thing that kept me going was the time traveling stuff. It was interesting (if confusing), and I did see a lot of similarities between this and Jumper (also the movie "The Adjustment Bureau"). I only wish that this book was half as good as Jumper. "Tempest" was a very disappointing book. It does what a lot of YA books are doing today: pretending to be scifi books while then spending more time on the "romance" between the protagonists than the scifi elements that drew the readers to the book. If I want to read a romance, I'll read a romance. If I want to read a scifi, I am NOT going to pick a book with unlikable, cliched characters, an incoherent plot and time traveling that takes a backseat to the romance.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Jackson drops quite a few f-bombs in this book, along with a spattering of damn's, sh!t's, and hell's.
Holly and Jackson spend the night together. A few flashbacks show them making out, getting ready to have sex, or having sex (not graphic).
Holly is shot, which sets off the events of the book. There are a few action scenes, where guys trade punches. Guns, fistfights, being thrown off roofs all make an appearance.

[Pinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect this book to be so interesting and awesome! I loved this so much, thank you so much Nimra for recommending this book. (I was supposed to buddy read this with Nimra but I received this book very late). When I was going to read this book, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. The cover makes this book seem like some sad romance novel, but it's nothing like that. It has so much action and TIME TRAVELING! It was just so good and I am glad I read this!

In the year of 2009 Jackson Meyer, a 19 year-old guy has a perfect life, a girlfriend named Holly who he's in love with, amazing friends and good grades. But the only thing that makes Jackson's life CRAZY is the fact that he can time travel. When Jackson was hanging out with Holly, a group of strangers burst into the house. Jackson is in complete shock and Holly is shot and is dying very slowly. Jackson thought that the only way to fix this was to jump a few minutes or hours before the strangers show up, but instead he jumps into the year of 2007. He doesn't know how to get back to the year of 2009 and every time he tries to jump, he goes further into the past and then, back to the year of 2007. Will Jackson be able to fix this huge mess and save his girlfriend? Will Jackson figure out how to use the power that he is gifted with and find out why those people were after him?

Although this book was really good, I had a couple of issues with it. One being the concept of how time traveling works in this book. Even if the time traveling concept is really easy to understand, it doesn't make any sense. Time traveling is a really complex topic and I don't feel like it should be like this, but I still enjoyed this factor in this book.

I really liked the characters in this book and I loved how they all interacted with each other. I was really disappointed in the ending but I still enjoyed the book. It was fast-paced, interesting, full of action, and awesome world-building. At times, it felt like I was reading a contemporary book, but then I am reminded that it is not by the events that take place.

There were so many negative reviews about this book and I was scared to read it because of this, but my friend Nimra kept repeating the fact that it was really good and that I had to read it. When it comes to Nimra, her book picks are AMAZING and whatever she loves, I love. So I believed her and I read it and it was worth it. Not all books are for everyone, and although most people didn't enjoy the book, I enjoyed it!

I recommend this book to those who want a fast-paced read and those who want to finish a book in one sit. It wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be and I loved everything about this book. There are so many questions that I have and crazy theories and I can't want to experience more of this thrilling adventure. I CAN'T WAIT TO START THE NEXT BOOK!

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is like a roller-coaster ride, the fun kind where you don’t want to get off! (Not the kind that leave you with the mother-of-all-headaches and nauseated, thinking why, oh why did I get on?!) Anyways…..yes, the fun kind where you don’t want it to end. I wanted this story to go on and on, to find out what happens next!!

Jackson Meyer is a nineteen year-old college student with an oh-so-sweet girlfriend, Holly, living in the year 2009. Jackson seems like the typical normal teenager except for the tiny fact that he can time travel. Jackson can only travel back a few days at most, and can’t travel to the future beyond what he’s already lived. Only his braniac friend, Adam knows about his abilities, and the two of them make experiments testing the limitations and possibilities of this power. Jackson thinks this is a harmless pursuit until two mysterious people show up in Holly’s dorm room to talk to him. This does not end up well. You can see what happens in the product description of this book, so I’m not spoiling it by saying, Holly is shot in a struggle, and Jackson somehow jumps back to 2007 and is stuck there. Jackson makes many attempts to jump back to his “home-base” but is unsuccessful. Instead he ends up in different spots in the past revealing all kinds of interesting about his distant father and his supposed job. He also starts to learn more about the people who showed up in Holly’s dorm and that his abilities may not have been so secret!

I love the time travel aspect of this story and unlocking the mysteries that surround it, but most of all I loved the relationship side to this book. I loved the relationship between Holly and Jackson. How we see through “flashbacks” (while he’s stuck in 2007) he’s really not the greatest boyfriend in 2009. In one of these flashbacks I wanted to scream: “Fail, Jackson!! Fail!” Fear not, because 2007 Jackson begins to see the error of his ways! Julie manages to squeeze in a few nice swoon-worthy scenes to get your blood pumping (always a plus in any book I read!) and you find yourself loving Jackson more and more. Well, not because of the kissing, but because he starts to show how he cares (well, maybe a little because of the kissing!) I also loved the relationship between Jackson and his twin-sister. I cried at one point because of that! Liked the developments between Jackson and his father and quirky Adam too!

Then there is the ending!!! Oh, what an ending!!! Did not want it to end there, but I guess now I’m all the more eager for book two!! Bring it NOW please!!!!!!
All and all, this was an amazing debut from Julie Cross. A definite recommend!

Thank you to Goodreads giveaways!

[Maja (The Nocturnal Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forget everything you know about time travel…

I’ll start this one with a confession: time travel stuff makes little to no sense to me. It’s true, my mathematical-logical intelligence is lower than my shoe size, and when I try to make sense of all the time lines and paradoxes, I get this throbbing headache in my temples that refuses to go away. Because of that, the opening sentence (Jackson’s words to Holly) meant very little to me – I knew next to nothing to begin with, but I’m happy to say that Cross’ version, at least, made sense. To me. Sort of.

Ever since it came out, Tempest has been receiving a lot of mixed reviews. Most of my friends and bloggers I usually agree with gave it a low rating, which is why I waited so long to give it a chance. But somewhere deep inside, I had this strange feeling that Tempest and I would get along, and as it turns out, we did.

As it usually happens, what I expected from Tempest and what I ended up with were two things a million miles away from each other. I obviously knew it was about time travel, but I thought it would focus entirely on the romance and saving the life of a girl our time traveler can’t live without. Boy was I wrong! It’s true, Jackson’s girlfriend Holly gets shot by the so called Enemies of Time and he jumps back in the hopes of saving her, but Tempest doesn’t focus on their undying love. In fact, Jackson approaches his relationship with Holly very maturely. Instead, this book is full of secret medical research, CIA agents, agents called Enemies of Time, parallel dimensions and guns. Sounds fun? I thought so.

A lot of reviewers thought that Holly was plain and unworthy of Jackson’s attention, and I agree that she doesn’t really stand out. But people we feel attracted to are often plain in the eyes of others, and it wasn’t me who was supposed to fall in love with her. So in a way, I'm glad she was pretty, but not stunningly gorgeous, smart, but not a Nobel prize winner, generous, but certainly not Mother Teresa. It made the entirety of their relationship seem that much more real to me.

The usual tropes were all there: no mother, dead sister, best friend the science geek, but the seat-gripping action helped me accept it all more easily and in the end, those 412 pages simply weren’t enough.
I read this book at the beach, before going to sleep, during hours of insomnia, while I was eating and pretty much everywhere else, until I finished it. (I even fell asleep with it and I sort of dropped it on my own head, but that’s neither here nor there.) Of course it had its flaws, but it’s summer, it was fun, and quite frankly I just don’t care.

Also posted at The Nocturnal Library

[Michelle Madow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book that's so amazing, and you love it so much, that you know even the best review can't give the book the justice it deserves?

Tempest was a book like that for me.

I was drawn to Tempest when I saw the "broken flux capacitors" reference in the summary. Back to the Future is my favorite movie ever, so I knew Tempest was going to be a book for me! And I was right. Just like the summary of the book says, the time travel in Tempest doesn't require a DeLorean, flux capacitor, or plutonium. (Or a Mr. Fusion once Doc updates the car in the future.) Julie Cross has created a whole new version of time travel, and I absolutely loved it! She brings alternate time lines into the mix, which adds a cool spin on things. It also made me think and theorize, which I loved. (Time-travel/alternate time-line/parallel universe topics always make me excited. I'm cool like that ;)

Jackson was a fantastic main character. He's a 19 year old guy, which we don't see much of as protagonists in YA fiction, so it was nice to read about someone different. He only recently learned he can time travel, but nothing he does affects his time line, so he has fun with it. What I liked best about him was how much he loved and cared for the people in his life, even if he wasn't big on showing it all the time. His actions said everything. His girlfriend Holly was great as well. We got to see her in both 2009 and 2007, and I liked seeing the two different Holly's. It was obvious from meeting both of them how two years -- especially between 17 and 19 -- can change a person. And Adam was awesome. He's the Doc Brown of the group. I imagine Doc's teenage self, if he was a teenager in 2009, would have been very similar to Adam! I also loved Jackson's twin Courtney, although I don't want to say much about her for fear of spoiling the book if you haven't read it yet. I'm hoping we get to learn more about her throughout the series, because I have a feeling there's more to her story than what we learned in Tempest.

And then there was the ending. Wow. I don't want to give away spoilers, but the end will tug at your heart so much. I'm just glad I know this is going to be a trilogy, because if that was really the end, I would get seriously sad. There are also so many questions (and theories!) I want answers to, so I can't wait to read the rest of this series.

Oh yeah, Tempest has also been optioned to become a movie! The book read very cinematically, so I can't wait to see it on the big screen.

Thank you, Julie Cross, for writing such an excellent novel! I wish I could time travel into the future so I could read the rest of the trilogy without having to wait.

[Arlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Tempest Jackson Meyer carries a recessive gene known as the Tempest gene. This gene is capable of producing certain symptoms or abilities such as time travel and advanced memory. When Jackson begins to experiment with his new found abilities, he’s faced with the dangers that come with time jumping and exposes himself to a whole new world filled with lies, intrigue and danger that not only risks those he cares for most, but also the fate of events which he can alter during his time jumps.

This is one of those times I’m going to be pretty generous to a book that really doesn’t deserve as many stars as I’m giving it. But when it comes down to it, I read Tempest in two short days, I was highly entertained, and there wasn’t one moment that I didn’t anticipate what would happen next. After finishing this first installment, I still don’t know who the good guys are versus the bad guys.

However, attempting to be a fair reviewer I’d have to mention that there was so much going on with the time jumps (halves versus full), experiments, world building, DNA theories, random characters, futuristic outcomes, etc that really… this book felt all over the place at times with its slightly messy execution. I found myself toward the end of the book wanting to just freeze time and see it play out, but as the story comes to a close, the reader is tossed back and forth between time frames enough to make one’s head spin. One too many twists were shoved in at the final hour, that at the last 30 pages, I was ready to call it quits. Supposedly the movie rights for Tempest were picked up by Summit Entertainment, and as long as Hardwicke doesn’t direct this film, I can see the potential for a pretty intriguing film. I’m curious to see how the script writer handles the one-too-many time jumps and makes this movie flow into a cohesive story.

Overall, I think most people will enjoy Tempest for its constant action, plot twists, heartfelt moments, and intrigue. Jackson narrates the story in a way that has you suddenly caring about his fate. But in a different time and mind frame, I’d probably not be so lenient with this book and take a star or two for execution and flow. However, I can’t deny the fact that I was kept engaged and felt pulled along with the story that in the end captivated me. I feel Julie Cross penned a worthy first installment, and I look forward to seeing her storytelling improve with time and only get better.

[Krystle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, the controversy, oh the response. I really had no idea what to think about this book before I read it after all the stuff that went down. Heh.

The book has an awesome cover and a fabulous premise but, whoa, man. I was totally expecting some greatness with this but I didn’t. So sad, I didn’t. The main problem with this book is the romance aspect of it and the characters.

So, this book, right? It basically revolves around Jackson trying to get his girlfriend back before she got murdered. Honestly, it ties to set up their relationship like they had some deep feelings for each other but I didn’t feel any of it. Their love, to me, seemed superficial and even though the author tried to make them have a deeper connection with each other, it came off as flat and unconvincing. They just weren’t developed enough to leave a lasting impression and what’s worse is that Jackson basically spends the entire book chasing stalking her throughout various points in time. No thanks.

I’m really not a fan of books written from the pov of a male protagonist. Not that I have a thing against boy narrators but I usually have a hard time getting into their head and their voice, so my own internal connection with them doesn’t happen. Jackson doesn’t actually feel like a realistic boy to me. He seems to be a female’s wish fulfillment version of what they want a boy to be like. Okay, so, he’s super rich (I’m talking black card wielding here), damn hot (like, wow, movie stars and hot boy band members be jealous!), very intelligent (gets into all those prestigious private schools), is very well read (Shakespeare? Hah! I've read Tolstoy, Hemingway, Vonnegut, and others! Take that!), and has a special power that no one else has! WOW. Someone needs to find me one of these guys in real life, ASAP, so I can fangirl the crap out of them. His voice doesn’t feel authentic either. He spends a lot of time ruminating over his thoughts and feelings, taking notes, and being oh so lonesome for Holly. Too soft and mushy for me.

Both of these problems combined make for a very dull and lacking plot. Whole chapters of this book flew by where I was completely bored and totally uninterested in what was happening. It really lost me when it introduced a new concept/villain near the halfway mark. EVIL TIMEJUMPERS! ...Like what? What? Are we serious? This was just so cliché and ridiculous I just side-eyed it super hard.

As in Kira’s review, I did encounter the terribly misinformed characterization of what a feminist is. Feminists are not man haters, nor are they set out to prove their gender as better than the other. They’re advocates for equality between the two genders, as in everyone getting the same amount of respect and appreciation. Eg: The differences in pay between men and women. It’s not fair if a woman is doing the same job as a man and doing it with the same amount of competence that the man should get a higher paycheck simply because he is a man. In a previous reading status update for this book I said, “This stereotypical caricature is not doing any favors to anybody.” She is thought of as a joke in the book in Jackson’s pov and, to a lesser amount, Holly. It doesn’t change either. She is always regarded as something to laugh at or with disdain and it makes me upset that people think this is what feminists are or how they behave.

That’s not to say there weren’t a few bright spots in this book. I really loved the relationship between Jackson and his sister. I thought the writing really shone here because it was actually emotive and you could literally sense the depression and despair both parties feel at the impending loss. I felt something and it did leave me sad just for a few moments, which I think is what a book should do. Make you feel something.

I was set to give this book a lowly rating but the quick paced climax was fun and managed to keep my entertained. Wait a minute… You know what? I just realized something. This book is like the movie, Jumper! The whole jumping thing and the evil anti-jumping people, bad jumpers, and jumpers who do it for good. Heh.



(You may be a terrible actor, but you sure are nice to look at)

So my thoughts for the movie could be an accurate expression of how I feel about the book. Despite the premise, the flashy special effects and appeal for the action-orientated audience, the movie became bogged down by the uninspiring romance and flat characters that seemed to lack depth and sincerity. A pretty face can only do so much.

I want to thank Goodreads’s First Read program for giving me a chance to read this book.

[~Tina~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wish I could have enjoyed Tempest more then I did. The concept is really actually cool and I liked most of these characters but I think the way it was delivered ruined it for me. It was erratic, confusing and moved rather quickly and eventually I lost interest and had to skim the rest of the book to finish it.
I am looking forward to seeing this on the big screen though, maybe it'll do better as a visual?

Thanks Crystal for touring this out and Amber for sending it. Sorry I couldn't loved it:(

[Lissa]

I do want to read this. I love the Butterfly Effect films, about time-jumpers. But I don't want to read it if it's similar to The Butterfly Effect. Everyone's saying 'this is so unique!' And apparently the narrator can't change anything in the past that he jumps to. So he'd just be getting younger and younger, right? Cos he can ONLY jump backwards. And then re-live his life. And jump backwards again.

I know, I haven't read it yet. It doesn't make sense to me. Even if he can't affect what happens in the past, it still sounds too much like The Butterfly Effect, especially with an apparently 'sad ending' which probably means he sacrifices himself for the well-being of others. I mean, predictable much? That happens in practically every single time-travel story.

I'm not sure I want to risk buying the book, because with a cover this gorgeous, it's probably just going to be another hyped-up disappointment. I will however accept gifts or track it down at my library. Since I really started getting in to YA, I've wasted way too much money on well-marketed books that lack substance or have crap stories or despicable leads. My trust has been shattered.

After reading the first four chapters as provided on
http://img2-3.timeinc.net/ew/static/p...

Spoilers

Oh, ugh! Holly's friend is a man-basher and Holly refers to her as feminist? Nu-uh. I don't want to read this any more.
Reciting classic literature makes you a freak?
They stop in the middle of foreplay to recite pages of Dickens? I'm a Shakespeare fan, but I would NEVER stop during foreplay to get my man to recite me anything.
Holly attacks a guy (that I am guessing is dressed in a suit because we're never told exactly what they're wearing) just because they're asking questions?

What the fuck?

Um, no. Just no.

[Tatiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Неплохая история про путешествия во времени с оригинальной задумкой. Задумку я оценила, даже не смотря на то, что ничерта не поняла. Но приятно, что автор не пошла протоптанной дорожкой, а попыталась придумать что-то свое. По отзывам, которые я прочитала тут же на гудридсе, я поняла что не у меня одной возникла проблема с пониманием работы механизма этих самых путешествия. Очень уж автор намудрила. Под конец книги я понимала только одно - что ничего не понимаю. Потому что , все было просто, но герои почему то ничего просто не делали, а шли и делали все сложным путем. Обладая даром путешествовать во времени, за всю книгу Джексон только один раз по сути воспользуется своим даром. ОДИН! А все остальное время ему будет болтаться ��ак кое-что в прорубе, куда подует ветер, туда его и несло. Из плюсов - сюжет динамичный. Романтика милая, хотя и очень не правдоподобная. Не поверила я в "любовь до гроба" между Джексоном и Холли, они скорее казались мне хорошими друзьями. Кажется, что их ничего не связывает, герои даже не пытаются узнать друг друга, хотя и признаются в любви на протяжение книги не одни раз. Вишенка на торте момент, когда Джексон из 2009 прыгает в 2007 год, где они с Холли еще не знакомы, и знакомиться с ней снова, мы понимаем, что Джексон совершенно не знает Холли!!!! Как же можно любить кого-то и совершенно ничего о нем(ней) не знать ?! Это странно.

Продолжение читать пока желания нет.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has everything! It is a cross between the Matrix, Conspiracy Theory, and The Bourne series. Very action packed and I have to admit very confusing at times, but in the end all that confusion is well worth it.

What happens in this book is a very intense plot involving several different characters and when you read it, it is like watching a ball of yarn unwind. There are so many secrets that I lost count of how many times I thought I knew something because it turned out to be wrong. I have no idea who to trust and normally this is a bad thing but I love all the mystery involved in this unique story.

Julie Cross does a wonderful job of keeping the reader on their toes and can definitely write an exciting tale. I also appreciate that when Jackson would time jump she would start a new chapter. This helped keep all the confusion to a minimum. I am eagerly waiting for the next installment to see what becomes of every character and if Jackson can save the future from destitute.

This book has already been optioned for a movie and I think it will translate to the theater wonderfully.

[Gwynn White · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a disappointment. Great cover, great premise, poor read. I didn't even finish it. It just wasn't compelling enough. Where to start with review?

Characters
Oh... you mean the book had characters? Is that what those card-board cut-outs were? No kidding. Jackson was tedious, Holly unremarkable and Adam stereotyped. And I hated that Jackson refused to tell Holly - the girl of his dreams that he loved so much - about his time travel secret. That sure is the basis for a long and happy life together.

The Love
Maybe it's just me, but how many nineteen-year-old boys have had so much sex with so many girls that they can't remember if any of them were virgins? Run, Holly, run. And don't look back. The bad guys with the guns are not the real danger in this relationship.

Dad
Jackson's father was about as unbelievable a character as you will find in all of English writ.
CEO turned CIA agent. And Jackson never noticed anything remotely odd about him before he learned to time jump?

Time Jumps
As far as all the time jumps go... I am stunned by the speed and the confusion of it all. We never settled anywhere for long enough to get the full picture of what was happening... or even to care.

All told, I think this book should have been written as a screenplay, because that is all it is, seeing as Summit has bought the movie right.

Such a shame because it could have been a really good read.

In the end all I can say about this meaninglss

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Julie Cross's "Tempest" is a book I know I'm going to have a hard time discussing without feeling major pangs of guilt gripping me from the inside, because it should've been a story I enjoyed. I didn't enter the book with any major expectations. The premise seemed interesting, and while weary that the time-travel didn't note any major repercussions or system it was based upon, I jumped in headfirst anyway. Because as long as the author makes it work within his/her own systemic plotting, it should be fine, right?

Not so much. *rubs top of her head gingerly*

Now that I've read the entire book, I'll admit I'm surprised it left the editing floor with so many issues - some controversial assertions in an attempt for humor (coming across instead as misogynistic), while other issues had to do with plot displacement; one-dimensional, underdeveloped characterizations; and uneven structure. I like Julie Cross; she seems like a sweet person. I would not hesitate to read further works from her in the future, but I had strong enough objections to "Tempest" that I've decided not to follow further installations in this particular series.

Giving a brief introduction to the plot - 19-year-old Jackson Meyers has the ability to jump through time, which somewhat reminded me of the same system that Steven Gould used in "Jumper" to leap to different places. (Totally cool with me, btw.) Jackson's living in the year 2009, testing the waters of his ability with friend Adam, who comes across as your typical geeky sidekick invested in Jackson's odd ability. In the meantime, Holly, Jackson's girlfriend - whom we're *told* he's madly in love with - suspects that Jackson's hiding something and is a bit on the side of vexed that he's keeping something from her. But she recovers quickly, saying she "can't stay mad at him" and makes him promise "no more secrets" (though he never really tells her the secret he's keeping at the time). The two have a "make-up" make out session, before agents of unknown origin burst into the apartment, corner Jackson, and in the mix of a scuffle - shoot Holly, who dies in the encounter. Jackson time-jumps and winds up stuck in 2007. The story moves on from that point to describe how desperate Jackson is to find out the truth and save the girl he loves.

I guess I should have recognized the warning signs when I realized that I didn't care for Jackson as a leading character. I found his voice displaced for a male protagonist, with some odd turns in my suspension of disbelief. (Citing Dickens in the middle of a make out scene? Come on now…) It made it hard to connect with him. I also didn't think highly of the scene where Jackson and Holly blasted Holly's roommate as an angry feminist. To dispel a prevalent misconception: man-hating does not equal feminist ideals in any consideration. I think that scene was intended in humor, but it wasn't in the slightest, just awkward and misguided.

On the scene with the agents: why did Jackson assume they were reporters or agents? I guess I could understand Jackson suddenly time jumped in a panic, but nothing in that scene made sense enough for me to connect to it. For such an important plot turn in the novel that was supposed to be the push for the start of the story, it dropped the ball quite hard. Not to mention it didn't pull me any closer to connect with Holly just because she was - well, killed - during that scene.

Jackson realizes that he's stuck in form in 2007 (an effect from doing a full time jump as opposed to a half jump which doesn't affect time). He has to account for his activities and being there when he's really supposed to be overseas. He makes an active plan to incorporate himself into the "base" realm he's in. He makes the decision not to go back to his private high school, becomes a janitor at the school Holly attends at the time (awkward much?), and reconnects with Adam in order to make sense of his time jumping situation.

I wasn't convinced when Jackson thought his father might've been behind Holly's death - he really didn't seem impassioned enough about either her death or his father's possible betrayal. I would've thought Jackson would've gone Kamehameha on his father's rear with even the inkling of deception. Not so much. His assumptions come out of thin air and don't really have any links based on information provided to us in the scene, so it feels displaced as well. Except when we figure out he's actually right in his assumptions when the scenes come to pass, but there's no toggling of threads to keep the reader guessing on their own, and I think that would've made for a more compelling story rather than the conspiracy assumptions.

I think at that point I just decided to read forward in the story just to see where it went, but to summarize - I think I would've appreciated this story a lot more if the characterization and references felt less "Hollywood" and more genuine. To repeatedly say that Jackson's ability is "not like the movies" and then make a comparison to "Groundhog Day" not one, not two, but three times in the text suggests improper worldbuilding and contradiction. Not to mention the dumping of pop culture references throughout the text was too much. I don't mind spot references, but if it's thrown in without any sort of intimate value, it's a bust for me.

There were points where I think Cross shows promise, particularly involving a scene with Jackson's deceased twin. It showed that Cross has the capacity to show emotional intimacy and do it well, but it was too far and few between in the events of the novel to redeem it for me as a whole.

The ending had me up in arms. While the scene before it had some decent action and pacing in spurts, having Jackson think "the best way to keep Holly safe is for her not to love/know me at all" felt like a cheap trick at best. If this is supposed to be a story that bases itself on love as much as it does, it didn't show it well enough in the interactions between Holly and Jackson for the most part. There were probably one or two scenes where it came close - but those scenes were more surface emotion than resonant.

I couldn't really recommend this novel for those who like time travel stories because the time travel system is too haphazard. I couldn't recommend this for sci-fi thriller fans because it doesn't keep the pacing well enough throughout the novel to keep interest, let alone the cookie cutter cast (Jackson the good looking, awkward hero, Holly the ideal damsel whose fight scenes made no sense, Adam the ubiquitously referenced smart hacker, Jackson's stern, not so mysterious father, etc.). And lastly, the love story…just doesn't deliver. I'm sure there will be people who enjoy and give more leverage to this more than I did, but there were too many times I had to suspend disbelief and push myself through in order to make it to the end.


Overall score: 1.5/5

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

When I first saw a copy of Tempest at the library, I spent a few minutes contemplating whether or not I should pick it up. While time travel novels and movies have always interested me and I always had that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I'd enjoy Tempest after reading its synopsis, the negative reviews it received from trusted friends of mine discouraged me. However, I decided to take a chance and pick up the last copy of Tempest left and see for myself if I'd fall into the category of people who liked it, or the category of people who didn't, all while keeping my expectations relatively low. Now, after reading Tempest, I am glad to say that I definitely fall into the category of those who like it.

The warped concept of time travel in Tempest is incredibly interesting and original, but also, at the same time, pretty confusing. The benefits of creating your own concept of time travel is, of course, that there are no prior limitations to what you can do. At the same time, however, I also think that may have been a minor downfall in Tempest. A benefit to using time travel as most people know it (the butterfly effect, etc) is that most things are already established by prior knowledge. There's no need to add page after page of scientific reasonings behind time travel and the limitations of time travel, because most people already know the basics. But with the new spin on time travel in Tempest, everything is completely different from the time travel we already know of. And while I did find Cross' concept of time travel much more interesting than the basic 'you time travel, you change stuff, you leave' concept, there were many times where the explanations for the time travel in Tempest (how it works and how it came to be) became convoluted and confusing.

That's not to say that I found the use of time travel in Tempest to be unenjoyable, though. While it did take me quite a bit to get a full grasp on how the time travel works and why some things happened, I enjoyed it nonetheless and there was never a moment when reading Tempest that I was bored or tempted to skim. When Tempest didn't have a sweet and well-paced romance to occupy the reader with, it had a thoroughly interesting plot and well-written fight scenes to hold the reader's attention.

The characters and relationships in Tempest are, by the end, likable and well-developed. At first, it took me a bit to warm up to Jackson, but soon everything I originally thought about him had changed and I found myself caring for him and everything he went through, and I was soon captivated by the romance between him and Holly. However, while I did enjoy her and Jackson's romance, I found Holly to be pretty bland throughout most of the novel.

After all this praise, you'd think that Tempest would at least be receiving four stars from me, but the most I can give it is 3.5 stars. While I did find Tempest to be a fast-paced, emotional COURTNEY! , and fascinating debut, it lacked something that I can't quite put my finger on, and because of that, I can't bring myself to give it any more than 3.5 stars. However, despite that, I'd recommend Tempest to anyone looking for a good read concerning time travel. Sure, it has its fair share of problems, but gosh darn dang it I had fun it with it!

[Gökçe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kitap oldukça güzeldi. Zaman geçişlerinin beni yoracağını zannediyordum ama tam tersine kitabın temposunu yükselttiler. Puan kırmamın nedeni sonlara doğru kafam karıştı. Belli şeyler cevaplanmamıştı. Sanırım bende Jackson gibi ikinci kitapta soruların cevaplarını bulacağım.

[Nihan Alak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bence film olması gereken kitapların başında geliyor. Ben çok sevdim, devamı için inanılmaz heyecanlıyım. -zaman yolculuğu temasını da hiç sevmem aslında-

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I was absolutely thrilled when I received not one, but two arcs of this book. I'd been itching to read this for weeks and I was excited that I wouldn't have to wait till January to pick this up. Plus, this book is about time travel AND its from a guy's pov. What's not to love?

Honestly, I enjoyed this Julie Cross's debut more than I thought I would, even if it was different from my original ideas. Other than a few moments where I lost my connection to Jackson and the story, I was really into this book.

Jackson was definitely...different from what I expected. I could tell he loved Holly but it was interesting seeing him struggle so much with his emotions. And at first, it bugged me that he a 'dead twin' and no mother. But then I realized how much it worked with the book. And as Jackson began to open up to himself, I loved seeing him realize that you could lose what you love in an instant. Basically, the growth of him in this book was great.

Holly was a likable character but at times she felt lacking. I wanted to see more of her personality. I did love that we got to see her from different times at the change in her and her love for Jackson but I'm really hoping that in the next book, we see more of her.

And oh my gosh, I love Jackson's dad. Honestly, from the beginning, I knew that I loved this guy. I could instantly tell that he loved Jackson, even if Jackson couldn't see it. I am really excited to see him in the next book. Adam...still so so about him but he's alright.

Overall, I really loved this book. The whole time travel plot really cleared up but at the same time, there are so many interesting mysteries. I'm really excited to see where Cross goes with this series. But oh dear god the ending...it killed me. It really killed me. Can't wait for the next book!

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

P.S. This music video reminds me so much of this book...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKfzqt...

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Tempest! It was really nice to read something that is different than most books out there for young adults. It slightly reminded me of the movie Jumper, but with time travel. This book is filled with so much action and adventure that I couldn't put it down. The ending completely broke my heart. The worst part of Tempest is that I have to wait till 2013 for the second book to come out. Tempest was a great book, I'm so glad I had the chance to read it.

[Colleen Houck]

I am a huge fan of time travel novels and this one traveled with the best of them. There were so many twists, turns, and jumps, I had a hard time keeping them straight. I really like the cover. They did a great job designing it. I think Adam was my favorite character. I have a thing for computer nerds. =)

[starryeyedjen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe my expectations for this book were too high, or maybe it was just too hyped to begin with, but I just couldn’t connect to the characters or the story the way I would have liked. I love the whole aspect of time travel, but rather than be mysterious and science-fictiony (yup, another review where I make up my own words) like I had anticipated, it felt more like a rip-off of that movie Jumper. And not in a good way.

The premise is intriguing, though not all that original. However, the time travel itself is rather different, though that doesn’t mean it’s easy to understand…at all. Some things are explained well enough, like how Jackson got stuck in 2007 in the first place, but I found the logic questionable when it came to traveling along the same timeline or departing from one’s own timeline altogether. The general rules for time travel definitely needed some clarification, but maybe the reader is supposed to learn about them as Jackson does. Though he clearly had no idea what he was getting into when he started his little time travel experiments with his friend Adam and landed himself in all of this hot water in the first place.

I found the characters lacking and generally cliché. As formulaic as the plot was, the characters should have been exceptional and well-rounded, but they just fell flat. Jackson is supposed to be your typical hot, rich guy with commitment issues. And he totally fits the bill. But through this ordeal, he should show some growth, and though there are times when his character shows promise, he never truly lives up to his potential. His sacrifice is just as much selfish as it is noble.

Holly is your average girl-next-door who somehow manages to land the super-hot, rich guy, though he’s clearly not her type. Adam, who was friends with Holly before he ever met Jackson, is suddenly best buds with him, but that’s predictably because he’s the nerdy, science type, and he’s helping Jackson figure out this whole time-travel thing. And, of course, neither of them thinks to tell Holly what’s going on until it’s too late and the evil “Enemies of Time” are hot on Jackson’s trail.

I think that too much focus on time travel itself detracted from the actual storyline, and the fact that so much time travel occurs in a relatively short span of time left me reeling. I understand that the role of the first book in a trilogy is to grab the reader’s attention and guarantee that they’ll want to read the rest of the series, but I found much of this novel to be an information dump rather than an actual story. Considerably less time could have been spent on Jackson being chased through time and instead spent on aspects that are clearly going to be important in Jackson’s future (or past or present or wherever he ends up), such as his dead sister and the little girl who travels from the future (or a future timeline?) who just happens to look very much like his dead sister. Also, the romance was sweet, but most of it was just fluff, only serving as a detour from Jackson’s true purpose or calling or whatever you want to call it.

Despite my feelings toward this novel, it’s received quite a bit of buzz. The film rights have already been snapped up by Summit Entertainment, even before the novel has been officially published and released into the wild. And as I mentioned before, this is only the first novel in a planned trilogy, and a massive marketing campaign is in the works. I wish I could say I think it deserves all of the attention it’s garnering, but regardless of my thoughts on this first installment and how it’s being handled, I’m definitely intrigued enough by what I suspect is to come that I’ll pick up future installments.

Much appreciation goes out to Wendy Darling for offering up her ARC for this tour. The link to the ARC tour can be found here.

[Jess M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this review on my blog and enter for a chance to win ARC of this book! --> Tempest by Julie Cross

When I began reading, I didn’t realize just how much time traveling, or jumping, Jackson would be doing. I was worried that I would be confused or get lost by him going back and forth so often, but it was not the case at all. The book flows brilliantly with no hiccups in its pacing.

As you may have noticed, this book is narrated by a boy. That’s right! We don’t have nearly enough YA books narrated by boys. Jackson Meyer starts off as your typical nineteen-year-old guy, special abilities aside. Impulsive, fun, charming, afraid of commitment despite his strong feelings for his girlfriend...normal teen guy stuff. What makes him special--again, special abilities aside--is that he’s also loving, tender, and loyal. I loved that he loves music. There were some pretty awesome song mentions in this book that included some of my personal favorites! All these things made him such a real character. But as things begin to unravel in his life, he realizes that he has to be better, become more, if he wants to keep Holly safe, because his fears might just be the death of her. Ok, I must confess...I fell completely head-over-heels in love with Jackson. He had me laughing and swooning, which really is the best combo. Every girl wants a guy that is funny but can also sweep you off your feet. Well, at least this girl does. :) He also had some really heartbreaking moments in the book. I found myself with tears in my eyes at some of those.

We got to know Holly, Jackson’s girlfriend, in a unique way. We meet her as present day, 009 Holly, but we get to know her better as a seventeen-year-old, 007 Holly, when Jackson jumps back two years. She is sweet, fun, and impulsive. Her future self is also sweet and fun, but a little more reserved. I loved that while Jackson was in the past, he treated younger Holly with more care because of her age. Despite having already been with her in the future, he doesn’t want to take advantage of her now, no matter how much he wants her. I found that very admirable! I thought sex was treated very responsibly in this book, and at the same time, it also showed us all the love and emotions that can go along with it. Overall, their relationship was very romantic and I really loved their chemistry.

Jackson’s friend and partner in crime, Adam, was also a great source of laughter. Yes, he’s a science geek, but his dead-pan humor and rational personality give him a cool edge. Jackson’s dad, Kevin, was someone who always tugged at my heart. He’s fierce but has this huge heart, and I always believed in him. Remember those heartbreaking moments I mentioned before? A few involved Kevin and also Jackson’s twin sister, Courtney. I don’t want to get into Courtney too much in this review, because I feel that so much of that shapes Jackson after he gets stuck two years in the past. As far as the bad guys in the story go, it was very intriguing. I found myself on the fence pretty much until the end of the book.

The end of the book. *sigh* Oh, it was so sad! I know Jackson is doing the right thing, and I agree with it, but it is still heartbreaking! It's really good, though, don't get me wrong! Just sad...

Like Jackson says in this book, “Erase everything you’ve ever heard about time travel, because it will just confuse you.” This was a completely new take on time-traveling. Not only is Tempest incredibly unique, it is so smart and beyond heartfelt. There’s also nail-biting action and intrigue page after page! I just couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! I can’t wait to see what else Julie Cross has in store for us in the rest of this series. I do know that it will be amazing, just like Tempest. I have zero doubts about that.

[Isamlq · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

It took forever to get things going but once I was more than just a little interested, the story ended (and in a dramatic fashion, might I add.) Normally, YA’s told from the boy’s POV are a win for me. Yet, even with Jackson being believable (sometimes likeable and sometimes not, ) I can’t say that I liked his story. Everything just took too long and towards the end, everything was a bit… too much.

He’s a boy with a lot of money as well as good fortune on his side. He’s also a boy who’d discovered he was special beyond good looks and said deep pocket. Add that he’s a boy who’s like any other: deathly afraid of showing his feelings; a fear somehow linked to his tragic family history. OK, so where did the sci-fi bit come in? Think The Time Machine of a girl’s death propelling the boy to go back in time to save her. Only when he does do this: a lot of things (everything?) goes wrong. While I admit that he is the only reason I even finished this, dear me… when I say there’s everything in this, I mean it (kitchen sink included.)

It’s got time travel. He jumps (erg, half jumps) from moment to moment. But unlike stories of the same type, he does not affect the future by doing so. While I’d have liked to understand more of this, that this is the first in a series explains the lack of depth in said aspect. (So, I’m likely to read the next one despite the sad lack in character development.) There’s also the whole spy thriller thing going on. Now, think of JUMPER, except not as fast paced. What I had a problem with was how easily things went for him. Because not only could he friggin’ travel through time, well, he was expected to have photographic memory. And if those weren’t enough to take in, there’s this thing called the Axelle.

Of course, there’s a girl who motivates him… for God knows what because seriously, beyond Jackson, all other characters went nowhere. Even Adam, whom I saw so much potential in. So while people abound, I didn’t know that much of them save that they were good friends, best friends, girl friends and sometimes creepy mysterious fathers. Wait! I must mention an enemy with an unfortunately painfully obvious name of…wait for it… ENEMIES OF TIME!

It was interesting (eventually) though I do think this would make for a more interesting movie.

THANKS NETGALLEY!
2.5/5

[Joy (joyous reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, the cover instantly reminded me of an angel story so I wasn’t really gung-ho on reading this book. There’s just something about the boy and a girl falling from the sky that immediately scream angels to me. But when I read the synopsis, the time traveling element piqued my enthusiasm. Once I was in the thick of things, I was unable to look away from the pages and was quickly drawn into Jackson’s world.

Tempest is told through Jackson’s point of view, which makes this book doubly awesome. There’s just something about his voice that makes even the most touching scenes seem lighter. He’s awfully confident without being cocky, sweet and real. I’ve always found that there are story themes that call for a boy’s POV, which eventually helped to tell the story in a more realistic manner no matter how far-fetched the story may be. The romance is toe-curlingly swoon worthy. I just love the way the way Jackson chased the girl without being incredibly obvious of it all.

I’ve had a hard time following the dynamics of time traveling, and in this case, even more so because genetics was involved. My mind have not always been receptive to scientific explanations, so I found myself re-reading some parts in an attempt to fully understand it. And although I failed to comprehend this subject miserably, I’d like to say that the author did a good job of avoiding the use of any scientific jargon that could’ve made it worse for me. Everything was explained in simple words but like I mentioned before, all those were simply lost on me.

This book blew me away. The non-stop action kept me constantly hungry to read more and to read faster. It is definitely the most complex and yet the simplest time traveling book I’d ever read. If the action doesn’t keep you on the edge of your seat, the secrets and the eventual revelations surrounding Jackson’s and his twin sister’s birth will definitely keep you in suspense. And even with the constant “jumping”, the cohesiveness that tied all the scenes never slacken. It was truly amazing to see how incidents in the past flowed smoothly into the present.

As much as I’d love to give this book a full 5, my heart just couldn’t stop aching from the way this book ended. One thing’s for sure; I will sell my soul to the devil to get a copy of the next installment!

[Grüffeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 Sterne.
Tja schade. Endlich mal wieder ein Buch über Zeitreisen in der Hand, in dem auch durch die Zeit gereist wird und dann passt für mich einfach einiges nicht. Als Leser verliert man ganz leicht den Überblick, was wann passiert (ist)/passieren wird, in welcher Zeit man sich gerade überhaupt befindet... An sich die Geschichte und die Charaktere sind toll und spannend, der Erzählstil ist nicht überragend, aber es liest sich gut, leider kam das Gesamtpaket nicht 100%ig an.